Chapter 6: Adrian

Aria's POV 

***

My heart slammed against my ribs. Adrian is here. The words echoed in my head even after the visitor fell silent. No one moved.

Dad stood halfway down the staircase, gripping the wooden railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His eyes never left the front door. The visitor remained where he was, his expression unreadable.

Then, without warning, the door slowly opened. A tall man stepped inside. He closed the umbrella in one smooth motion before handing it to the visitor without looking at him. The visitor accepted it with a slight nod. No words. No introductions. That alone told me they knew each other.

The man brushed a drop of rain from the sleeve of his charcoal suit before lifting his head. His gaze swept across the room. First the visitor, then my father. Finally…Me.

His eyes rested on me for barely two seconds before moving away again, as though he had simply confirmed something. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"So," I said before anyone else could speak, "you're Adrian."

He looked at me again. "Yes."

That was it. Just one word. I waited but he didn't continue.

No "It's nice to meet you." No explanation. Not even a smile.

I folded my arms. "I expected someone who talked a little more."

His expression remained unchanged. "I do."

"When?"

"When I have something worth saying."

I stared at him. Seriously?

Dad finally found his voice. "You shouldn't be here."

Adrian turned toward him. "I told you I'd come if she hadn't signed."

"I was handling it."

"You weren't."

The words weren't harsh. They weren't loud. If anything, they sounded almost casual. That somehow made them sting even more.

Dad clenched his jaw. "You've already complicated things enough."

Adrian slipped both hands into his pockets. "I rarely complicate things."

I let out a dry laugh. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, you're right in the middle of whatever this mess is."

His eyes met mine again. "I am."

The answer caught me off guard. No denial, no excuse. Just a simple admission. It irritated me.

"I don't even know who you are."

"You know my name."

"I know that's your name."

I took a step closer. "But I don't know anything about you."

He studied me quietly. His face gave away nothing. For a second, I wondered if he ever smiled.

Then he spoke. "I'm twenty-nine."

I blinked. "What?"

"You wanted to know something about me."

"I wasn't asking your age."

"I know."

"Then why tell me?"

"It was an answer."

I looked at him in disbelief. "This has to be a joke."

"It isn't."

The visitor turned away, pressing his lips together. I could've sworn he was hiding a smile. Unbelievable.

Dad sighed heavily. "This isn't helping."

"I didn't come to help with the conversation." Adrian replied. "I came to stop a mistake."

Silence filled the room again. I was getting tired of silence. Every answer only created more questions. I pointed at the contract lying on the coffee table.

"Then explain that."

Adrian glanced at it.

"I've read it."

"Good for you."

"You shouldn't sign it."

My patience snapped.

"Oh, really?"

I threw my hands into the air.

"First your employee tells me not to sign it." I pointed at the visitor. "Then a strange woman tells me to check inside a wedding dress." I looked back at Adrian. "Then I found a letter hidden inside it."

Dad's head shot toward me. "A letter?"

The words came out almost like a gasp. I froze. Oops. I hadn't meant to say that.

Dad looked horrified. "What letter?" I quickly looked away.

"I..."

"You found something inside the dress?" His voice had changed.

There was panic in it now. Real panic.

Before I could answer, Adrian spoke.

"So she did find it."

Dad slowly turned toward him.

"You knew?"

"I suspected."

"You sent that dress."

"Yes."

My eyes moved between them. "Can someone explain why everyone except me seems to know what's going on?"

Neither man answered. I laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

Adrian finally looked directly at me. "Where is the letter?"

My guard went up immediately. "Why?"

"I asked you a question."

"And I asked you one first."

His jaw tightened.

For the first time since he'd walked into the house, something cracked beneath that calm expression. Just for a second. It was gone almost instantly.

"I need to see it."

"No." The word came out before I could stop it.

He blinked once. "No?"

"No."

He held my gaze. "You don't trust me."

I almost laughed. "Should I?"

"No."

That answer surprised me.

"I've given you no reason to."

I frowned. "What?"

"If I were you..." He paused. "I wouldn't trust me either."

The room fell silent. That wasn't the answer I'd expected. Not even close. Dad looked equally confused.

Adrian continued. "But I suggest you don't trust anyone else either."

A chill ran down my spine. Including you? I wanted to ask. Instead, another question slipped out.

