Chapter 4 : I am here

Eliana had been working at the residence for a week now. She never expected to last this long. Fortunately, Adrian had been calmer over the past few days and had stopped doing the extreme things he had during their first encounter.

As usual, Eliana knocked before entering Adrian's bedroom.

"Adrian, I'm coming in," she said, carrying his breakfast.

She set the food on the table while Adrian silently watched her.

Eliana watched him begin eating in silence. When he reached his fourth bite, the man stopped. She let out a quiet sigh. Again and again, he would stop eating after just four bites. Eliana looked at Adrian's rather thin, unfit body.

"You still stop after four bites."

Eliana approached him and began clearing away the food. Being so close to Adrian made her study him more intently this time. Since he had not been taking proper care of himself, a mustache and beard had grown around his chin. His hair had also grown long, making him look unkempt.

Adrian noticed the girl's lingering gaze.

"Stop staring," he snapped.

"Can I shave your mustache?" Eliana asked without fear.

She wanted to tidy up his appearance.

"That's none of your business."

Eliana rolled her eyes. Dealing with this man was exhausting.

She was about to leave with the remains of his breakfast when a voice startled her.

"Adrian..."

Hearing a voice he recognized, Adrian immediately turned around.

"Olivia..." he murmured.

Although he spoke softly, Eliana heard him clearly. She turned her gaze toward the beautiful girl wearing an elegant pink dress. One glance was enough for Eliana to recognize it as a recent release from an expensive brand.

Olivia stared in shock. The Adrian she had known had always been handsome and strong. But the man standing before her now... Olivia could hardly find any pleasure in looking at him.

Julian watched the scene with satisfaction. His efforts to find out where his grandfather had hidden Adrian and bring Olivia here to see him had not been in vain.

"Leave." Adrian turned his back on them.

"Adrian, Olivia misses you. She came here because she wanted to see how you were doing," Julian said, as though he genuinely cared about Adrian.

"GET OUT!" Adrian shouted.

Olivia flinched. In all her life, Adrian had never treated her this way. The man she used to know had always been calm and composed. Now, even standing in front of him made her feel as though he were a stranger.

Adrian briefly glanced over his shoulder and saw Olivia's tearful eyes fixed on him. He clenched his fists tightly.

Olivia was startled by his fierce glare, but she gathered her courage and approached him. She could not deny that his shouting had hurt her.

"Adrian, I..."

Before she could touch his shoulder, he shoved her, sending her crashing to the floor.

"Ow..." Olivia winced in pain and stared at Adrian in disbelief.

"Adrian, you've gone too far!" Julian immediately rushed over and pulled Olivia into his arms right in front of Adrian.

Adrian actually felt guilty. He had not meant to push her so hard. He simply did not want anyone coming near him at that moment, and he had pushed her away without thinking.

Seeing the two of them holding each other so intimately in front of him only made his anger explode.

"GET OUT!" he roared, his voice louder than ever.

"You've changed, Adrian," Olivia cried, trembling in Julian's arms.

She felt that the man had gone mad.

Leave. That was the only thought in her mind now. She looked at Adrian one last time. His appearance was utterly neglected. The image of the handsome, strong man she had once known had disappeared from her mind.

She took Julian's hand as he held her. She had already made her choice. She had chosen Julian. Who would want to spend the rest of their life with a man who was consumed by anger?

"I want to leave, Julian."

Julian briefly comforted Olivia. Once he had let her go, he approached Adrian with a faint smile on his lips.

He stopped right beside Adrian and leaned forward slightly, bringing his lips close to the man's ear.

"I just wanted to let you know that Olivia and I are officially together."

Adrian fell silent.

His gaze, which had been fixed elsewhere, slowly shifted toward Julian. His jaw tightened. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Julian took a step back. The smile never left his face. Instead, he watched Adrian as though waiting for something to happen.

Adrian stared at him without saying a word.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Adrian swung his fist straight into Julian's face.

Julian staggered. Olivia screamed, but before anyone could react, Adrian lunged at him again.

"Adrian!" Eliana rushed toward them.

But Adrian seemed possessed. He punched Julian relentlessly.

Olivia screamed in terror as Adrian continued attacking Julian, who tried to shield his face and head.

Her screams brought several bodyguards rushing into the room. They immediately dragged Adrian away from Julian. However, the man continued struggling, desperately trying to break free from their grasp.

Olivia hurried to Julian and wrapped her arms around him. Tears streamed down her face as she saw his condition.

"You really are crazy, Adrian!"

Olivia's voice brought Adrian's movements to a halt.

Slowly, he turned toward her.

Olivia was still holding Julian. She looked at Adrian with tear-filled eyes, but her expression was nothing like the one he had known before. There was no warmth left in her gaze. Only fear and disgust.

Adrian's clenched fists slowly loosened. He stopped trying to break free from the bodyguards' grip. His gaze remained fixed on Olivia, who would not even come near him.

The head butler immediately instructed Olivia to take Julian to the hospital to have his injuries treated.

Olivia did not look back at Adrian. She helped Julian to his feet, then left with him.

"GET OUT!"

The moment they disappeared from his sight, Adrian began struggling again. He broke free from one of the bodyguards and slammed his head against the wall.

"Adrian!" Eliana cried.

The bodyguards immediately tried to restrain him. But Adrian fought back with all his strength. He tried to slam his head against the wall again, as though he did not care about anyone trying to stop him.

Eliana froze.

The man had become just like he was when they first met. His anger erupted without warning or restraint, making it difficult for anyone around him to approach.

But this time, Eliana noticed something different. Beneath Adrian's wild gaze, his eyes seemed to glisten with tears. She did not know what he was feeling. She only knew that he was not simply angry.

"Adrian," she called, reaching for him.

Adrian shoved her hard enough to send her tumbling to the floor. Pain shot through her knees, but she got back to her feet. Without hesitation, she approached him again and cupped his face in her hands.

"Adrian, Adrian, please come to your senses."

Suddenly, Adrian's hand closed around her throat. His grip was so tight that the bodyguards immediately rushed forward to help Eliana.

But the girl did not try to pry his hand away. Instead, she looked at him warmly and gently stroked his cheek.

Slowly, Adrian's grip loosened.

He fell silent. The gentle touch on his cheek left him frozen, as though he could not understand what was happening. His gaze remained fixed on Eliana, who was still smiling at him.

Eliana then turned toward Mr. Cole and nodded. The man looked worried, but eventually signaled the bodyguards to step back. They left Eliana alone with Adrian.

"I'm here, Adrian."

Adrian lifted his face. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. He looked at Eliana in confusion, as though he could not understand why she was still beside him after everything he had done.

Eliana gently stroked his long hair.

Adrian did not resist. He simply remained still, allowing her hand to move through his hair. He could not even remember the last time someone had touched him so gently.

Eliana wiped away his tears. Seeing Adrian like this reminded her of a little boy who needed someone to lean on. She was reminded of her own longing for a parent's love.

Slowly, Eliana drew Adrian into her arms.

"I'm here, Adrian," she whispered once more.