Adrian's Office – The Storm Within
The next morning, Adrian Kingston stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his lavish office, overlooking the bustling city below. His sharp jaw was clenched, and his fists were stuffed into his pockets. The golden sunlight streamed in, but he felt nothing but a growing darkness stirring inside him.
Last night's encounter with Liana kept replaying in his mind.
The feel of her trembling beneath his touch.
The taste of her lips.
And the look in her eyes—the one that struck something far deeper than rage.
He should have felt satisfied for putting her in her place. Instead, he felt restless, angry, and conflicted.
A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Daniel, his right-hand man, stepped in with a grim expression.
"We found him," Daniel said simply.
Adrian's gaze hardened.
"Where?"
"An abandoned warehouse on the outskirts. He's heavily guarded."
Without a word, Adrian grabbed his coat and strode toward the door.
"Prepare the car."
His voice was low and lethal.
Daniel's expression turned hesitant.
"Sir, are you sure you want to go yourself? It's risky."
Adrian's eyes narrowed, flashing with dangerous intent.
"I don't pay you to question me, Daniel."
Daniel nodded once and left to make the arrangements.
---
Meanwhile – Liana's Apartment
Liana sat curled up on her couch, staring blankly at the cup of coffee in her hands. Her fingers were trembling slightly, the remnants of last night's encounter still haunting her.
Her lips were still swollen from Adrian's brutal kiss, and the mark he had left on her chin was faint but visible—a cruel reminder of his possessive fury.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her daze. She glanced at the screen. Chloe.
For a moment, she considered ignoring it. She was too emotionally drained to talk. But she knew if she didn't pick up, Chloe would just show up unannounced.
She took a slow breath and answered.
"Hey…" she whispered weakly.
Chloe's cheerful voice filled the line.
"Morning, babe! I was just about to grab coffee. Wanna come?"
Liana hesitated. She didn't want to leave the apartment, especially not after last night. The thought of facing the world—or worse, running into Adrian—made her stomach twist.
"I… I can't today," she murmured, trying to mask the tremor in her voice.
There was a beat of silence.
Then Chloe's tone softened.
"Liana… are you okay?"
Her throat tightened, but she forced a smile into her voice.
"Yeah. Just tired. That's all."
Chloe wasn't convinced, but she didn't press further.
"Alright… but call me if you need anything, okay?"
"Okay."
Liana hung up, her hands trembling slightly.
Her eyes wandered to the faint bruise Adrian had left.
Her fingertips brushed over it, and her chest tightened.
"What the hell are you doing to me…?" she whispered to herself.
---
The Abandoned Warehouse – Adrian's Darkness Unleashed
The black SUV rolled to a slow stop outside the desolate warehouse, its windows tinted dark. Adrian stepped out, his face impassive, but his eyes were brimming with fury.
He didn't wait for Daniel or the guards. He walked straight through the rusty iron doors, his footsteps echoing against the cracked cement floor.
Inside, three of his men were already holding the traitor captive—a middle-aged man, bound to a chair, his face bloodied and swollen from earlier beatings.
The man's eyes widened in fear when he saw Adrian approaching. His sharp Italian shoes clicked softly against the floor, each step deliberate and menacing.
Adrian crouched down to the man's level, his expression eerily calm.
"You had one job…" he said softly, his voice deceptively gentle.
"One. Job."
The man's lips quivered, but he didn't dare speak.
Adrian slowly pulled out a switchblade from his coat pocket and flicked it open with a casual grace. The silver blade glimmered in the faint light.
"Do you know…" Adrian began conversationally, "…what happens to those who betray me?"
The man whimpered, his breath coming out in short, panicked gasps.
"P-Please… I didn't—"
Adrian's hand shot out, gripping the man's throat, silencing him instantly. His fingers tightened with practiced ease, cutting off the man's airway just enough to make him squirm but not pass out.
"Save your excuses," Adrian hissed coldly.
Then, without warning, he drove the blade into the man's thigh.
The man screamed in agony, but Adrian didn't flinch. His grip remained steady, and his eyes stayed locked onto the man's face.
"You're going to tell me everything," he ordered softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Or you're going to bleed out right here."
The man gasped, sobbing violently, blood pooling beneath the chair.
"O-Okay! Okay! I'll talk!" he blurted desperately.
Adrian's grip loosened just enough for him to speak.
"It—it wasn't me!" the man stammered.
"I swear! I was paid off… but not by your rivals."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Then by who?"
The man's voice trembled as he whispered the name.
"Your brother."
For a moment, Adrian stilled. His knuckles turned white around the hilt of the knife. His jaw clenched tightly.
"What did you say?" he asked in a deadly whisper.
The man's eyes widened in panic, realizing he had made a mistake.
"I—I mean—"
Before he could finish, Adrian twisted the blade cruelly, making the man's scream echo through the warehouse.
Without another word, Adrian yanked the blade out and wiped the blood from it with a handkerchief. He straightened, his face devoid of emotion as he turned to Daniel.
"Dispose of him."
His voice was cold and merciless.
Daniel nodded, and the man's screams were swiftly silenced by a bullet.
---
Back at Liana's Apartment – The Haunting Memory
Liana sat by her window, staring out into the darkness. She didn't realize how tightly she was clutching her mug until she felt her knuckles ache.
Her mind kept flashing back to Adrian's kiss, to the possessiveness in his eyes. She hated how easily her body had responded to his touch, despite her fear.
Her lips still tingled from the brutal intensity of his mouth on hers. And that terrified her more than anything.
Her fingers unconsciously drifted to the faint mark on her chin, her heart tightening with confusion.
"You shouldn't crave him… you should fear him."
But her body didn't seem to care.
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See you in next chapter....