The moment one of them slipped, Mia's scream cut through the cold rooftop air, but her voice barely reached Adrian over the sound of shoes scraping against concrete. His brother's heel slid first, his balance collapsing, dragging Adrian's weight with him. For one terrifying second, both brothers swung dangerously close to the rooftop edge. Adrian twisted his body, absorbing the pull, his arm locking around the railing. His brother's hand clutched his wrist with a grip so desperate and unstable that it tightened and loosened unpredictably. Mia's breath broke in her throat as she ran toward them, hands trembling, heart hammering so hard she felt it in her skull. "Adrian!" she cried. He didn't look at her, his focus locked on the man dangling from the edge. "Don't come closer!" he shouted. But she didn't stop. She fell to her knees beside him, her hands gripping the railing for balance. Adrian's muscles strained under the weight pulling him down. Sweat mixed with the cold wind on his skin. "Adrian—let me help," she said, reaching toward his arm. He snapped his head toward her. "No. Stay back." His brother's voice cracked into a laugh that was not quite a laugh. "Look at you… risking your life for her." Adrian's jaw tightened. "Stop talking. Grab my arm properly." His brother's grip loosened again, then tightened suddenly. It was unpredictable, erratic—dangerous. Mia reached anyway, her fingers brushing Adrian's shoulder. "I'm not leaving you," she whispered. Her voice trembled, but her hands didn't. Adrian's brother looked up at her with wide, unblinking eyes. "You shouldn't be here," he said. "None of this concerns you." "It does," Mia whispered. "You came after me." His face twisted into something unreadable—rage, confusion, maybe pain. "Because he cares," he said. "He cares about you. And he's not supposed to." Adrian's grip slipped half an inch. Mia gasped. "Adrian—your hand—" "I'm fine," he gritted. But he wasn't. He was losing strength. Mia grabbed the railing with one hand and Adrian's arm with the other. "Pull together," she said. "We can do this." Adrian didn't argue again. Mia tightened her grip around his arm. Adrian steadied himself, pushing his weight backward as his brother clung to him. For a moment, the pull was too strong. Adrian's hand trembled violently. "Let go," his brother whispered. Adrian's eyes widened. "Don't you dare." "Let go," his brother repeated, voice hollow. "I don't want your help." "I don't care what you want," Adrian snapped. "You're not dying today." Adrian pulled again, this time with Mia anchoring him from behind. Inch by inch, his brother's body lifted. His foot found a ledge. His knee scraped the cement. With one final surge of strength, Adrian yanked him upward, dragging him over the edge and onto the rooftop. Both brothers collapsed beside each other, panting. Mia stumbled back, collapsing against the wall, heart racing so fast she felt sick. Adrian pushed himself to his knees first. His brother lay flat on his back, breathing hard, staring blankly at the sky. Silence stretched. Cold. Long. Heavy. Mia finally whispered, "Adrian… are you okay?" Adrian turned toward her, chest heaving. His eyes softened—just for her. "I'm fine." His brother exhaled shakily. "You should've let me fall." Adrian's expression hardened instantly. "I don't get to decide your future. You're not dying just because you want to drag me down with you." His brother let out a humorless breath. "You're still the same." "So are you," Adrian said. "And you need help." His brother didn't respond. Adrian slowly reached for him, but his brother flinched. "Don't touch me." Adrian froze. "Fine," he said quietly. "But you're not running again." Footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Security. Reinforcements. The steel door Adrian barricaded earlier was now fully open. "President!" a guard shouted. "Are you injured?" Adrian stood slowly, pulling Mia with him as he rose. "I'm fine. Secure him and take him downstairs carefully. No restraints. He'll go willingly." His brother gave a hollow smile. "Will I?" Adrian stepped closer. "Yes. Because if you don't… I'm not leaving her alone." His brother looked at Mia again. His expression softened—still strange, still broken, but softer. "She's the reason you survived," he murmured to Adrian. "Don't pretend otherwise." Security guided him away. Adrian didn't turn until his brother disappeared down the stairwell. Only then did he let out a slow, shaky breath. Mia stood beside him, staring at him with wide, worried eyes. "Adrian," she whispered. "You almost—" "I know," he said. His voice cracked. Just once. Then his hand reached for hers and held it with a grip that was equal parts reassurance and desperation. "Come here," he said softly. She stepped forward. He pulled her into him. Hard. Like he needed to feel she was real. She closed her eyes as his arms wrapped around her completely, the rooftop wind whipping around them. "I told you," he whispered into her hair. "I won't let anything happen to you." She held onto him, her breath unsteady. "And I won't let anything happen to you either." He didn't pull away. Not for a long time.
