Glass crunched under Adrian’s shoes as he pulled Lena away from the window.

“Stay back,” he said quietly.

She could see the anger in his eyes, sharp and controlled. A thin line of blood trailed from his arm where a shard had grazed him.

“You’re bleeding,” she whispered.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” she said, reaching for his hand. But the moment her fingers touched him, he pulled away.

“Do not touch me right now,” he said, voice tight.

She froze. “Adrian, what’s happening? Who would do this?”

He looked toward the broken glass again, jaw clenched. “Someone who wants to remind me that I’m never free.”

Lena stared at him. “You said you’d protect me. How can you do that if you don’t even tell me what’s going on?”

He turned sharply, his eyes cold. “You don’t need to know.”

“Yes, I do,” she said, stepping closer. “You dragged me into this. You told me to trust you. Then tell me what this is.”

Adrian’s hand slammed against the wall beside her, his face inches from hers. “You want to know? Fine. Someone from my past doesn’t like that I’m still breathing.”

Her breath caught. “Who?”

He stared into her eyes. “Marcus Reed.”

Lena blinked. “Evelyn’s husband?”

“Yes,” Adrian said. “He thinks I ruined him. And maybe I did. But he’s not the kind of man who forgets betrayal.”

“What did you do?”

Adrian’s voice dropped. “I exposed him. He was running a secret investment that destroyed lives. When I found out, I turned him in. But the evidence vanished before it reached the board. He walked free, and I became the enemy.”

“And the woman in the photo?” Lena asked softly.

His expression darkened. “She was caught in the crossfire. She was innocent. But Marcus made sure she paid for my mistake.”

Lena’s heart ached at the look in his eyes. “You blame yourself.”

“I should,” he said. “Because I let her die.”

For a moment, the room fell silent. Then he turned away and poured himself a drink. His hands were steady, but his shoulders weren’t.

Lena watched him quietly. “And now he’s coming for you again.”

“And for anyone near me,” Adrian said. “Including you.”

She swallowed hard. “Then let me help you.”

He laughed softly, bitterly. “You think you can help me? You don’t even know who I really am.”

“Then tell me,” she said.

He looked at her. “If I tell you, you’ll run.”

“Try me,” she whispered.

He studied her face, the stubborn fire in her eyes. Then he leaned closer. “My name isn’t Adrian Vale. It’s Adrian Voss. And the man everyone believes died five years ago never did.”

Lena’s breath caught. “You faked your death?”

“Yes,” he said. “It was the only way to survive.”

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.

“Because if you stay near me, you deserve to know what kind of man you’re protecting.”

Her chest tightened. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

“You should be.”

But his voice was softer now, almost pleading.

She reached up and touched his arm gently. “I’m not.”

Something in his eyes flickered. The mask he always wore began to crack.

He looked away quickly. “You should get ready. We’re leaving.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere safer.”

He called security and arranged for new rooms, but Lena could tell he was hiding something. Every time his phone buzzed, his expression darkened.

When they stepped out into the street, the wind carried the scent of rain. Adrian opened the car door for her, his movements sharp and precise.

The drive was silent. She watched him, his grip on the steering wheel too tight.

Finally she said, “You can trust me, you know.”

He smiled faintly without looking at her. “That’s what she said too.”

“She?”

“The woman from the photo,” he said. “She was a journalist. She thought she could save me.”

“What happened to her?”

His eyes stayed on the road. “She tried to expose Marcus. The night before the article was published, she vanished. Her car was found near the river. No body.”

Lena stared at him. “You think Marcus killed her?”

“I know he did,” Adrian said. “And now he wants me to feel it again. That’s why he’s using you.”

Her heart thudded. “Using me how?”

Adrian glanced at her. “He’s already watching. He wants me to fall for you. Because when I care, I lose.”

The words hit her harder than she expected. “You think I’m bait?”

“I think you’re in danger,” he said.

The rain started to fall, tapping against the windshield. She turned toward him. “And if I don’t leave?”

He exhaled slowly. “Then I’ll have to protect you the only way I know how.”

She frowned. “What way is that?”

“By making you hate me.”

The car stopped in front of a secluded house on the hill. The place looked old but secure.

He stepped out first and opened the door for her. The rain soaked his shirt, clinging to his skin, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Why here?” she asked.

“This is one of my safe houses,” he said. “No one can track us here.”

They entered the house. It smelled faintly of cedar and old books. He turned on the lights and closed the curtains.

“You’ll stay in the guest room,” he said.

“Are you staying here too?”

He looked at her for a long moment. “Yes.”

Something in his voice made her shiver.

He walked toward the fireplace, lit it, and stood there, his face half-hidden by the flames.

Lena took a step closer. “You can’t keep shutting me out, Adrian.”

He turned, his gaze sharp. “I’m not shutting you out. I’m trying to keep you alive.”

“I don’t need saving,” she said.

“Yes, you do,” he replied. “You just don’t see it yet.”

Their eyes locked. The air between them felt heavy again, charged.

“Tell me something,” she said quietly. “Why me? Why not someone else?”

He moved closer, stopping inches away. “Because you look at me like I’m still human.”

Her heart raced. “And you’re not?”

He smiled faintly. “Not anymore.”

Her hand brushed his chest without thinking. His heart beat fast beneath her fingers.

“Seems human to me,” she whispered.

He caught her wrist gently, holding it there. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”

“Maybe I do,” she said softly.

His grip loosened, but he didn’t step back. For a moment, they stood in silence, the fire casting shadows around them.

Then he spoke, his voice low. “If I cross this line, there’s no going back.”

“Then don’t cross it alone,” she said.

Something dark flickered in his eyes. He leaned in slowly, his breath warm against her skin. But before their lips could meet, a sharp noise broke the silence.

A window shattered in the next room.

Adrian turned instantly, pulling Lena behind him. He grabbed the gun hidden under the table and moved toward the sound.

Footsteps echoed outside the door.

He whispered, “Stay here.”

But before he could reach the hall, a voice came through the darkness.

“Still hiding, Adrian? You always were a coward.”

Lena froze. She knew that voice. Evelyn Reed.

Adrian’s expression turned to ice. “What are you doing here?”

Evelyn stepped into the light, rain dripping from her coat. “Finishing what Marcus started.”

Lena’s pulse thundered. “You’re working with him?”

Evelyn smiled. “Working with him? Sweetheart, I’m the reason he’s alive.”

Adrian raised his gun slightly. “Leave before I make you regret coming here.”

She laughed softly. “You won’t shoot me. You never could.”

Her eyes flicked to Lena. “You always did have a weakness for the wrong woman.”

Adrian stepped forward. “Don’t touch her.”

But Evelyn only smiled wider. “Oh, Adrian. You never learn. You protect one woman, and another dies.”

Before Lena could speak, there was a click. A red dot appeared on Adrian’s chest.

Her scream tore through the room as the sound of a gunshot filled the air.