The message came without warning. A simple text on my phone. No preamble, no signature. Just a warning: There are people in his world who do not like what you are building. Be careful.
I read it twice. Then set the phone down deliberately.
Adrian noticed immediately. “Something has shifted,” he said quietly, his eyes scanning mine.
“Yes,” I replied evenly. “Someone is testing the boundaries. Not mine, but yours. And by extension, ours.”
He stepped closer, the warmth of his body grounding me. “We handle it together?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice calm. “But I handle the first move.”
By mid-afternoon, subtle signs emerged. A man from one of Adrian’s corporate contacts lingered too long at meetings. Notes appeared where none should exist. Offhand comments about my influence and role floated i