CHAPTER 20 — The Aftermath They Couldn't Escape
By the time Adrian and Mia returned downstairs, the entire top floor was crawling with security personnel, medical staff, and internal investigators. Voices filled the air—questions, reports, orders—but none of it mattered to Mia. Her eyes stayed locked on Adrian. He walked with purpose, guiding her with a hand on her back, his posture tense but controlled. The moment they stepped into his private office, the door shut behind them with a soft click. Silence flooded the room once again. Mia turned to him first. "Adrian… you almost fell." "But I didn't," he replied. "Because you helped me." She shook her head. "You shouldn't have been the one in danger. I—" "Mia." His voice softened. "Look at me." She did. His expression was intense, focused entirely on her. "You saved me," he said. "Not security. Not the rail. You." She felt her breath catch. He took a step closer. "If you weren't there, I would've lost my grip." "If I wasn't there," she whispered, "none of this would've happened." Adrian's jaw tightened. "Don't blame yourself for my family's damage." "But I'm the one he targeted," Mia said. "I'm the one—" "You are the one I chose to protect," Adrian interrupted. "And I don't regret that." She fell silent. Adrian exhaled slowly, sitting on the edge of his desk. His hands rubbed over his face before he spoke again. "Internal Affairs is going to question everything." "Because you kept me on the private floor?" she asked. He nodded. "They'll claim I isolated you. Broke protocol. Put you in a restricted area." "But it was for my safety." "They don't know that. They only know what the cameras show." Mia's throat tightened. "What will happen now?" Adrian looked up at her. "I'll handle it." "But—" "No." His tone softened. "You don't get dragged into this." He stood and approached her again. "Mia… you've already faced too much because of me." She hesitated. "Adrian… I want to help." "You staying alive is enough," he said quietly. She didn't know what to say to that. After a moment, she asked, "Where is your brother now?" "In the medical wing," Adrian said. "Under surveillance. Psych team is evaluating him." Mia nodded slowly. "Will he be okay?" Adrian paused. "I don't know." Silence stretched. Heavy. Complicated. Mia finally whispered, "Are you okay?" He blinked, caught off guard. "I should be asking you that." "I'm scared," she admitted. "But I'm more scared for you." That made him look away for a moment, his jaw tightening again. When he turned back, his eyes were darker, deeper. "I'm only shaken because he got close to you," he said. "If anything happened to you on that roof…" He cut himself off before the sentence could end. Mia stepped closer without thinking. "Nothing happened," she said. "I'm right here." Adrian's gaze dropped to her hands—still trembling faintly—then lifted back to her face. "Come here," he said quietly. She moved closer. He reached for her hands, holding them gently even though his own palms were scraped and bruised. She stared at the red marks. "Adrian… your hands…" "I've had worse," he said. "It doesn't hurt." "It looks like it hurts." "Mia." His voice softened. "The only thing that would hurt is losing you." Her breath stopped. Completely. He didn't look away this time. "You matter to me," he said. "More than I wanted you to." She swallowed. "Adrian…" "I know," he said. "I shouldn't say things like that. Not now. Not after everything." "Then why did you?" His answer came slow, raw, honest. "Because I almost died with the words still inside me." Her heart twisted painfully. She didn't know what to say—what was safe to say. But she knew what she felt. And she knew he needed to hear something—anything—before the weight of the morning crushed him. "Adrian… I'm glad you're safe," she said softly. "I'm glad you're here." He breathed in sharply, like her words struck deeper than she realized. "Mia…" he murmured. "Don't go far from me today." "I won't." He squeezed her hands—gentle, careful—as if she were something breakable. Then he let go. "I need to speak to the investigators," he said. "I want you to stay in this room until I return." "Will they blame you for what happened?" "They will try," he said. "And I'll handle it." "If they ask about me—" "They won't," Adrian said firmly. "I'm not letting them involve you." She opened her mouth to protest. He stepped closer, cutting her off softly. "Mia. I didn't fight on that roof just to let someone else take you away." Her chest tightened. "Then go," she whispered. "I'll wait." Adrian hesitated—just a moment—then brushed a hand over her hair, a touch she felt all the way to her spine. "I'll be back," he said. And then he walked out, closing the door behind him. Mia stood alone in the silent room, her hand rising slowly to the place where he touched her. And she realized something she had been trying not to admit. She wasn't afraid of Adrian. She was afraid of how much losing him would destroy her.