"Did you write the letter?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know who did it?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

He didn't answer.

My frustration returned instantly.

"You see?" I pointed at him. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You know everything. You answer nothing. "And somehow I'm supposed to believe you're the good guy?"

His expression remained unreadable.

"I never said I was."

That stopped me cold. The room seemed to grow quieter. Even the rain outside faded into the background. Dad looked at Adrian with an expression I couldn't quite understand. Fear. Regret. Maybe both.

Adrian glanced at the grandfather clock near the staircase. Then toward the window. His eyes narrowed slightly.

The visitor noticed. "So soon?"

Adrian gave a single nod. "They found us."

A cold feeling settled in my stomach.

"They?" I whispered.

No one answered.

Then, the lights went out.

The entire house was swallowed by darkness. Somewhere outside, a car slammed and this time it wasn't Adrian's. The darkness lasted only a second. Then another. No one moved. I couldn't even see the outline of my own hand. The emergency lights should've come on by now. They didn't.

My heartbeat quickened. "Dad?"

"I'm here." His voice sounded closer this time. Somewhere to my left. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. A small click broke the silence. A flashlight. Its beam cut through the darkness before settling on the floor.

Ethan. He swept the light across the room, stopping briefly on each of us. Dad. Adrian. Me. Then the front door. Still closed.

Rain tapped steadily against the windows. Nothing else. No voices. No footsteps. Just rain.

Ethan frowned. "The power shouldn't be out this long."

"It isn't the power," Adrian said. His voice was as calm as ever. "They cut it."

I felt my stomach tighten. "Who?"

Silence. Of course. I was beginning to hate silence. 

Dad rubbed a shaky hand over his face. "They've never come this close before."

I turned to him immediately. "They?"

He looked like he regretted speaking.

"I..." He stopped.

Adrian spoke instead. "Ethan."

"I know."

Without another word, Ethan walked toward the back of the house.

"What is he doing?" I asked.

"Checking the exits."

I stared at Adrian. "The exit?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"In case we need them."

My mouth went dry.

"What exactly are you expecting to happen?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he walked toward the window and pulled the curtain aside just enough to look outside. Only for a second. Then he let it fall back into place.

"What did you see?" Dad asked.

"Two cars."

Dad's shoulders dropped. "They came themselves. They usually don't."

I looked from one man to the other. It felt like I was standing in the middle of a conversation that had started years before I was born.

"Will somebody please tell me who 'they' are?"

No one answered. Again.

I laughed quietly. "I must be invisible."

"No."

Adrian turned to face me. "You're the reason they're here."

The words hit harder than I expected.

"What?"

"They're not here for your father."

He paused. "They're here for you."

Every muscle in my body tensed. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"You do."

"I know what they want."

"Then tell me."

His eyes held mine. "They want you alive."

The room fell silent. Alive? Why would anyone specifically want me alive? I searched his face for any sign that he was joking. There was none.

Dad slowly lowered himself into a chair. He suddenly looked older. Much older.

"I never wanted you involved," he whispered.

"Involved in what?"

No answer. I felt anger bubbling inside me again. 

"No." I shook my head. "I'm done with this."

I started toward the staircase.

"If nobody's going to tell me the truth, I'll find it myself."

"You won't."

I stopped. Slowly, I turned around. Adrian hadn't raised his voice. He hadn't moved. Yet somehow, it sounded less like a warning. And more like a fact.

I folded my arms. "You don't know me."

"No."

"Then don't tell me what I can and can't do."

A faint smile almost appeared on his face. Almost. It disappeared before I could be sure I'd seen it.

"You're curious."

"So?"

"So curiosity makes people careless."

I frowned. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

For the first time, he didn't answer immediately. His gaze drifted toward the rain-streaked window.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter. "I am."

Before I could ask what he meant...

Three slow knocks echoed through the house. Knock. Knock. Knock.

Nobody moved. Nobody even breathed. Ethan looked toward the front door. Dad's face lost that little color it had left.

Adrian slipped one hand into his coat pocket. His eyes never left the door.

Then, for the first time since he'd arrived, he said my name.

"Aria."

Something about the way he said it made my heart pound.

"Whatever happens next..." He paused. "...don't open that door."

The knocking came again. Slower this time. As though whoever stood outside already knew we were in there. Waiting.