SHATTERED ROMANCE

CHAPTER 4 — THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED

Ariana didn’t remember falling asleep, only the sound of rain hitting the roof like tapping fingers. She woke to the same sound, but something felt different. The air was tense… heavy… like the moment before lightning strikes.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Unknown Number:

You thought running would keep you safe. How cute.

Ariana’s chest tightened. Her fingers trembled over the screen as she read it again, then again, the words slicing through her calm like a blade.

The number wasn’t Adrian’s.

But the message sounded like him—possessive, mocking, too familiar with her fear.

She forced herself out of bed, her heartbeat loud in her ears, each step heavy as she walked to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face, meeting her reflection.

“You’re fine,” she whispered. “You’re safe. Kael won’t let anything happen to you.”

But saying it didn’t make her believe it.

---

Downstairs, the warm smell of fresh coffee filled the air. Kael leaned against the counter, arms crossed, dark hair slightly messy—like he hadn’t slept. The sight sent a strange warmth into her chest.

“You’re up early,” he said, eyes scanning her face a little too carefully. “Nightmare again?”

“No,” she lied. “Just… couldn’t sleep.”

His eyes softened. “You look pale.”

Ariana shrugged. “I’m always pale.”

Kael stepped closer—a little too close—and lowered his voice. “Ari… what happened?”

She wanted to tell him. She wanted to hand him her phone and let him fix everything the way he always tried to. But something stopped her. Maybe because she knew what Kael would do. His protective side wasn’t gentle—it was dangerous.

And she wasn’t ready to unleash that.

“Nothing,” she whispered.

Kael exhaled sharply and turned away, as if forcing himself not to push.

“You’re a terrible liar,” he muttered.

Ariana almost smiled.

---

The day moved slowly, each hour stretching longer than the last. Ariana tried working, tried distracting herself, but that single message replayed in her mind like a taunt.

By evening, she needed air.

The sky was turning purple when she stepped outside. The wind felt good, cold against her anxious skin. She walked down the quiet street, keeping her eyes ahead… until she felt it.

That heavy, sharp sensation of being watched.

She froze.

A shadow moved behind a parked car.

Her breath hitched. For a split second she saw him—broad shoulders, tall frame, familiar intensity in the stillness of his posture.

Adrian.

But when she blinked, the spot was empty.

“Ariana!”

She jumped. Kael grabbed her shoulders, eyes filled with alarm.

“What are you doing out here alone?” His voice was low, tense.

“I—I just needed air.”

“Next time, tell me.” His jaw clenched. “You don’t wander off. Not now.”

She frowned. “Not now? What does that mean?”

Kael hesitated. Something flickered in his expression—guilt, fear, something she couldn’t place.

“Ari… there’s something I haven’t told you.”

Her stomach dropped. “Kael—”

Before he could speak, her phone buzzed again.

Another message.

Pretty view from across the street. Keep walking, sweetheart.

Ariana’s blood ran cold.

Kael snatched the phone from her hand. When he read it, his entire body tensed like a loaded weapon.

“That’s it,” he growled. “We’re going inside.”

He grabbed her wrist—not harshly, but firmly enough that she couldn’t move even if she wanted to—and pulled her back toward the house.

The moment the door closed behind them, Kael locked it, then turned to her.

“Sit,” he ordered.

Ariana froze. She knew this tone. Not angry… protective. Too protective.

“Kael—”

“Ariana. Sit.”

She sat.

Kael ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before turning back to her.

“That message… it’s not the first one I’ve intercepted.”

Ariana stared at him, her heart twisting. “What are you talking about?”

“There were two others in the last week. Same style. Same number pattern. I blocked them before they reached your phone.”

She swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to panic.” His voice cracked slightly. “And because I thought I could handle it before it got this far.”

Her eyes burned. “Kael… you should have told me.”

“I know.” He knelt in front of her, his hand hovering near hers. “I’m sorry. But you need to trust me on this—I will protect you. Always.”

For a moment, the room was quiet except for their breathing.

Ariana looked at him—really looked at him. The determination in his eyes. The worry etched in his brow. The fear that something might happen to her.

And something warm flickered inside her chest.

Then the doorbell rang.

Both their heads snapped up.

Kael stood instantly, body shifting into alert mode. The tension in him was so sharp the air seemed to vibrate.

“Stay here,” he instructed.

Ariana’s heart pounded as she watched him move toward the door silently, muscles tight, steps calculated.

He opened it—just a crack.

Then paused.

Ariana waited.

Kael didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He stood frozen, staring at whoever—or whatever—was outside.

A chill ran down Ariana’s spine.

“Kael?” she whispered. “Who is it?”

Slowly, Kael opened the door wider.

Ariana’s breath stopped.

Standing on the porch, dressed in black, rain dripping from his hair, eyes burning with the same unforgettable obsession, was the man she had spent months trying to escape.

Adrian.

His lips curved into a slow, devastating smile.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

Ariana’s world shattered.

Kael moved instantly, stepping in front of her, voice sharp with danger. “You’re not coming near her.”

Adrian tilted his head lazily, eyes fixed on Ariana like she was the only thing that existed.

“Oh, but I already have,” he murmured. “Otherwise why would she look at me like that?”

Ariana’s body shook. With fear. With anger. With memories she didn’t want but couldn’t bury.

Adrian took a single step forward.

“Ariana,” he whispered, voice dark and soft. “Did you miss me?”

Everything inside her screamed.

Kael blocked his path. “Leave. Now.”

Adrian laughed softly. “You think you can protect her from me? You have no idea what she and I share.”

Ariana’s pulse roared in her ears, her voice barely a breath.

“Adrian… why are you here?”

His smile vanished.

“To finish what we started.”

The air went still, heavy, suffocating.

And Ariana realized something terrifying—

This wasn’t the beginning of trouble.

This was the moment everything began to fall apart.