The Man Who Saved Her

Evelyn could barely breathe.

Adrian's arms were wrapped tightly around her as another sharp crack echoed through the darkness.

She flinched.

“Was that a gunshot?”

“Stay down.”

His voice was low and firm.

He pulled her behind the SUV and crouched beside her.

Evelyn's heart hammered against her chest.

“What is happening?”

Adrian glanced toward the warehouse.

“They're looking for you.”

“Who?”

“I don't know yet.”

“You're lying.”

His eyes snapped toward hers.

“This isn't the time.”

“You always say that.”

She pushed herself away from him.

“You knew about the warehouse.”

Adrian's expression tightened.

“How?”

“Victor told me.”

“Victor?”

“The man who was inside.”

Adrian went completely still.

“Where is he?”

“I don't know.”

“Evelyn, where is Victor?”

“He told me my father was murdered because he discovered something about your family.”

Adrian's face changed.

“What exactly did he tell you?”

“That my father's company was being used to move money.”

Adrian looked away.

Evelyn noticed.

“You knew.”

“I suspected.”

“You knew!”

Her voice rose.

Adrian immediately covered her mouth gently.

“Quiet.”

She pulled his hand away.

“You knew my father was innocent.”

“Yes.”

“And you never told me.”

“I was trying to find proof.”

“You had three years.”

“I know.”

His voice broke slightly.

“I know.”

For a moment, Evelyn didn't know what to say.

Adrian looked toward the road.

“We need to leave.”

“What about Victor?”

“I'll find him.”

“And the people inside?”

“They won't stay there for long.”

“How do you know?”

“Because they came for you.”

He grabbed her hand.

“Come on.”

This time, Evelyn didn't argue.

They hurried toward the SUV.

Adrian opened the passenger door.

“Get in.”

Evelyn climbed inside.

He closed the door and ran around to the driver's side.

The moment the engine started, he accelerated away from the warehouse.

Neither spoke for several minutes.

Evelyn stared through the window.

Her mind was overwhelmed.

Her father hadn't been killed in an accident.

Adrian had known.

Victor had known.

And someone had been watching her.

She finally turned toward him.

“Why did you marry me?”

Adrian's hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“I already told you.”

“No. You told me you were protecting me.”

“I was.”

“That isn't enough.”

He remained silent.

Evelyn looked at him.

“Were you ever planning to love me?”

The question seemed to hit him harder than anything else.

His eyes remained on the road.

“Yes.”

Evelyn's heart skipped.

“What?”

Adrian swallowed.

“I didn't plan to fall in love with you.”

She stared at him.

“But I did.”

Silence filled the car.

Evelyn didn't know what to say.

Three years.

She had spent three years believing she meant nothing to him.

And now he was telling her the opposite.

“Then why did you treat me like I was nothing?”

“Because every time I got close to you, I remembered what could happen if they discovered how much you meant to me.”

Evelyn looked away.

“So you pushed me away.”

“Yes.”

“That was supposed to protect me?”

“I thought it would.”

“It didn't.”

“I know.”

His voice was barely audible.

“I was wrong.”

Evelyn stared at him.

Adrian rarely admitted he was wrong.

Before she could respond, his phone rang.

He answered through the car system.

“What?”

A man's voice came through.

“We found Victor.”

Adrian's eyes sharpened.

“Is he alive?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“An old security station two kilometers from the warehouse.”

“I'm coming.”

Evelyn turned toward him.

“We're going there.”

“No.”

“You said you'd find him.”

“I'll find him.”

“I'm coming with you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“He knows what happened to my father.”

“And that's exactly why you're staying away.”

Evelyn crossed her arms.

“I'm tired of everyone deciding what I can and can't know.”

Adrian glanced at her.

“You almost got yourself killed tonight.”

“And you almost lost me.”

His expression softened.

Neither spoke.

Finally, Adrian sighed.

“Fine.”

He turned the car around.

“But you stay beside me.”

---

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the security station.

Victor was sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind his back.

A security officer stood nearby.

Adrian rushed inside.

“Victor.”

The older man looked up.

“Adrian.”

“You're hurt.”

“Nothing serious.”

Adrian helped him stand.

Evelyn stepped forward.

“You said my father was innocent.”

Victor looked at her.

“He was.”

“Then tell me everything.”

Victor hesitated.

Adrian stepped beside her.

“You can trust her.”

Victor looked between them.

Then he sighed.

“Your father discovered that someone inside my company was stealing millions.”

“Who?”

“We didn't know at first.”

“What changed?”

Victor looked at Adrian.

“Three years ago, we discovered the money was being transferred into an account belonging to Adrian's father.”

Evelyn's eyes widened.

“His father?”

“Yes.”

Adrian's face became unreadable.

Victor continued.

“Your father confronted him.”

“And?”

“Two days later, your father was killed.”

Evelyn covered her mouth.

Adrian looked at Victor.

“You're certain the transfers went to my father's account?”

Victor nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then why was my father never arrested?”

“Because the account was closed before investigators could trace it.”

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

“Who closed it?”

Victor looked down.

“We don't know.”

Evelyn suddenly remembered the photograph.

Her father standing beside Adrian's father.

She reached for her phone.

“There's something else.”

She showed Adrian the photograph.

His face changed immediately.

“Where did you get this?”

“Someone sent it to me.”

Victor leaned closer.

His eyes widened.

“I've seen that building.”

“Where?”

Victor pointed at the photograph.

“That's not an office.”

Evelyn frowned.

“What is it?”

Victor's voice dropped.

“That's where your father kept the original records.”

Adrian stared at him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Evelyn's heart began pounding.

“Then they're still there.”

Victor shook his head.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because after your father's death, someone burned the place down.”

Evelyn's shoulders fell.

“Then there's nothing left.”

Victor looked at her.

“That's not true.”

“What do you mean?”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small key.

“Your father gave me this the night before he died.”

Evelyn stared at it.

“What does it open?”

Victor looked toward Adrian.

“A safe.”

“Where?”

Victor's expression darkened.

“Inside Adrian's family mansion.”

Silence.

Evelyn slowly turned toward her husband.

Adrian's face had gone pale.

“That's impossible.”

Victor shook his head.

“Your father told me that if anything happened to him, the key would lead to the truth.”

Evelyn looked at Adrian.

“What is inside that safe?”

He didn't answer.

“Adrian?”

He finally met her eyes.

“I don't know.”

Victor's voice interrupted.

“I think you do.”

Adrian frowned.

“What?”

Victor looked at him carefully.

“Because your father wasn't the one who put the evidence in the safe.”

He paused.

“Someone else did.”

“Who?” Evelyn asked.

Victor's eyes moved toward the door.

His face suddenly went pale.

“The person who just called me.”

Adrian immediately reached for his phone.

“Who called you?”

Victor whispered,

“Your mother.”