Chapter 30 - The Strike He Didn’t Want to Make

Adrian didn't waste a second after seeing the photo. He grabbed his coat, locked the security panel, and pulled Mia close as he moved through the hallway. She struggled to keep up with his pace, her breathing sharp, her thoughts spinning around the image of her mother sitting unaware while someone outside the house watched her. Adrian pressed the elevator button, and the doors slid open instantly. "Adrian," Mia whispered, "what if he's already inside? What if she's hurt? What if—" "Mia, look at me," he said, turning toward her as the elevator descended. "Your mother is alive. She's unharmed. That picture was a warning, not an attack." "How do you know?" "Because he wants you afraid," Adrian said. "Not grieving. Not yet." The calm in his voice wasn't natural—it was controlled, forced, like a man holding back a hurricane. The elevator hit the ground floor. Adrian guided her to the private car already waiting with the engine running. The driver opened the door. Adrian helped Mia inside, then slid in beside her. The moment the doors shut, he spoke. "Take us through the side route. No main roads. Keep the rear cameras active." "Yes, sir," the driver said, pulling out smoothly. Mia stared at Adrian, her voice barely audible. "What does he want from me?" "Not you," Adrian said. "Me. He wants to show me he can touch anything connected to me." His words made her shiver. "I shouldn't have met you," Mia whispered without thinking. Adrian snapped his gaze to her, eyes sharp. "Don't say that." "But it's true. If I hadn't stepped into that elevator—" "You'd still be in danger," Adrian said. She frowned. "What do you mean?" Adrian looked forward, expression grim. "He didn't choose you randomly. He knew your name before you ever stepped into my office." Mia froze. "What?" "I didn't want to tell you," Adrian said quietly. "But he asked about you nearly a year ago." She felt her stomach drop. "But—I didn't even know you then." "That didn't matter," he said. "He saw your name connected to a small budget report. And the moment he realized you were someone I hadn't noticed yet…" His jaw tightened. "He became curious." Mia felt sick. "So I've been in danger for a year?" "He was watching," Adrian said. "Waiting. He likes patience. He likes building pressure until it breaks something." "You," Mia whispered. He didn't confirm it. He didn't need to. The silence said everything. The car sped through a quiet service road, the city lights reflecting across the windshield. Mia pressed her shaking hands together. "What are we going to do?" Adrian leaned slightly toward her. "We won't make the mistake of reacting anymore. We take control. We remove him from the equation." "How?" "By cutting off the person helping him," Adrian said. "Carson." Her breath caught. "But won't he expect that?" "Yes," Adrian said. "That's why we're not confronting him directly." "Then how?" Adrian's eyes darkened. "By forcing him to expose himself." The car slowed as they approached Mia's neighborhood. Adrian looked at the screens in the car's console. All clear. No movement. No figure standing outside this time. But that didn't comfort him. "He's hiding now," Adrian said. "Which means he's nearby." Mia's pulse spiked. Adrian reached out and took her hand, firm but steady. "You stay beside me. Do not leave my sight. Not even for a second." "Okay," she whispered. The car turned onto her street. Mia saw her mother's window lit from inside. Her throat tightened. "What if she's hurt and we don't know?" "She isn't," Adrian said. "If she were, the picture would have shown it. He wants you terrified, not broken." The car stopped. Adrian got out first, scanning the area with eyes trained by years of threats. Then he opened Mia's door. "Walk behind me," he said. "If anything happens—" "I know," she whispered. "Stay close." He nodded. Together, they approached the house. Adrian lifted his hand to knock—but the door opened before he touched it. Mia's mother stood there, confused but unharmed. "Mia? What are you doing here so early? And who is this?" Mia almost collapsed with relief. Adrian gave a polite, composed nod. "Mrs. Harper. Sorry for the sudden visit." She blinked at him. "You're… Adrian Blackwood?" Adrian didn't flinch. "Yes." Mia's mother frowned. "Is Mia in trouble at work?" Mia stepped forward quickly. "No, Mom. I just wanted to check on you." Her mother gave her the familiar skeptical look. "At six in the morning?" "We need to come inside," Adrian said gently. Something in his tone made her mother step aside without another question. Adrian entered first, scanning the living room, the windows, the back door, and the hallway. Mia watched him silently. He moved like a man who never truly relaxed. Her mother stood with her arms folded. "Mia, what is going on?" Mia opened her mouth—but Adrian's phone buzzed. He read the message. His expression changed instantly. "Adrian?" Mia whispered. He looked at her slowly. "He isn't outside anymore." "Then where—?" Another buzz. Another message. Adrian's eyes went cold. He turned the screen so Mia could see. A live photo. Of Mia. Taken two minutes ago. Inside the house. Mia felt her blood go cold. "Adrian…" she whispered, stepping back instinctively. "He was here," Adrian said, voice deadly quiet. "Inside the house." Her mother gasped, covering her mouth. Adrian looked around the room again—this time not for safety, but for signs. He saw it immediately. A small folded paper on the table. He picked it up, unfolded it, and read the single line written inside. "You can't protect what already belongs to me." Mia felt the horror sink in slowly. "Adrian… what does that mean?" Adrian turned toward her, eyes darker than she had ever seen. "It means," he said softly, "he isn't trying to threaten you anymore." Mia swallowed hard. "Then what is he trying to do?" Adrian stepped closer, his voice nearly a whisper. "He's trying to take you."