The ride home from Adrian's parents' was oppressive.The silence pressed upon my chest like a weight, greater than the weight of the diamond ring on my hand or the new name I carried.

Adrian concentrated on driving.

I couldn't help but remember how he'd struggled for me. The way he'd stood there and spoken to his own mother, telling her that if she ever again presumed to insult me, he'd leave and never come back. For me. A stranger.

The memory cut within me. Pockets of gratitude and confusion fermented within me.

I made my mind up finally. "Why did you do it?"

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. He did not look at me, did not even blink. Just kept driving like I had not spoken at all.

I leaned forward, needing to hear the answer. "Adrian. Why did you defend me like that? You didn't have to…"

Don't read anything into it," he cut in brusquely, his tone cold. "You're my wife now. No one speaks to you like that. That's all."

"That's all?" I gasped, half to myself.

He gazed at me then, his black eyes inscrutable. For one second, I thought I saw something, a glimmer of emotion beneath, something human. But it was gone, shuttered behind his guard.

"Adjust to it, Aria," he whispered, so low I strained to catch his words. "Marriage to me is. complicated. The less you inquire, the better."

I had opened my mouth to complain, to demand more, but his jaw snapped shut like a lock, and I knew the conversation was over.

The rest of the ride was in silence, and by the time we reached the gates of his mansion, my heart was as hard as stone.

I lay awake in my room, staring at the ceiling.

The bed was shaking with softness, the blankets chill against my skin, but sleep refused to come. My mind ran back over the events of the day : his mother's horror, his father's silence, Lucas's evil smile, and Adrian's closing his fist around mine with a hard clasp as he defended me like I was something important.

I rolled onto my side and drew the blanket tighter, attempting to make my mind stop.

That's when I heard it.

Footsteps.

Slow and slow. Right outside my door.

My heart thudded against my ribs. I stood stock-still, my breath suspended.

"Adrian?" I breathed into the quiet.

Silence.

The footsteps stopped.

I crept out of bed slowly, my freezing floor-pressed bare feet. Step for step, I tiptoed toward the door, every muscle in my body tensed with fear. My hand trembled as I reached out toward the knob, flinging it open in one swift motion…

Nobody.

The corridor was empty.

I laughed nervously, placing a hand on my chest. "You're seeing things, Aria," I said to myself. "This house is too big. That's all."

But as I closed the door, something caught up with me.

A sliver of white, sticking out from underneath the frame.

My fingers halted halfway. I slowly rose and picked it up. My stomach sank when I unfolded the small piece of paper, the words scribbled in uneven haste:

YOU DON'T BELONG HERE. RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

My breath was caught. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the bed, the paper trembling in my hands.

What the hell was this? Who had left the note?

I lay awake until morning, looking at those words, waiting for answers that never came.

When the next morning, Adrian ate with me at the large dining table, reading the newspaper as if nothing had happened.

I traced food around my plate, unable to eat. The note burned in the pocket of my robe. I glared up at him, scanning his face, trying to tell if he was the one who wrote it.

"Eat," he said harshly, not looking up.

"I'm not hungry," I growled.

His eyes lifted just an inch higher than the paper, sharp and alert, but he didn't press. He simply turned the page, waving me away.

That was when the front door creaked open.

I looked up and stilled.

Lucas.

He strode into the dining room as if he owned the place, suit crisp, smile broader.

"Breakfast with the honeymooners. Don't mind me," he said smoothly, dropping into the chair beside me without permission.

"Lucas," Adrian growled, slamming the paper shut. "What in the devil are you doing here?"

"Easy, brother," Lucas said with an infuriating smile. His eyes came to rest on me, and he smiled at me. "Morning, Aria. How was your sleep?"

I tensed. "I. I managed."

Adrian's glare darkened. "Don't speak to her."

"Why not? She's family now," Lucas said nonchalantly. And then he leaned forward to whisper into my ear, loudly enough for Adrian to hear. "Tell me, Aria, has my dear brother shared all his secrets with you yet? Or are you still in the dark like the rest of us?"

I was confused. "What do you mean?"

Lucas smirked. “Oh, nothing. Just that Adrian isn’t the kind of man who lets even his wife know what he’s really doing. He’s always been that way. Secretive. Controlling. Dangerous, even.”

“Enough,” Adrian snapped, rising from his chair. His fists clenched at his sides.

Lucas leaned back lazily, completely unfazed. “Hit a nerve?”

“You’re not welcome here,” Adrian hissed.

Lucas waved him off, his gaze still fixed on me. "Be careful, Aria. You've married a stranger. A stranger who will never let you in."

"Lucas!" Adrian thundered, and in a flash of motion, he yanked across the table, catching his brother by the collar.

I gasped, reclining in my chair as the table wobbled under their weight. Their eyes clashed like predators, and for a moment, I thought they would kill each other right where they sat.

Lucas only grinned wider. "There it is. The real Adrian. Tell me, brother, how long can you keep your temper in check before she sees what you're really made of?"

"Get out," Adrian growled, shoving him away.

Lucas pulled up his collar, straightened his jacket, and winked at me. "I'll let myself out. But remember what I said to you, Aria. My brother is not an angel. Don't be deceived by him."

He strolled out whistling, the sound echoing down the hallway.

The quiet he left behind was a ton of bricks.

Adrian's chest heaved with him trying to breathe. He did not look at me, did not say a word, but instead stormed off the opposite direction.

I sat there, frozen, my heart pounding against my chest.

Later in my own room, I pulled out the note again, tracing shaking fingers over the letters.

You don't belong here. Run before it's too late.

I stared at it for what felt like hours, my stomach turning over with fear.

Lucas's words, Adrian's fury, the secrets of this home… all swirled in my head like a storm.

I was trapped.

Married to a stranger.

And all I could do was marvel at one bone-freezing question:

What in the world have I married into?