Chapter 7 – Breaking Down the Walls
736 Words
Ava woke up to the soft hum of the city far below, the morning light spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Adrian’s penthouse. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was. The bed was too soft, the sheets too smooth, the view too breathtaking to belong to her world.
Then reality hit her like a wave — she was still in his world.
She sat up, her mind replaying the events of the night before: the argument, the unexpected vulnerability in Adrian’s eyes, the way his voice had dipped when he’d told her she was “more than she thought she was.” It was maddening how one man could leave her furious and flustered all at once.
She swung her legs out of bed, her bare feet sinking into the plush rug. A knock sounded at the door before she could take a step.
“Come in,” she called, already expecting one of Adrian’s staff.
Instead, Adrian himself stepped in, holding two steaming mugs of coffee. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up, and the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw made him look infuriatingly relaxed.
“I thought you might need this,” he said, handing her a mug. “You looked like you barely slept.”
She accepted it but narrowed her eyes. “You kept me awake half the night with your endless pacing. Do billionaires not believe in going to bed at a decent hour?”
He smirked faintly, taking the seat across from her. “Some things are worth losing sleep over.”
Her pulse betrayed her, quickening in that way it always did when his gaze lingered too long. She hated that about him — the way he could make her body betray her resolve.
“What’s on your mind this morning?” she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.
He studied her for a long moment, as if deciding how much to tell her. “Business. And you.”
Her grip on the mug tightened. “You keep saying things like that, but you never explain what you mean.”
“I will,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “But first… there’s something you need to know about why I brought you here.”
Her stomach dipped. “You mean this wasn’t just some… spontaneous rescue from the storm?”
He gave a humorless chuckle. “No, Ava. I don’t do anything spontaneously.”
She set her coffee down slowly. “Then what is this? Some kind of game?”
His gaze sharpened. “No. A warning.”
Before she could speak, he continued, his voice low and deliberate. “You’ve been working for a company that’s about to find itself in the middle of a storm. The kind of storm that destroys people. You’re caught in the crossfire without even realizing it.”
Her chest tightened. “What are you talking about?”
“Your boss isn’t who you think he is,” Adrian said. “And the deal your firm is closing next week? It’s illegal. Dangerous. And if you’re not careful, you’ll go down with him.”
The room seemed to tilt around her. “How do you know this?”
“Because I’m the one trying to stop it.”
For a moment, Ava just stared at him, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She didn’t know whether to be grateful for the warning or furious at the way he had manipulated the situation.
“You could have just told me,” she said, her voice trembling.
“I’m telling you now,” he replied. “But you wouldn’t have listened before. You don’t trust me… yet.”
She hated that he was right.
Adrian rose from his seat, his presence filling the room as he stepped closer. “I need you to stay close to me, Ava. Not just for your safety — but because you’re going to help me stop them.”
Her breath caught. “Why me?”
His lips curved into the faintest smile, but his eyes were deadly serious. “Because you’re the only one they won’t suspect. And because, whether you realize it or not, you’re already part of my world now.”
The words lingered in the air between them, heavy and dangerous.
Ava knew one thing for certain — whatever was coming next would change everything.
- Writer
