The silence in the dining room lingered long after Lucas had departed his scornful whistle echoing down the corridor. Adrian's jaw was still gritted, his fists trembling at his sides as though he were holding himself back from rushing after his brother.

Then, without saying a word, he spun on his heel, walked across the marble floor, and slammed the heavy oak doors on Lucas.

The sound reverberated through the house like thunder.

I jumped in my seat.

Adrian's face whipped around to me as his look cut harder than a knife. His voice snapped out, cutting the air.

"Stay away from him, Aria. Do you hear me?"

I stood there, lips parted. "What…?"

"I said," his voice roared out, louder this time, ringing in every corner of the vast dining room, "stay away from Lucas."

The intensity of his tone shook me.

"I…" My words hung in my throat. "Why are you yelling at me?"

"Because you don't know what he's capable of!" His hand slammed against the table so hard that the silverware jingled. "He's not safe, Aria. He'll only use you to hurt me."

My heart skipped a beat. "And what about you?" I panted. "You're dangerous too."

His eyes flared, but he did not answer; instead, he shoved one hand through his hair and strode from the room, releasing something I could not quite hear. His study doors slammed shut minutes later.

The silence he left behind bore down on me like a boulder.

I shook there, clutching my robe, my heart slamming in my ears.

If Lucas was a threat, if Adrian was a threat… then where did that leave me?

My safety was on the line. And if the man I had just married was as big a threat as his brother implied, then I couldn't simply sit around waiting for it to be sorted out.

I needed to look after myself first.

My legs moved faster than my brain.

I sprinted down the corridors, along the curved staircase, and burst open the massive front doors just as Lucas was approaching his car.

"Wait!" I exclaimed on the night air.

Lucas halted, hand on the shiny car door. A slow, sardonic smile spread over his face. "Well, well. My beautiful sister-in-law. What in the world do you need from me at midnight?".

What would I say to him, though?

If Adrian was a bad guy?

If I could be safe in this house?

The words caught in my throat, there. I could feel myself standing there in, clutching at questions I didn't even know how to form.

Finally, the only thing that I managed to get out was, "Can I… could I have your number? So I can get a hold of you if I need to."

Lucas's grin expanded. He closed the distance between us in slow, deliberate steps, his eyes glinting with humor. "Of course," he drawled, slowly and easily, and swept my phone from my palm as if it had been proffered.

His fingers brushed against mine for an instant but it was intentional. My skin sparked.

He speed-tapped, and returned the phone to me, but not before allowing his eyes to lock with mine. He held my gaze, longer than was courteous, longer than was comfortable.

Something in his look at me sent a shiver down my spine.

"Now you'll always know where to find me," he answered smoothly, voice low, almost a whisper for my benefit alone.

I ground out a nod, taking a step back as I picked up my phone. "Thanks," I said roughly, the words tasting awkward on my tongue.

Lucas's smile slanted, sly and pointed. "Watch it, Aria. When you reach for me, you may not find what you want."

I never got to reply before he flitted into his car, the engine roaring. He winked at me one final time before he sped off into the darkness.

I stood rigid on the driveway, the cold air whirling around me, trying to slow my breathing.

I had his number now. I ought to have been safer. But my stomach coiled itself into an even tighter knot.

When I turned back towards the mansion, I nearly collided with Adrian.

He was standing there in the doorway, his eyes black, his face chiseled with anger.

"Why," he said slowly, his voice coldly calm, "didn't you listen to me?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Adrian.".

"I told you to stay away from him!" His deep voice thundered, shattering the tranquility of the evening.

I stiffened. "I can do as I want!" I shot back before I could stop myself. "Just because I am your wife does not mean that I am your prisoner. I can see whoever I want!"

For an instant, his expression lapsed short, as though my reply had struck some inner spot.

And then his eyes darkened again. His hand flashed out, fingers around my right arm, tight enough to hurt.

"You're my wife," he growled, his face in mine. "That makes you address whoever I say. Got it?"

I gasped, my heart pounding. "Adrian, you're hurting me!"

But he did not let me go. His grip shut, his eyes burning into me, his voice raw and hard. "You can't leave me. Not this time."

The words immobilized me.

Not this time.

Leave you?

What was he saying?

"Adrian…" My voice broke. "What are you doing? What are you talking about?"

Something flickered in his eyes, pain, memory, something raw. But then just as quickly, it was gone.

His face altered, realization flooding over him. He looked down at where his hand was wrapped around me, at the redness spreading across my skin.

"Damn it," he said, letting go of me right away. His hand quivered uncertainly, as if torn between touching me or withdrawing entirely. "I'm sorry. That wasn't what I meant. Are you hurt?"

I extracted my arm from his grasp, wincing at the lingering stinging. "Don't touch me."

His eyes gentled, regret running in their blue waters. "Aria…"

But I couldn't stand to hear it.

I turned and sprinted up the stairs, my footsteps echoing through the vast, vacant halls.

I didn't look back.

Not even once.

When I burst into my room, I banged the door shut behind me and leaned against it, my gasping coming in jagged, raspy gasps.

My arm still throbbed where he'd gripped me. My mind swirled with his words, his fury, his regret.

Not this time.

What did that even signify?

Blind spots of tears hid my vision as I stumbled towards the bed, curling up, holding my knees to my chest.

Adrian was a man of secrets and I was in the middle.

The note on my doorstep, Lucas's warnings, Adrian's rage…

It all pointed to one conclusion.

I wasn't safe.

Not in this house.

Not in this marriage.

Not with Adrian.

I rested my forehead on my knees and tried to steady my shaking hands.

But one thought burned brighter than the others.

I had to know the truth.

