Before You Found Me

THE UNEXPECTED RESCUE

Trying to stay calm, Isla slipped out through the store's back exit.

The moment the door closed behind her, she hurried down the narrow alley.

Her heart was pounding.

She kept looking over her shoulder.

Nothing.

For a second, she wondered if she had imagined everything.

Then she heard footsteps.

Isla quickened her pace.

She didn't turn around again.

She knew better.

Her phone was still in her hand, Adrian's number open on the screen.

She almost called him.

Almost.

But before she could press the button, she heard the sound of an engine.

A vehicle turned into the street behind her.

Isla stopped.

A black van pulled up beside her.

The side door slid open.

Two men jumped out.

Everything happened at once.

One of them reached toward her.

Isla screamed and stepped backward.

"Hey!"

The second man moved around her.

"Don't make this difficult."

Isla turned to run.

A loud engine roared from the opposite direction.

A silver sports car screeched to a stop beside her.

The passenger door flew open.

"Get in!"

Isla froze.

She knew that voice.

Adrian.

Without thinking, she jumped inside.

The door slammed shut.

The car accelerated before the men could react.

Isla grabbed the seat as the vehicle sped away.

She looked through the rear window.

The black van remained behind them.

Then it disappeared around the corner.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes.

Only the sound of the engine filled the car.

Finally, Isla broke the silence.

"You were following me?"

Adrian kept his eyes on the road.

"No."

She stared at him.

"You just happened to appear at the exact moment two men tried to grab me?"

"I was protecting you."

"That's basically the same thing."

"No."

"Then explain it."

Adrian glanced at her briefly.

"I had someone watching the area around your workplace."

Isla's eyes widened.

"You had someone watching me?"

"Yes."

"You can't do that!"

"I can when your life is in danger."

"You don't get to decide that!"

"I didn't."

He turned his attention back to the road.

"The people trying to hurt you did."

Isla opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

She hated that he had a point.

She looked down at her hands.

They were still trembling.

Adrian noticed.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Did they touch you?"

"No."

He exhaled slowly.

Only then did Isla notice how tense he looked.

His hands were firmly gripping the steering wheel.

His jaw was tight.

He wasn't calm.

He was angry.

"Adrian."

"What?"

"You were scared."

He looked at her.

"No."

"You were."

"I was concerned."

"Same thing."

He almost smiled.

"You're very persistent."

"I've been told."

For a moment, the tension eased.

Then Isla remembered what had happened.

"Who were those men?"

"I don't know."

She groaned.

"Again?"

"I'm serious."

"Do you ever know anything?"

Adrian glanced at her.

"More than you think."

"Then tell me."

He was silent.

"Please."

The word came out softer than she intended.

Adrian's expression changed.

He slowed the car as they approached a traffic light.

"The men who attacked me aren't ordinary criminals."

"What are they?"

"Organized."

"Organized how?"

"They have money. Information. People everywhere."

Isla stared at him.

"Then why haven't you gone to the police?"

"Because I'm not sure who I can trust."

She remembered Victor.

His uncle.

The strange men at her apartment.

The anonymous messages.

The people watching her.

Suddenly, Adrian's distrust didn't seem so unreasonable.

"What about your security?"

"I have security."

"Then why are you driving me yourself?"

He looked at her.

"Because I didn't want to wait."

The words made Isla quiet.

The traffic light changed.

The car moved forward.

She looked out the window.

The city passed by in a blur.

After a few minutes, she realized they weren't heading toward her apartment.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe."

"Where?"

"My house."

Isla immediately looked at him.

"No."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"I've already been there."

"And?"

"And your house has too many secrets."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"So does your apartment."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because my apartment doesn't have men waiting in hallways."

Adrian laughed quietly.

It was the first time Isla had heard him laugh without restraint.

She couldn't help smiling.

Then he said,

"We're not going to the main house."

"Where, then?"

"You'll see."

Several minutes later, the car left the main road.

They drove through a quieter part of the city before stopping in front of a smaller property surrounded by trees.

Isla looked through the window.

"This isn't your mansion."

"No."

"What is it?"

"A place I use when I need privacy."

