CHAPTER 5:The Warning

POV Elena

Im not sure what’s worse.

The messages.

Or the way Adrian looks after reading them.

His face loses every bit of color.He reads the number again before taking my phone from my hand.

“Hey,give it back”

He totally ignores me,His fingers move quickly across the screen before he makes a call.

“I need this number traced immediately”

His voice is calm but I can hear the anger hiding underneath it.

He ends the call and then gives me my phone back

“Don't answer any unknown numbers from now on”

I stare at him.

“Is that all you're going to say?”

“For now”

I laugh.

“You really love those words”

“For now,later,stay inside”

“Elena-”

“No”

I put my phone into my pocket.

“Stop treating me like I'm five years old”

“I'll stop when someone stops threatening your life”

I want to argue.

I really do.

But the messages are still showing on my screen.

Stop looking for your father.

Next time Adrian won't get to you first.

A chill runs through me.

“I want to know what you're not telling me”

“Elena i've told you everything I can”

“No you haven't”

He moves closer to me

“You think I enjoy keeping things from you?”

“I think you're very good at it”

His jaw tightens.

“And you're very good at making everything harder than it needs to be”

I stare at him.

“Maybe if you actually trusted me,I wouldn't have to keep looking for answers myself”

“I trust you”

“Then why won't you tell me anything?”

“Because I don't trust the people around us”

His voice’s quieter now.

That answer stops me for a second.

“Who don't you trust?”

“That's what I'm trying to find out”

The mansion feels alot more different today,yesterday it felt annoying.

Today it feels too quiet.

Too many guard,too many cameras.

I go into the kitchen looking for Claire,i asked if she’d seen Adrian

She nods at me

“He's outside with security”

I get a bottle of water and walk to the back garden when i see adrian’s standing near the gate with three security guards.They're looking at a tablet together.

But the moment he sees me he stops talking.

I notice.

He notices that I notice.

“What happened?”

“Nothing”

“Don't lie to me”

He dismisses the guards with one lookand they leave immediately.

I fold my arms.

“You sent them away because you don't want me to hear”

“I sent them away because this conversation doesn't concern them”

“It concerns me”

“It does”

“Then talk”

He rubs the back of his neck.

“We're checking the cameras around the house”

“And?”

“The number that texted you was hidden so we can't trace it yet”

“So someone can just threaten me and disappear?”

“So mudh for keeping me safe adrian”

“For now”

“There it is again”

His mouth almost twitches.

“What?”

“That look”

“What look?”

“Like you're about to fight me”

“Maybe I am”

He actually smiles.

It's so small I almost miss it.

“You're impossible”

“So I've been told”

For one second it actually doesn't feel like we're arguing,instead It feels sort of normal and that thought scares me so I look away first.

Sophia calls while I'm walking back inside and she asks if im okay.

I tell her about the messages.

She goes completely silent.

“Elena,you need to leave that house”

“I can't”

“Yes,you can”

“No,I really can't”

“Is Adrian forcing you?”

I hesitate.

“He thinks it's safer here”

“That wasn't my question”

I sigh.

“He isn't forcing me...exactly”

“Exactly?”

“He'd probably drag me back if I tried leaving”

Sophia groans.

“I already don't like him”

“You're not alone”

“Promise me something”

“What?”

“If anything ever feels wrong,call me first”

“I promise”

I end the call and put my phone in my back pocket.

The hallway’s empty,I start to pay attention to the mansion instead of hating it.

There are family photos everywhere and drian isn't in most of them.

But alexander is.

Their parents are.

Even my father appears in a few pictures.

I stop in front of one.

Dad and Adrian are standing on a boat both wearing sunglasses,dad’s laughing so hard he's bent over.I've never seen that picture before.

“They were terrible fishermen”

I turn around.

Alexander.

He scares me less than Adrian does.

“My dad smiled a lot around him”

Alexander nods.

“They've been best friends since university”

I keep staring at the photo.

“Were they always this close?”

“Closer than brothers”

“Then why didn't my father ever tell me things?”

Alexander's smile fades.

“Some secrets weren't his alone”

“That sounds like something Adrian would say”

He laughs.

“I've been spending too much time with him”

“You definitely have”

When afternoon came,i became restless again.

I needed air so i went to the garden

The garden has become my favorite place because it's the only part of the house that doesn't feel like Adrian.

I sit near the fountain with a notebook.

I start writing down everything I know.

Daniel disappears.

