The stranger’s footsteps faded into the night, but the chill they left behind clung to Ariana’s skin like frost. The street was too quiet. Too still. The kind of stillness that made every heartbeat sound louder.
Adrian didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
He just stood there, breathing hard, shoulders shaking—like holding himself together required every ounce of strength he had left.
“Adrian…” Ariana whispered, her voice fragile in the darkness. “What was he talking about?”
He didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
His jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the spot where the stranger had disappeared. His silence was louder than any lie he could’ve told her.
“Adrian.” She stepped closer, her hand trembling as she reached for his arm. “You have to talk to me. If someone is after you—after us—I need to know.”
His