She looked at him suspiciously.

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"It should."

"It doesn't."

Adrian got out.

He walked around and opened her door.

"Come."

Isla stepped out.

The house was much smaller than his mansion.

It looked more like an ordinary home.

There were lights inside.

No guards.

No huge gates.

No intimidating driveway.

For the first time, Isla felt like she could breathe.

They entered.

The interior was simple.

A sofa.

A fireplace.

A kitchen.

A few bookshelves.

Nothing extravagant.

"This is more like it," Isla said.

Adrian looked around.

"I prefer it here."

"Why?"

"Because nobody expects anything from me here."

Isla looked at him.

"What does everyone expect from you?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he walked into the kitchen.

"Tea?"

She smiled.

"After everything that just happened?"

"Especially after everything that just happened."

She sat down.

Adrian prepared two cups.

When he placed hers in front of her, she wrapped both hands around it.

The warmth helped.

For several minutes, they simply sat there.

Then Isla broke the silence.

"Why me?"

Adrian looked up.

"What?"

"Why are you protecting me?"

"You saved my life."

"That's not enough."

"It is for me."

She shook her head.

"No. There's something else."

Adrian didn't respond.

"You knew who I was before you gave me your number."

He remained silent.

"You knew my name."

Another silence.

"How?"

Adrian leaned back.

"I had someone look into you."

Isla stared at him.

"You investigated me?"

"After the accident."

"Why?"

"Because you became involved."

"I was just a café waitress who happened to be nearby."

"You were the person who saved me."

"That's not an answer."

Adrian sighed.

"I wanted to know who I was putting in danger."

Isla looked away.

"That doesn't explain everything."

"No."

He paused.

"But it's the truth."

She looked back at him.

"What did you find?"

"Nothing suspicious."

"Nothing?"

"You have a simple life."

She laughed bitterly.

"Simple?"

Adrian nodded.

"Work. Home. Your grandmother's apartment. No criminal record. No dangerous connections."

Isla's expression changed when he mentioned her grandmother.

"You looked into her too?"

"No."

"Good."

Adrian noticed the change in her face.

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head.

"It's fine."

But it wasn't.

He could tell.

The room became quiet again.

Then Adrian's phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

His expression immediately changed.

"Who is it?" Isla asked.

He stood.

"I need to take this."

He walked toward the other side of the room.

"Yes?"

Isla couldn't hear the other person.

Adrian's face grew darker.

"Are you sure?"

A pause.

"How long?"

Another pause.

"Don't let anyone leave."

He ended the call.

Isla stood.

"What happened?"

Adrian looked at her.

"The men who attacked you weren't alone."

"What?"

"They had someone waiting nearby."

Her stomach tightened.

"Who?"

"We don't know yet."

"Then what do we do?"

Adrian walked toward the window.

"Stay here tonight."

Isla stared at him.

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

"I can't stay here."

"You can."

"I have work tomorrow."

"I'll have someone call your manager."

"You can't just decide everything for me."

"No."

He looked at her.

"You can decide."

He paused.

"But I'm asking you to stay."

There was something different in his voice.

Not an order.

A request.

Isla looked at him for several seconds.

Then she sighed.

"Fine."

Adrian nodded.

"Thank you."

She sat back down.

Outside, the wind moved through the trees.

For the first time since the accident, Isla felt relatively safe.

But neither of them noticed the small red light blinking on a camera hidden across the road.

Someone was watching the house.

Someone had followed them.

Inside a dark vehicle parked several streets away, a man looked at a screen.

The screen showed Isla sitting beside Adrian.

He picked up his phone.

"She's with him."

A voice answered.

"Good."

"Should we move?"

"No."

The man looked at the screen again.

"Why not?"

A pause.

"Because now we know something important."

"What?"

"Adrian Hale isn't protecting the girl because he feels guilty."

The man smiled.

"He's protecting her because she matters to him."

The call ended.

Back inside the house, Isla looked at Adrian.

Neither of them knew it yet.

But their unexpected rescue had changed everything.

The people hunting Adrian had just discovered a weakness.

And they had no intention of wasting it.