Before the truth had ripped me asunder. The silence in the dining room was heavy long after Lucas had departed his sneering whistle echoing down the hallway. Adrian's jaw remained clenched tightly, his fists trembling at his sides as though he was restraining himself from dashing after his brother.

And then, silently, he wheeled around, crossed the marble floor, and clamped the heavy oak doors shut on Lucas behind him.

The sound reverberated throughout the house like thunder.

I jumped in my seat.

Adrian was faced towards me now, his expression colder than ice. His tone growled, cutting through the air.

"Leave him alone, Aria. Do you get it?"

I stood frozen, my mouth agape. "What…?"

"I said," his voice rose, louder this time, and it filled up every nook and cranny of the vast dining room, "stay away from Lucas."

The intensity of his voice frightened me.

"I…" My voice stuck in my throat. "Why are you yelling at me?"

"Why are you screaming at me?"

"Because you don't know what he's capable of!" His hand slammed down on the table so hard the silverware trembled. "He's not safe, Aria. He'll hurt you just to hurt me."

My heart missed a beat. "And what about you?" I breathed. "You're not safe either."

His eyes were blazing, but instead of reacting, he shoved a hand through his hair and left the room, grouching out something I couldn't quite catch. His study doors slammed behind him minutes later.

The stillness he'd left behind was a freight on my shoulders.

I rocked back and forth in my seat, trembling, holding my robe to me, my heart pounding out a rhythm in my ears.

If Lucas was a threat, if Adrian was a threat… where did that put me?

My well-being was in jeopardy. And if the man I'd just married was as much of a risk as his brother indicated, then I couldn't just wait around for information.

I needed to look out for myself first.

My legs moved ahead of my head.

I dashed through the hallways, past the curved staircase, and flung open the massive front doors just as Lucas was heading for his car.

"Wait!" I shouted into the night.

Lucas spun around, his hand on the sleek car door. A sly, measured smile spread across his face. "Well, well. My beautiful sister-in-law. What could you possibly need from me this evening?"

I swallowed, suddenly unsure.

What was I supposed to say to him?

If Adrian was an evil man?

If I was safe in this home?

The words stuck in my throat. I felt foolish, there in, grasping for questions I did not even know how to ask.

Eventually, the only thing that managed to escape was, "Can I… have your number? So that I can contact you if I need to."

Lucas's smile broadened. He took slow, cautious steps toward me, his eyes shining with pleasure. "Of course," he slurred, grabbing my phone from between my fingers.

His fingers brushed mine for a moment but it was intentional. My skin prickled.

He typed fast, then passed the phone to me, but not before his eyes locked onto mine. He held me, for longer than was polite, for longer than was easy.

Something in the way that he looked at me made a shiver run quickly down my spine.

"Now you'll always know where to locate me," he said to me smoothly, voice low, nigh on a whisper that was only for me to hear.

I nodded rigidly, stepping back one pace as I grabbed my phone. "Thanks," I muttered, though the words were awkward on my lips.

Lucas's smile was lopsided, harsh and knowing. "Watch out, Aria. When you reach for me, you may not be pleased with what you're grabbing."

I could only stand there, wide-eyed, before he slid into his vehicle, the motor rumbling to life as the wheels turned. He winked at me a final time before heading off into the night.

I stood on the driveway, the cold seeping in around me, fighting to slow my breath.

I had his number now. I should be safer. But no, my stomach became more tightly knotted.

Turning back towards the mansion, I nearly collided with Adrian.

He was in the doorway, his eyes black as coal, his face twisted with rage.

"Why," he said slowly, cold as ice, "did you not listen to me?"

My heart faltered. "Adrian…"

"I told you to stay away from him!" His voice thundered, shattering the stillness of the evening.

I recoiled. "I can do as I like!" I snapped, before I realized what I was doing. "Just because I'm your wife doesn't mean I'm your prisoner. I can speak to whomsoever I choose."

For a moment, his expression flinched, as if my words had struck home.

Then his eyes clouded again. His arm jerked out, hand closing around my right arm, the grip enough to hurt.

"You're my wife," he snarled, his breath in my face. "That means you talk to whoever I grant you permission to. Understand?"

I took a deep breath, my heart racing. "Adrian, you're hurting me!"

But he wouldn't let me leave. His hand clamped tighter around my arm, his eyes burning into me, his voice husky and raw. "You can't leave me. Not this time."

The words sent a shiver down my spine.

Not this time.

Leave you?

What was he talking about?

"Adrian…" My voice was breaking. "What do you mean?"

Something flickered in his eyes, pain, memory, something raw. But then it was gone once more.

His face softened, realization dawning on him. He looked down at where his hand kept me, at the flush spreading across my skin.

"Damn it," he said, releasing me at once. His hand lingered there hesitantly, as though debating whether to reach for me or pull back entirely. "I'm sorry. That wasn't what I was attempting to do. Are you injured?"

I wracked my arm from his grasp, spitting at the lingering rime. "Don't touch me."

His eyes softened, regret welling up in their depths. "Aria…"

But I couldn't bear to hear it.

I turned and sprinted up the stairs, my footsteps clattering through the empty, hollow halls.

I didn't look back.

Not even once.

When I finally arrived at my room, I flung the door shut behind me and leaned against it, my own breathing coming in harsh, uneven gasps.

My arm still hurt where he had wrapped his hands around me. My head spun from his words, his rage, his guilt.

Not this time.

What did that mean?

Tears blinded my eyes as I pushed toward the bed, curling up, knees to chest.

Adrian was a man of secrets and I was entangled with him.

The letter on my door, Lucas's warning, Adrian's rage…

It all led to one thing.

I wasn't safe.

Not in this house.

Not in this marriage.

Not with Adrian.

I slammed my forehead against my knees, trying to steady my shaking hands.

But one thought burned hotter than the others.

See

I had to know the truth.

Before the truth killed me.