Mia woke up to silence.
Not the heavy, tense silence from last night—
but a quieter one, the kind that felt like the world hadn't decided what today would become.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. For a moment she didn't remember where she was. The sofa beneath her felt unfamiliar, the faint smell of Adrian's cologne lingering in the air, the dim lights still on.
Then everything rushed back.
The tapping on the door.
Adrian's brother.
The security lockdown.
Adrian staying awake all night.
Mia jerked upright.
Her gaze shot to the corner of the room.
Adrian was still there.
Sitting in the chair near the door.
Back straight.
Eyes open.
He hadn't slept.
He hadn't even moved.
His hands were loosely clasped in front of him, head slightly tilted, watching the security monitor like a soldier guarding a battlefield.
Mia whispered, "Adrian…?"
He didn't respond immediately.
For a second she thought he hadn't heard her, until he finally turned his head slightly.
"You're awake," he said softly.
His voice was rough, tired. Mia stood up slowly and walked toward him.
"You didn't sleep at all," she said.
"No," he replied simply. "I told you I would stay awake."
"Adrian… you can't keep doing this to yourself."
He looked up at her fully now. His eyes were colder than usual, but underneath the coldness was exhaustion—real exhaustion, not just physical.
"I had to make sure you were safe," Adrian said. "There was no room for sleep."
Mia exhaled shakily. "But I'm safe now. At least rest for a little while."
"I'm fine."
"You're not," she said. "Your eyes are red."
He blinked, almost surprised she noticed.
Then he leaned back slightly, his gaze softening.
"You talk like someone who worries too easily."
"And you talk like someone who doesn't worry about himself at all," Mia replied quietly.
Adrian didn't answer.
For a long moment, they simply stared at each other—her standing, him sitting, the weight of the night still lingering between them.
Mia finally asked, "Did security find anything?"
"Not yet," he said. "They found traces on the lower floors. But no confirmed sighting."
Her heart sank. "So he's still out there."
"Yes." Adrian's tone darkened. "And until I know exactly where he is, you're not leaving my sight."
Mia bit her lip. "Adrian… I can't stay locked here forever."
"I'm not asking you to," he said. "But today, you're staying here. With me."
Her pulse quickened slightly at those two words.
With me.
She stepped closer to him. "What about work?"
"I'll handle it. You won't return to the main office today."
Mia hesitated. "People will talk even more."
Adrian lifted his head, his expression hardening. "They can talk all they want. I won't risk your safety for their gossip."
Mia looked at him carefully. "You're really serious about this."
"I don't get scared easily," Adrian murmured, "but last night… I realized there are things I'm not willing to lose."
Her breath caught. "Adrian…"
Before she could say more, his phone vibrated.
Adrian unlocked it. He scanned the message.
"Mia," he said sharply. "Come here."
She instantly moved toward him.
He angled the screen toward her.
It was a message from security.
"Unauthorized motion detected at the upper exit. Possible break-in attempt. No visual confirmation."
Mia's heart jumped. "Is it him?"
"Maybe," Adrian said. "Maybe not."
He stood up at once. He didn't raise his voice, didn't panic, but the change in him was instant—alert, sharp, dangerous.
His hand brushed her shoulder lightly.
"Stay close to me," he said.
She nodded, unable to speak.
He unlocked a side drawer and pulled out a small black device—some kind of remote, with multiple security toggles.
"What is that?" Mia asked.
"Something I should have set earlier," Adrian muttered.
He pressed a button.
The room lights shifted.
The door locks strengthened.
Metal plates slid silently over the windows.
The private floor transformed from a quiet office into a secured fortress.
"Adrian…" Mia whispered. "Is this really necessary?"
"Yes," he said. "Until I know what we're dealing with."
He turned toward her then—his expression calmer, but his eyes still storming.
"Come sit," Adrian said.
She sat on the sofa again, and he sat beside her this time—not across from her, not at a distance, but close enough for their shoulders to almost brush.
"Tell me something," he said suddenly. "Are you scared of me?"
Mia looked up, startled. "What? No."
"You looked scared last night," Adrian said. "Not just of him. Of me."
Mia lowered her eyes. "It wasn't fear. I just… I didn't know what you were thinking."
Adrian's voice dropped lower. "And what do you think I was thinking?"
Mia hesitated. "That I'm a burden. That I'm making your life harder."
His expression changed immediately—sharp, almost offended.
"You're not a burden," he said. "And you're not making anything harder."
"Then why do you look like you're fighting something?" Mia whispered.
He inhaled slowly.
"Because I am."
"What are you fighting?"
He turned his head toward her.
"Myself."
The room went silent.
Mia's heart pounded so hard she felt dizzy. "What do you mean?"
Adrian looked at her—really looked—and for the first time, he didn't hide anything.
"You asked last night why my brother targeted you," he said. "Why he knew your name."
Mia nodded slowly.
"It's because I talk about you," Adrian said quietly. "More than I should. More than I realize."
Mia's breath stopped.
"I notice when you're nervous. When you're upset. When you avoid me. I know your schedule better than I know my own. And I shouldn't. But I do."
He leaned slightly closer.
"And that is exactly why he came. He saw what I refused to admit."
Mia whispered, "Adrian… what are you saying?"
He exhaled, defeated and vulnerable in a way she'd never seen.
"I care about you more than I'm supposed to."
Her chest tightened so sharply it hurt.
"Adrian…"
He didn't pull away. "That's why I'm fighting myself. Because I'm your CEO. I'm supposed to keep distance. I'm supposed to think logically."
His voice dropped even lower.
"But when it comes to you, Mia… logic is the first thing I lose."
She barely breathed.
He held her gaze, eyes steady, unguarded.
"I can protect you from my brother," Adrian said. "But I don't know how to protect you from me."
Her heart trembled. "I'm not asking you to."
He froze.
Mia swallowed, voice shaking but honest.
"You're not the danger here," she whispered. "You're the only thing that made me feel safe."
Silence filled the room—heavy, raw, impossible to ignore.
And then—
A loud beep from the security system broke the moment.
Adrian stood instantly.
"Mia, get behind me."
She obeyed without hesitation.
Another alert flashed on the monitor.
Unknown movement.
Outside the private floor.
Close.
Adrian's eyes hardened.
"It's starting," he said.