Chapter 6
1198 Words
Elena did not realize her hands were shaking until she tried to open the car door. Her fingers slipped against the handle several times before she finally managed to pull it open, but she did not get inside.
She stood beside the car, staring at the house she had considered the safest place in the world for twenty seven years. Several guards were moving around the grounds, making sure no strangers were still hiding among the trees.
The sound of shattered glass could still be heard as someone inside the house cleared away the debris. Elena should have felt relieved that both of her parents had made it out safely, but instead, she felt the opposite.
Something far worse than fear had settled inside her after those gunshots. It felt as though someone had just opened a door to a life she knew nothing about and pushed her through it without giving her a choice.
“Elena.”
She turned when her mother called her.
Marianne stood beside another car, her face pale, while Lorenzo spoke to one of the guards. Elena immediately walked over to her mother and pulled her into a hug, letting the older woman check for herself that she was not hurt.
“Are you hurt?” Marianne asked, cupping Elena’s cheeks.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fine, Mom.”
Elena tried to smile, but her mother still looked at her with worried eyes. Once she was certain her daughter was unharmed, Marianne went back to her husband. Elena did not follow her parent. She turned and found Adrian standing several feet away. He was speaking to a man named Marcus, who had been directing the guards all this time. Adrian’s expression had returned to its usual calm, but there was blood on the sleeve of his shirt that made Elena stop.
“Where did that blood come from?”
Adrian looked down at his sleeve.
“Not mine.”
Elena stared at him for a moment before walking closer.
“Who was hurt?”
“One of them.”
“You shot him?”
“Yes.”
His answer was so calm that Elena felt irritated.
“You seem far too used to things like this.”
“I’m used to making sure the people around me stay alive.”
Elena crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not someone around you.”
“Not yet.”
“Don’t start again, Mr. Voss.”
“I’m only answering your question.”
“I already said no.”
“I know.”
“And my answer isn’t going to change just because you managed to protect me.”
Adrian studied her for a moment before giving a small nod.
“I don’t expect it to.”
That answer caught Elena off guard. She had expected Adrian to use the situation to pressure her, but he did not.
“Then why are you still here?”
“Because the threat isn’t over.”
Elena took a deep breath.
“Who are they?”
“I can’t tell you yet.”
“You always say that.”
“Because I can’t tell you yet.”
“You know who they are.”
“I know where they came from.”
“And you know why they want me?”
“I have a theory.”
“What’s the difference?”
“If I tell you something I haven’t confirmed, you might make a decision based on false information.”
Elena gave a small, disbelieving laugh.
“You can even make a lie sound like protection.”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“You’re just not telling me the truth.”
“Not yet.”
Elena shook her head. She was growing tired of Adrian’s answers, each one like a door left half open. She could see there was something behind it, but he never let her step inside.
“I still won’t marry you.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
“But you need to come with me.”
Elena immediately looked at him.
“Where?”
“Somewhere safer.”
“I can go home.”
“Your home isn’t safe anymore.”
“Then I’ll stay at a hotel.”
“I’ll send people to protect you.”
“I don’t need guards.”
“This isn’t about whether you need them.”
Elena stepped closer.
“Don’t try to control my life.”
“I’m not trying to control your life.”
“Then stop giving me orders.”
“I’m telling you what options you have left.”
Elena stared at him for a long moment. She hated the fact that what Adrian was saying made sense. And that was the part that bothered her most. If Adrian had been cruel and overbearing, it would have been easier to hate him. But instead, he spoke calmly, gave her choices, and let her make her own decisions.
Even when it was obvious he was hiding something, Adrian never tried to force her into accepting the marriage.
“Why do you care?”
“Because I have a reason.”
“What reason?”
“The same reason I came tonight.”
“You always come back to that.”
“Because the answer hasn’t changed.”
“And when are you going to tell me?”
“When I’m sure the time is right.”
Elena was about to respond when Marcus approached them.
“Adrian. We found their vehicle.”
Elena watched as Marcus glanced at her before continuing.
“The vehicle is registered to a private security company.”
“Which company?” Adrian asked.
Marcus gave him a name Elena had never heard before. But Lorenzo, who had just stepped out of the car, stopped the moment he heard it. Elena noticed the change in her father’s expression.
“Yo know them, Dad?”
Lorenzo said nothing, but Elena could tell from his face that he was hiding something.
“Dad?”
“I’ve heard of that company.”
“Where?”
“A long time ago.”
“How long ago?”
Lorenzo looked at Adrian. The exchange lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to make Elena even more uneasy.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Lorenzo said.
Elena almost laughed.
“You all really want to drive me crazy with curiosity.”
No one answered. She looked at her father, then Adrian, then back at her father. Suddenly, she felt surrounded by too many people who knew something about her life while she was the only one who knew nothing.
“I want to leave.”
“Elena,” Adrian said.
“I’m not leaving with you.”
“I’m not asking you to marry me tonight.”
“But you want me to leave with you.”
“Because I can keep you safe.”
Elena stared at him for a long moment.
“And who’s going to keep me safe from you?”
Elena gave him a faint smile, but there was no warmth in it.
“That’s the problem, Mr Voss."
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD