The photo trembled in Alina’s hands, her breath hitching as she stared at Adrian’s blood-streaked face. The cold, ruthless expression on his face in the picture was unlike anything she’d seen before. It was a side of him she hadn’t met—one that haunted her even as her heart fought to hold onto the man she’d come to know.
Her mind raced with questions. Who sent this? Why now?
She stuffed the photo and the note back into the envelope, her fingers shaking. For a brief moment, she considered confronting Adrian immediately—but something stopped her. There was fear, yes, but also curiosity. She needed answers. And not just from him.
Later that evening, Alina found herself outside Adrian’s study, the door slightly ajar. His deep voice carried through the gap, laced with frustration.
“I don’t
