LOGINThe next morning began with a kind of silence that didn’t feel peaceful.
It was the kind that came before a storm. Adrian sat at the edge of their bed, already dressed in a crisp black suit. His tie hung loose around his neck, and the faint crease between his brows told Elena everything she needed to know — he hadn’t slept well. She approached quietly, holding his coffee. “You’ve been awake since five.” He gave a short nod, eyes fixed on the glowing tablet screen in his hands. “I’ve been going through the server logs.” “Still thinking about the leak?” she asked softly, setting the coffee down beside him. He exhaled. “It’s not just a leak anymore. It’s targeted. Someone wanted that document out. And whoever it was… they knew exactly where to look.” Elena’s heart twisted. “You think it’s someone inside the company.” “I know it is,” Adrian said, his tone sharper than he inElena stood in Adrian’s office, arms wrapped around herself as if trying to hold everything steady—her heartbeat, her thoughts, her child, her world. The city lights glittered behind her through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but the beauty of it was swallowed by the heaviness that had fallen over the company.Someone had entered Adrian’s private server.Someone had bypassed every security layer.Someone had left one message behind.I’m coming for what’s mine.Her stomach tightened again—not from morning sickness this time, but from cold, trembling fear.Adrian had barely spoken since the message arrived. He was leaning on the edge of his desk now, jaw tight, hands braced against the polished wood as if anchoring himself so he didn’t break something.Luca and Jax were standing opposite him, tense and alert, waiting for instructions.Elena didn’t like being the only one without words. She didn’t like the sile
The ride home was silent.Not the comfortable silence that often settled between Elena and Adrian during late-night drives, but a thick, pulsing quiet filled with fear, fury, and unspoken questions.Adrian didn’t look away from the road. His jaw was clenched, the muscles in his forearms tight as he gripped the steering wheel. His eyes—cold, sharp, burning—never blinked. Elena had seen Adrian angry before. She had seen him furious, protective, violent for her sake.But this…This was different.This was a man simmering at the edge of destruction.The streetlights passed across his face in slow stripes, and each one made his expression look more carved from stone.Elena’s fingers curled anxiously. She wanted to speak—ask what they were going to do, reassure him, or simply tell him she was okay—but the moment she parted her lips, Adrian spoke.“Don’t,” he murmured, voice low, controlled, but trembling with rage. “Not yet. Let me get us home first.”She nodded silently.He wasn’t shutting
The emergency lights flickered weakly, casting long, trembling shadows across the Blackwell Tower executive floor. Elena’s heart hammered as she clung to Adrian’s arm, her breath caught somewhere between fear and the dizzying adrenaline of the moment.The power outage had plunged the entire level into absolute blackness for a full thirty seconds—an eternity—before the faint red backup system sputtered to life. It was barely enough light to see shapes, let alone faces.“Stay close,” Adrian murmured, already pulling her behind him, his body tense and coiled like a predator. Even in the dim light, Elena could read every line of his posture—he was ready for war.“We need to get to the secure elevator,” he said.But when he reached for the panel, the system let out a sharp beep.Access denied.His eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “That’s not possible.”Elena swallowed hard. “Did the power cut affect the security system?”Adrian shook his head. “The backup access should still recognize me.” He
The silence in Adrian’s office felt strange—thick, like fog trapped behind glass. Elena stood near the door, her pulse fluttering against her throat, watching Adrian closely. He wasn’t pacing. He wasn’t breathing heavily. He was too still.And that was how she knew he was furious.“Adrian,” she whispered, “tell me who it is.”His jaw shifted, a tiny movement, barely there. “Sit.”“I’m not a guest here. Just tell me—”“Elena.”He didn’t raise his voice, but the quiet weight of her name pressed her into the nearest chair, heart unsettled.He took a breath, then leaned back against his desk, the city skyline stretching behind him like a battlefield.“It’s Benjamin.”Elena blinked. “Benjamin… your CFO?”“Yes.”Her stomach twisted.Benjamin was practically family to Adrian. He’d been with Hunt Industries since the early years. He was older, calm, sharp, and one of the few people who could challenge Adrian in a board meeting without losing an eyebrow.“Why?” Elena whispered, disbelief weake
Elena didn’t sleep that night.Vivian had held her hand for almost an hour, asking questions softly, trying not to startle her. But the truth—the pregnancy—felt too delicate to even speak aloud again. It was like saying it twice would make it real in a way she wasn’t ready for. So she curled up on the couch in the guest room, one hand over her belly, waiting for morning to decide what came next.She expected her first thought when she woke to be Adrian.Instead, it was fear.Fear of what this child meant.Fear of the war brewing between her heart and her mind.Fear of the world Adrian lived in—and how deeply she was now tied to it.She showered, dressed in simple clothes, and forced herself out of the mansion before Vivian could stop her. She needed fresh air. She needed space. She needed to think.But she didn’t expect the call.Her phone vibrated sharply as she stepped into the taxi waiting in front of the estate.Unknown Number.She almost declined. But something in her gut said no
Elena had barely finished talking with Vivian when her phone buzzed again. She reached for it quickly, expecting Adrian to say he was already downstairs or that he was entering the building. Instead, her heart dropped when she saw the short, clipped message glowing on the screen:Adrian: Something urgent came up. Don’t leave yet. I’ll call you soon.The words were simple, but they carried his usual tone—controlled, composed, but unmistakably strained underneath. Adrian never added don’t leave yet unless the situation was messy. Elena exhaled slowly, her fingers tightening around the phone.Vivian noticed immediately.“Why do you look like someone just stole your sketchbook?” she asked, stepping closer with a dramatic gasp. “Don’t tell me Adrian cancelled date night. Because I will personally call him and—”Elena shook her head. “No… something happened at the company. He said he’ll call soon.”Vivian relaxed a little, then brightened with her usual chaotic supportive energy. “Okay, oka







