The safehouse was restless with silence. Hours had passed since Adrian last spoke, and every tick of the clock gnawed at Elena’s nerves. He sat in the corner chair, half in shadow, his posture rigid, his gaze locked on the rain-streaked window.

Finally, she snapped.

“Are you just going to sit there, brooding, or—”

“I’m thinking.” His voice was low, sharp as glass.

She froze at the weight in his tone. It wasn’t anger. It was calculation.

When he rose, the air shifted. Adrian moved like a predator, silent, deliberate, and every line of his body radiated tension. His pale eyes caught hers, burning with something dangerous.

“You said I need to prove it,” he murmured, his voice almost reverent. “That I have to show you the difference between love and possession.”

Her chest tightened. She didn’t like the way he said it, as though he’d already found the answer—and it terrified her.

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.

Adrian stepped closer, his hand brushing her cheek. The touch was deceptively gentle, but his gaze was anything but.

“By eliminating every threat that dares to touch you. By making sure Damien never breathes the same air as you again.”

Her stomach dropped. “Adrian—”

“I’ll paint the city in blood if that’s what it takes,” he continued, his voice darkening. “And when Damien’s head lies at your feet, you’ll never doubt who protects you… who cherishes you.”

Her heart pounded. The promise should have disgusted her, but instead it left her trembling, torn between fear and a heat she couldn’t name.

“That’s not love,” she whispered.

His hand tightened on her jaw, forcing her to meet the storm in his eyes. “Then tell me what it is! Because I don’t know any other way. All I know is that the thought of you in his hands—” His voice broke, jagged with desperation. “It drives me insane.”

Elena’s throat ached, but she refused to look away.

“If you want me,” she whispered, her voice like a blade, “then fight for me, Adrian. Not with bullets. Not with blood. With yourself.”

For the first time, he faltered. His fury cracked, and beneath it she saw the truth: Adrian wasn’t invincible. He was a storm unraveling. And if she didn’t catch him, he would destroy the whole world just to prove his love.