THE VILLAIN I LOVED

STAY AWAY FROM ME

CHAPTER TWO

Evan couldn't breathe. He stood behind the curtain, staring down at the black carriage parked in front of Vale Manor.

Adrian Blackwood had arrived. Already. This wasn't supposed to happen so quickly.

Evan's mind raced through everything he remembered from the novel. Lucian was supposed to rush downstairs the moment Adrian arrived. He would greet him with a smile, complain about how long he had waited, and then drag him into the drawing room under the excuse of showing him the expensive watch he had bought.

Then Adrian would reject the gift. Lucian would take it badly. That would be the beginning.

Evan wasn't doing any of that. Absolutely not.

He turned away from the window. "I need a plan."

The maid was still standing behind him, looking increasingly concerned. "Young Master?"

"Where is the back door?"

She blinked. "The back door?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"So I can leave."

"You cannot leave, Young Master. Lord Blackwood is already here."

"I know." Evan walked toward the door. "I am going to hide."

The maid's eyes widened. "Young Master Lucian, you cannot hide from Lord Blackwood."

"Watch me."

He opened the door. And nearly walked straight into a man.

Evan stopped.

The man standing outside the room was tall. Very tall. He wore a perfectly tailored black coat, dark trousers, and polished boots. His black hair was neatly pushed away from his forehead, revealing sharp features and cold gray eyes.

Adrian Blackwood.

Evan's stomach dropped. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Adrian looked at him. Evan looked at Adrian.

This was the man he had spent hundreds of pages reading about. The male lead. The future heir of House Blackwood. The man who would one day stand over Lucian's dead body.

Evan swallowed. "Hello."

Adrian's expression didn't change. "Hello?"

Evan immediately regretted his choice of words. What was he supposed to say? Nice to meet you, future murderer.

He cleared his throat. "Good afternoon."

Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're leaving?"

Evan glanced behind him. Then at Adrian. "Yes."

"Why?"

"I have somewhere to be."

"Where?"

Evan's brain stopped working. He couldn't exactly say that he was escaping because he knew Adrian would eventually kill him.

"Outside."

Adrian stared at him. Evan stared back. That sounded stupid. Very stupid.

Adrian stepped aside. "After you."

Evan hesitated. Was he mocking him? Probably. He moved past him. Two steps. Three.

Then Adrian spoke again. "Lucian."

Evan stopped. He slowly turned.

Adrian's gaze remained fixed on him. "You don't have anywhere to be."

Evan's heart skipped. "How do you know?"

"You're wearing house slippers."

Evan looked down. Damn it. He was.

Adrian's eyes dropped briefly to his feet before returning to his face. "You also told your staff to cancel our meeting."

Evan stiffened. So the maid had already informed him. "Right."

"Why?"

"Because I changed my mind."

"About me?"

Evan nearly choked. "What?"

Adrian said nothing.

Evan stared at him. Was this how the original Lucian spoke to him? No. Definitely not. He had read enough of their scenes to know Adrian never flirted with Lucian. He simply tolerated him. Barely.

Evan took a cautious step backward. "I don't have anything to say to you."

Adrian's eyebrow lifted. "That is unusual."

"People change."

"Not you."

Evan's chest tightened. Adrian knew Lucian. Of course he did. He had known him for years. Evan couldn't suddenly behave like an entirely different person without attracting attention. He needed to be careful. Very careful.

"I haven't slept well," he said quickly. "That's all."

Adrian continued staring. Evan tried not to fidget.

Then Adrian looked toward the drawing room. "I brought something for you."

Evan's heart jumped. In the original story, Adrian had never brought Lucian anything. He was the one receiving the watch.

"What?"

Adrian motioned toward one of the servants carrying a long black box.

Evan stared at it. "What's that?"

"A book."

"A book?"

"You mentioned wanting it."

Evan's mouth opened slightly. He remembered this. Lucian had once told Adrian about an old history book that was difficult to find. In the original story, Adrian had ignored the request. Apparently, that had changed too.

Evan slowly took the book from the servant. "Thank you."

Adrian watched him. "You're welcome."

Evan looked at the cover. It was exactly the book Lucian had wanted. For some reason, the gesture unsettled him more than it should have. He had expected Adrian to be cold. Distant. Dangerous. Instead, Adrian had brought him a gift.

Evan suddenly remembered something else. The original Lucian had loved Adrian. Not because Adrian was handsome. Not only because of his power. Lucian had loved the rare moments when Adrian was kind to him. Perhaps that was how it had started.

Evan's fingers tightened around the book. He couldn't allow himself to become attached. He couldn't.

"I'm going upstairs," he said.

Adrian looked at him. "Why?"

"I want to read."

"You don't read."

Evan froze. Right. Apparently Lucian didn't like reading.

"I'm changing."

Adrian's gaze sharpened. "You've said that twice today."

"Because it's true."

"Why?"

Evan didn't answer.

Adrian stepped closer. Evan instinctively stepped back. The movement was small. But Adrian noticed. His eyes lowered to the space between them. Then returned to Evan's face.

"Are you afraid of me?"

Evan's blood went cold. "No." It came out too quickly.

Adrian's expression remained unreadable. "You stepped away from me."

"I was avoiding you."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be around you."

Silence.

The moment the words left his mouth, Evan wanted to disappear.

Adrian stared at him. For years, Lucian had done the opposite. He had followed Adrian everywhere. Now he was openly telling him to stay away.

Evan forced a small smile. "I mean... I just want some space."

Adrian studied him for another long moment. Then he turned away. "Fine."

Evan released a breath.

Adrian walked toward the stairs. Evan watched him leave. He had done it. He had survived their first conversation. No argument. No confession. No gift. No disaster. Maybe he could actually change the story.

Then Adrian stopped halfway up the stairs. Without turning around, he said, "Lucian."

Evan looked up. "Yes?"

"Don't worry." Adrian's voice was calm. "I won't force you to stay near me."

Then he continued upstairs.

Evan stood frozen. Something about those words bothered him. He couldn't explain why.

He turned toward the maid. "Did he always talk like that?"

She looked confused. "Like what?"

"So calmly."

The maid smiled. "Lord Blackwood has always been calm around you."

Evan frowned. "Really?"

"Yes." She hesitated. "Although..."

"Although what?"

"He usually isn't this patient."

Evan's stomach tightened. "What does that mean?"

The maid looked toward the staircase. "I don't know." She lowered her voice. "But I think Lord Blackwood likes you."

Evan almost dropped the book. "No."

The maid blinked. "No?"

"He doesn't."

"But—"

"He can't."

"Why?"

Because he kills me.

Evan swallowed. "Because that's not how the story goes."

The maid stared at him.

Evan realized his mistake. He smiled awkwardly. "I mean... that's not how things usually go."

He hurried upstairs before she could ask anything else.

But he didn't notice the figure standing at the end of the corridor.

Adrian.

He had heard every word. His expression remained cold. But his eyes had changed.

He looked toward Evan's closed bedroom door. Then quietly whispered, "That's not how the story goes?"

For the first time since arriving at Vale Manor, Adrian smiled. It wasn't a warm smile. It was the smile of a man who had just discovered something interesting.

And he intended to find out exactly what Lucian Vale was hiding.