The email came the next morning.Ryan skimmed the first lines twice before calling Ella into his office.“It’s from Adrien’s assistant,” he said, handing her the tablet. “Apparently, the CEO wants to host a party for us… to ‘celebrate the new partnership.’Ella’s eyes lit up. “That’s incredible. Think of the networking! We’ll be in a room with his entire executive team, major investorsRyan cut in. “Ella, you do realize this isn’t normal for a corporate contract, right? Most companies send flowers. Or a card.She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re overthinking it. He’s just making us feel welcome.Ryan didn’t answer. But he remembered Adrien’s words in the office yesterday, the way his gaze lingered like he was measuring every inch of him. A second chance.The party was set for Friday night at one of the city’s most exclusive rooftop venues. Ryan almost backed out twice once when he saw the formal dress code, and again when Daniel called.“You’re really going to his party?” Daniel’s
For a few seconds, the room was silent except for the faint hum of the city through the glass.Ryan’s chest felt tight. Six years should have been enough time to forget the weight of Adrien’s gaze but the moment their eyes met, it was like no time had passed at all. The same intensity was there, coiled behind the calm expression.Adrien stepped out from behind the desk, his movements smooth, deliberate. “You look well, Ryan.Ryan kept his voice flat. “You look… different.Ella glanced between them, curious but cautious. “So… you two really do know each other?Adrien didn’t look away from Ryan. “We go way back.” His tone was soft, almost nostalgic, as though their shared history was something warm.Ryan’s fingers curled into his palm. “That’s one way to put it.Adrien’s smile deepened, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m glad you came today. When I heard you were with this firm, I thought… it’s time.Time for what?” Ryan asked sharply.Adrien didn’t answer right away. He turned hi
Six years was a long time to go without looking over his shoulder.In the beginning, peace felt like an illusion Ryan couldn’t trust. For months after Adrien was sent away, he kept expecting to find him standing outside his building, or to hear that low, deliberate voice behind him in a crowd. Even in the safest spaces, the shadow of what happened lingered.But as the months turned into years, Adrien became a ghost in his life distant, silent, gone.Ryan’s world slowly reshaped itself.He graduated with honors, surrounded by friends. Daniel was in the front row at the ceremony, his steady gaze following Ryan’s every step. Chris was whistling loudly from the back, earning him a glare from the faculty but making Ryan laugh for the first time that day.It was a real laugh, too not the careful, practiced smile he’d worn so often after the kidnapping.By the second year, Ryan had moved to a new city to live with his cousin, Ella. She’d started a small marketing and design firm, and offere
The police station smelled faintly of coffee and paperwork. Ryan sat between Daniel and Chris at the long counter, fingers twisted together so tightly they’d gone pale. He’d been here before, filed reports before but every time felt like walking into the same wall.Daniel placed the folder on the counter. “We’ve brought more evidence this time. Photos. Messages. Witness statements. Everything you asked for.We brought them The officer flipped through the file, nodding slowly. “I’ll log it, he said. “But you know how these things go.Ryan’s stomach tightened. He did know. Every time Adrien’s name came up, the whispers started about his father, about the family’s wealth, about how nothing stuck.Chris leaned in. “So what, we just keep waiting until he actually kills someone?Till someone die? The officer’s jaw twitched, but he didn’t answer.When they left the station, Ryan felt the familiar burn of frustration in his chest. “They’re never going to do anything,” he said, voice flat.
Ryan woke to the faint hum of the city beyond Daniel’s window a low, constant reminder that life moved on, even when his world felt shattered. Morning light crept through the curtains, painting golden bars across the hardwood floor. For a moment, he thought it would be quiet. Peaceful.He was wrong.Daniel was already gone, and Chris’s mug sat half empty on the kitchen table. Ryan had slept in his clothes jeans and the old hoodie Adrien liked to call “mine” but he felt no shame about it. His body ached in new ways: bruises from Adrien’s grip, rope burns on his wrists, and a lingering tension in his chest that sleep couldn’t erase.He pushed himself up on one elbow and spotted the envelope lying on top of his notebook a stark white formality in the midst of disarray. His name was scrawled in Adrien’s familiar slanted handwriting.Ryan’s pulse quickened. His hand hovered over the envelope, fingers trembling. He wanted to tear it open and destroy whatever lay inside without reading a sin
Ryan woke up gasping.The room was still dark, though a faint strip of morning light had slipped through the curtains. His heart pounded in his chest like it wanted to escape his ribcage. Sweat clung to his skin, and the ghost of Adrien’s hands lingered on his body phantoms from a dream that had felt too real.He reached for the edge of the bed, needing something solid, and instead touched Daniel.Daniel stirred instantly. “Ryan?“I… I’m okay,” Ryan whispered, though his voice trembled and his eyes glistened with panic.Daniel sat up beside him, rubbing a hand over his back. “Nightmare?Ryan nodded. “I thought I was back there. With him.Daniel said nothing, only pulled him close again. Ryan went, willingly. He hated how safe Daniel made him feel because a part of him feared it would be stolen from him again.“I feel dirty, Ryan said suddenly. “Like I’m stained and no one can see it but me.“You’re not dirty,” Daniel replied quietly. “You’re hurt. And healing doesn’t make you any less