The office felt colder without Adrian present.
Elena sat quietly on the couch, attempting to steady her heartbeat.
She still felt the echo of his words:
"You are the priority."
Why would Adrian Blackwood say something like that?
Before she could think further, voices came through the door.
Urgent.
Low.
Sharp.
Elena didn't want to eavesdrop, but the tone held her still.
"We have a breach in the legal department," someone explained.
"Impossible," Adrian returned with his voice a quiet threat.
"Nobody touches my files."
"This isn't normal corporate sabotage," the man whispered nervously.
"It's personal."
Personal?
Elena's chest tightened.
Adrian spoke again, her tone darker than she'd ever heard.
"Find out who's behind it. "I want names."
"And Elena?" the man inquired.
Elena's breathing ceased.
Adrian's response was quick.
"She stayed with me. Nobody goes near her."
Elena felt her heart skip painfully.
Why tie her up in this situation?
She leaned closer to the door, unable to control herself.
"Sir… Do you believe this has to do with her past?" Or yours?"
Adrian didn't say anything.
Then—
A threatening whisper:
"Both."
Elena's eyes were wide, and she covered her mouth.
Both?
What did he mean by "both"?
What did he know about her background?
The door suddenly swung open.
Elena jumped back so hard that she nearly fell.
Adrian stood there, his eyes bright with something sharp and unreadable.
"How long did you stand there?" he asked.
"N-Not long—I didn't intend to overhear—"
"Elena."
His voice slashed through her panic like a blade.
"Come here.
She stopped moving.
He stepped inside and firmly closed the door, locking it.
"I'm sorry, Adrian. I really didn't want to—"
"I asked you a question," he said quietly, moving closer.
"How much have you heard?"
Elena gulped.
"Just a little."
Adrian exhaled slowly, as if he were struggling with himself.
Then he closed the gap between them in three deliberate steps.
His hands cupped her face, gentle yet unbreakable.
"Elena," he murmured, "if someone is coming after me, they will come after everything related to me."
Her pulse quickened.
"I am not—"
"You are connected to me," he stated quietly.
"Contract or not?"
Elena could feel the room tilt.
"Adrian… are we in danger?"
He stroked his thumb along her cheek, his gaze intense enough to take her breath away.
"Although I am alive."
Elena's chest tightened sharply.
"But I need you to follow my rules," he explained.
"Each one of them."
She nodded, shakily.
He leaned in, so close that his breath mixed with her own.
He whispered, "Good."
"From now on, I will keep you in my sight."
It made her heart race in ways she had never experienced before.
Before she could gather her thoughts, the door knocked urgently again.
"Sir, you should see this," someone called.
Adrian's jaw clenched, but he did not release her face right away. "Elena," he said quietly, "remain in my office. Please do not open the door for anyone other than me. Understand? She nodded, short of breath. He took a reluctant step back, as if to distance himself from something dangerous. Then he stepped out. The door closed behind him. Elena pressed a hand against her chest. Her heart wouldn't stop trembling. Not for fear. But the terrifying realization that Adrian Blackwood was gradually becoming the most dangerous part of her life.