Bound by passion

chapter six: Guilt

Adrian hadn’t called in two days. Not a text, not a visit, not even a glimpse of him in the places I had started to expect him.

I told myself it was good. That I needed the space, that the silence would cool the fire he had ignited in me. But every night, when I closed my eyes, I felt him. The weight of his gaze, the heat of his nearness, the promise in his voice.

I hated how much I missed him.

On the third night, just as I was convincing myself he had finally vanished from my life, there was a knock at the door. My heart stuttered. I knew it was him.

When I opened the door, Adrian stood there, but something was different. He wasn’t his usual confident, composed self. His eyes were restless, his jaw tight, and his hands… his hands were trembling.

“Adrian?” I whispered, surprised. “What happened?”

He pushed past me without a word, running a hand through his hair before sinking onto the edge of my couch. He looked… broken.

“I shouldn’t be here,” he muttered, his voice rough. “I told myself I’d stay away. That it would be better for both of us. But I can’t.”

I closed the door softly and moved closer, my chest tightening. “Better for us? What are you talking about?”

His eyes lifted to mine, and for the first time, I saw guilt swimming in them. Real, raw guilt.

“You think I’m just some man who showed up out of nowhere,” he began, his voice low. “But the truth is… I’ve been watching you. Long before we ever spoke.”

The air caught in my throat. “Watching me?”

“Not in the way you think,” he said quickly, his eyes pleading. “I wasn’t stalking you. It’s my job. I… I was sent to protect you.”

“Protect me?” My voice trembled, every nerve in my body alert. “From what?”

His silence was worse than any answer. He looked away, his hands clenching into fists.

“I can’t tell you everything,” he finally said, his voice cracking. “Not yet. But you need to know this—being near me isn’t safe, Isabella. And still… I can’t stay away.”

My knees felt weak, my world spinning. He wasn’t just a stranger with secrets. He was a man tangled in something dangerous, something that tied him to me before I even knew he existed.

And worse than the fear was the truth burning in my chest:

Even knowing the risk, I didn’t want him to stay away.