Awakened under his rule
1177 Words
Adrian pov :
I entered my room and loosened my tie , the stiff fabric around my neck suddenly unbearable. One by one, I shed the tailored suit that was suffocating. I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm water cascaded down my body, washing away the smell of gunpowder and blood. As the steam filled the air, my thoughts drifting back to Anna words .
she wanted to meet you .
The memory pulled me two months back.
That night, Max and I were returning from Mafia council meeting- another gathering of old men who believed age entitled them to rule. I sat in the backseat, staring out the window, my mind replaying every words spoken in that meeting table. Their opposition was growing bolder. Their patience thinner.
"Stop the car," I said suddenly.
The driver obeyed at once .
I loosened my tie and unbuttoned my shirt, needing air- needing space. Stepping outside the car, I took a cigarette and lighter from my pocket, lit it up, and exhale slowly. Smoke curled into the night. I looked at the sky above, it was unusually dark, no moon , no stars. Just dark clouds.
Max glanced at me. "You want to take a walk for a bit? Clear your head ?".
"Hm", I replied.
We stepped away from the road. That's when I noticed a river flowing quietly in the distance, it's surface barely visible in the darkness.
"It reminds me of our childhood", I said without thinking. " Every Summer - you, me, Alex- skipping training just to swim in the river. Then getting beaten or scolding afterwards."
Max laughed softly. "Yeah... it was worth it".
He paused and look at me, then smirked .
"So- what about marriage? Those old geezers are desperate to shove their daughters at you ".
I scoffed. " I won't marry for convenience. I need a woman who would stand beside me-not behind me. Someone who strong enough to protect what's mind when I'm not there. Calm in chaos. Loyal in bloodshed."
Max raised a brow." That kind of woman is rare".
"Exactly", I replied. "Rare things are worth keeping. Our lives are always on the edge- why settle for something fragile like hooking up with someone".
He laughed loudly. "The cold Mafia king is a romantic guy?"
I ignored him. It's wasn't romance. It was survival.
Suddenly, Max froze.
" What are you looking at?". I asked, following his gaze.
Something floated on the river's surface.
"Seaweed?" I muttered. "Or a large fish".
The clouds parted for a moment, moonlight spilling through like silver linings- and my blood ran cold.
"It's a person", Max whispered.
Before he could react, I was already running.
I jumped into the freezing water and swam hard towards the figure. Mud coated her body, her clothes torn and heavy. I pulled her into my arm, unable to see her face clearly, only feeling how lifeless she was.
Dragging her to the shore, I collapsed beside her, lungs burning.
"Are you okay?" Max asked urgently.
" I'm fine. Check her".
He knelt and searched her pulsed. Nothing.
He started CPR- once, twice and again.
On the third attempt, she gasped.
"She's alive ", he said sharply. "But barely. Her pulse is weak - we need to get her to the hospital now.
As he lifted her, I finally noticed the dark stain spreading across her shoulder.
A gunshot wound.
I started the car engine and drove towards the hospital, Max's voice cut through the tension.
" Adrian, this isn't good. She's been shot. If we take her to the hospital, it will turn into police case- questions, report". He glanced at the rearview mirror, then at the unconscious woman. "If your enemy or the old geezers - catch wind of this, it's will drag you into a scandal. They used it against you ".
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my jaws clenching. I stared straight ahead and fall into deep thought
He is right .
I exhaled slowly and pulled out my phone, dialing a number . The call was picked after the second time .
"Alex ," I said the moment the call connected. "We need help".
"What happened?" his voice was flat, tired- and irritated.
"We found a woman. Gunshot wound. She needs immediate treatment."
There was a pause - a long silence .
"Are you serious right now?" Alex snapped. "Do you know have any idea where I am?"
"I don't care ", I replied flatly.
"I just finished a four hours surgery, you bastard," he snapped. " Let me rest for once. Or better-throw her to where you found her and mind you own f*****g business".
I ignored the insult, listening without interrupting.
Suddenly Max voice rose, tight with urgency.
"Adrian-"
I glanced sideways.
"We are losing her. Her pulsed are weak."
My eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. Her breathing was barely there .
I ground my teeth, rage, and resolve colliding.
"Alex", I said, my tone turning lethal.
"You're helping her. That's final"
Silence.
Then a resigned sigh on the other end.
"Bring her to the mansion", he muttered. "I'm on my way".
I ended the call and pressed harder on the accelerator, the night stretching endlessly ahead.
...........
Two months
That was how long she has been lying unconscious under my roof .
The moment we brought her in, I didn't leave anything to chance. Max moved quickly. Phones, records, sealed database, underground contact- nothing traceable, nothing official. By dawn, I already knew who she is .
Elena cross
Twenty five years.
Field agent.
Multiple classified operation.
Status missing.
The bullet near her shoulder wasn't sloppy work. The angle, the distance-it was close range. Someone she trusted. Someone who knows exactly how to make it look accidental.
I stood at the edge of the bed that first night and watched her chest rose and fall, shallow and uneven. Mud dried in her hair. She could have died in that river .
She didn't.
That alone made her dangerous.
I ordered Alex to remove the bullets and treat her here. No hospital. No records. If anyone came looking, they'll find nothing. An agent disappearing into thin air wasn't unheard of- it happened all the time in the world .
She slipped into coma after the treatment.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned into months.
Max wanted to move her somewhere else. I refused.
An agent like her waking up in my territory meant leverage. Or a threat. Either way, I preferred to see it with my own eyes.
The water stopped running .
I shut off the shower and reached for a towel, wiping the droplet from my face. My reflection stared back at me- Expressionless and unreadable.
After two months of silence....
Elena cross was awake.
Whether she remembers everything or nothing didn't matter.
If she's smart, she'll live .
If she isn't, she'll die .
Either way-
She is in my home now.
And nothing happened here without my permission.
- Writer
