Back to the Heat

Sera's POV

When I woke up, the morning sun was spilling through the curtains and brightening the room. I had to put a hand over my eyes to shield out the light.

It had always been impossible for me to sleep this long. Alarm or not, I was always up before 6am.

And for the first time in as long as I could remember, my body didn't wake up tense or full of panic. I felt a deep sense of safety wrapped around me, a warmth so comforting that I didn't even want to get up from the bed. This was easily the best sleep I'd had in ages.

Then I felt the steady rise and fall beneath my cheek.

I froze, opening my eyes slowly. My head was resting directly on Adrian’s chest. His broad arm was wrapped securely around my waist, holding me close by his side as if protecting me from the world even in his sleep.

His shirt was rumpled, his hair was messy, and his breathing was deep and even.

As he slept like this, I finally had the chance to look at him up close and unguarded.

The hardness that was ever present in his face had completely disappeared. His jaw was relaxed, and his dark lashes rested on his high cheekbones. They were really long, I just know most girls would kill to have this length of lashes.

Without the cold intense eyes and that permanent scowl on his face, he was…unbearably good looking.

If I was being honest, he had a face that belonged in Vogue magazine, except no photographer would have been able to capture this raw beauty, the way the sun was shining and illuminating every part of his face.

I looked away before I could memorize any more of it.

This was exactly the sort of thing I could not be caught doing.

Normally, the moment I realized he was sleeping in my bed, I would have jumped out, and shouted at him to leave immediately.

But now, I couldn't move.

I stayed still, resting my chin on his chest and listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

For someone like me who had spent my entire life fighting my own battles, struggling with insomnia and feeling utterly alone most mornings, having someone hold me through the night felt like a luxury I never knew I desperately needed.

As I shifted slightly, Adrian stirred. His warm blue eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep.

For a second, there was no cold mask, no arrogant smirk. Just a soft, lingering warmth as his gaze met mine.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy from sleep.

“Good morning,” I whispered back, my throat dry.

Instead of pulling away, Adrian raised his hand and his long fingers gently brushed my hair away from my face, his thumb lightly caressing my cheekbone. The touch was so tender it made my pulse quicken for a completely different reason.

He reached down and took both of my hands in his, carefully inspecting my palm and fingers.

“Did you cut yourself last night?” he asked softly, his eyes scanning my skin with genuine concern. “I checked before carrying you to bed, but I just want to be sure you don't feel any pains at all.”

“No,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “I... I didn't get cut.”

He released my hands, but his gaze remained fixed on my face.

“Good,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a quiet, fierce softness that completely melted the remaining walls around my heart. “Because nobody is hurting you on my watch. Ever again.”

My throat tightened. If only he knew that the biggest danger to me right now wasn't just the stalker—it was the truth I was hiding from him.

A knock at the door broke the heavy intimacy between us.

Room service rolled in a cart of fresh croissants, fruits, warm coffee, and scrambled eggs. Adrian didn't leave my side. Instead of insisting on separate rooms or eating at the dining table, he had the staff set the tray right on the edge of the bed.

As I sipped my warm coffee, Adrian set his cup down and looked right at me.

“We need to talk about what happened,” he said calmly. “Whoever left that note came into this room while we were out. My security failed, and I'm sorry about that but I won't let that happen again.”

I lowered my eyes, my fingers gripping the mug tightly.

“I know you don't want to tell me everything,” he continued, leaning in slightly. “And I won't force you to talk about Peter Cole or whatever mess you're caught up in until you're ready. But from today, you have to let me protect you, Victoria. You stay close to me, and you let my team protect you. Understood?”

I looked at him, seeing the sheer sincerity and fierce determination in his dark eyes. He was ready to fight an entire army to keep me safe.

A wave of relief washed over me, but right behind it came a wave of pure terror.

If I agreed to this, if I let him step in and use his full power to hunt down the blackmailer, it was only a matter of time before his team found the person behind those notes. And when they caught him, the blackmailer would spill the ultimate truth—that I wasn't Victoria Hale at all. I was just a desperate girl named Seraphina who took her place.

If he finds out I lied to him, he will destroy me.

Yet, looking into his eyes right now, refusing his help felt far more dangerous.

“Okay,” I said quietly, taking a small breath. “I'll let you protect me.”

A satisfied smile spread across his face. “Smart choice, Victoria.”

Before I could process the sudden flutter in my stomach, the phone on the nightstand rang loudly, shattering the peaceful atmosphere.

Adrian reached over and picked it up. “Gerald.”

I watched his face carefully. Within three seconds, the relaxed, warm man sitting beside me vanished completely. His jaw clenched tight, his posture became rigid, and his dark eyes hardened into cold, lethal steel.

“What do you mean, corrupted files?” his voice dropped an octave, dripping with pure ice. “The main database at the New York headquarters?”

He listened to the speaker on the other end for another ten seconds, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the phone.

“Don't touch anything,” Adrian commanded sternly. “Initiate a lockdown immediately on the server room. I’m flying back to New York right now.”

He slammed the phone back and swung his legs out of the bed, standing up instantly.

“Pack your things,” he said, turning to look at me, the cold ruthless CEO fully taking over. “We're cutting the honeymoon short. We leave for New York in thirty minutes.”

I sat frozen on the bed, watching him pull his phone back out to call the pilot. My mind scrambled to keep up with the sudden shift. Corrupted files in New York? The main database?

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Whatever was happening at Kingsley Enterprises was massive, but all I could think about was the dark road ahead.

We were heading back to New York—right back to the lion's den where my fake identity was forged, where Richard Hale lived, and where the person who knew my real identity was waiting for us.