Voice note.

Letter.

Unknown messages.

Adrian.

Marcus.

Victoria.

I stop.

Victoria.

I've heard that name twice now.

Once from Alexander.

Once from one of Adrian's phone calls.

I dont who she is though

I circle her name in my book

A shadow falls over my head

Adrian.

He sits on the other end of the bench without asking.

“You've been avoiding me all day”

“I've been enjoying the silence”

“You're funny”

“I wasn't joking”

He looks at my notebook.

“What's that?”

“My investigation”

“You're making notes?”

“Yes”

He reaches for it.

I pull it away.

“Don't”

“I wasn't going to read it”

“Good”

We sit in silence until i break it.

“Who's Victoria?”

His head turns toward me immediately.

“Where did you hear that name?”

“So theres a Victoria huh?”

He doesn't answer.

I smile.

“I knew it”

“Elena”

“Your silence keeps confirming everything”

“She isn't important”

I raise an eyebrow.

“People usually don't avoid questions about unimportant people”

He sighs.

“She was someone I dated”

I blink.

“Oh”

“Years ago”

“And?”

“And it ended”

“Why?”

He looks straight ahead.

“Because it wasn't working”

“That's a very boring answer”

“It's the truth”

“Do you guys still love each other”

His head snaps toward me.

“What kind of question is that?”

“Um a very normal one”

He studies my face for a second.

“Why do you care?”

“I don't”

“You're lying”

I scoff.

“You wish”

For some reason he's still looking at me.

Too long.

“What?”

“Nothing”

“Stop doing that”

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like that”

He looks away immediately.

“Forget it”

The air suddenly feels warmer.

I don't know why.

Later that evening,Claire asks me to help carry a few boxes upstairs.

I happily agree because it gives me something to do.

The last box is heavier than I expect.

“Careful”

I lose my balance.

The box slips.

Before it hits the floor someone catches it.

And me.

My back hits a solid chest.

Strong hands grab my waist.

For one second I freeze.

Adrian.

His hand is still around my waist.

My hands are gripping his arms.

Neither of us moves.

“You're okay?”

His voice is low.

Too close.

I nod.

“I...yes”

He doesn't let go immediately.

I can hear my heartbeat.

Or maybe it's his.

I don't know anymore.

“You can let go now”

His hands disappear so quickly that I almost lose my balance again.

He catches my elbow this time.

“Careful”

I pull my arm away.

“I said I'm fine”

“You almost dropped a box on yourself”

“I would've survived”

“You don't know that”

I roll my eyes because that's easier than admitting my face feels hot.

“You make everything dramatic”

“And you make everything difficult”

Claire appears from the hallway.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes” Adrian answers.

“No” I answer at the same time.

Claire looks between us before quietly disappearing.

I glare at Adrian.

“You embarrassed me”

“I caught you”

“I didn't ask you to”

He folds his arms.

“You're welcome”

I walk away before he sees me smile.

Absolutely not.

He's not getting that satisfaction.

I can't sleep again.

Around midnight I leave my room to get some water.

The house is dark except for a couple lights turned on downstairs.

As I pass the library I notice the light is on.

I peek inside.

Adrian’s asleep on the couch.

His laptop is still open on the coffee table.

He's wearing a plain black Tshirt instead of one of his expensive suits.

He looks...younger.

Less intimidating.

There's a blanket half hanging off him.

For a second I just stand there.

I've never seen Adrian asleep.

He actually looks so peaceful.

I go closer without thinking.

The blanket drops on the floor.

I bend down to pick it up.

Just as I lift it he opens his eyes.

I gasp.

“You scared me”

“You're in my library”

“I came for water”

“With a blanket?”

“I was picking it up”

He sits up slowly.

There's a crease on his forehead from sleeping.

“You should be asleep”

“So should you”

We stare at each other.

Neither of us speaks.

The silence isn't angry this time.

It's different.

Almost awkward.

“Thanks”

I blink.

“For what?”

“The blanket”

“Oh”

I hand it to him.

Our fingers touch for the smallest second.

It shouldn't matter.

It does.

I pull my hand back immediately.

“So...goodnight”

I turn around too quickly.

“Elena”

I stop at the door.

“Lock your bedroom tonight”

The warmth disappears from the room.

I turn back.

“Why?”

His expression’s serious again.

“We found footprints outside your window”

The water in my hand suddenly feels too heavy.

Someone’s been standing outside my room.

Watching me.