Red Flags
1529 Words
“Well,” Victoria said coolly. “This is unexpected.”
The balcony suddenly felt much smaller.
I straightened slightly, instinctively putting a little space between myself and Adrian. Victoria’s eyes didn’t miss the movement.
In fact, they seemed to sharpen because of it.
She walked toward us slowly, her heels clicking against the marble floor of the balcony.
“You left the party,” she said to Adrian.
Her tone was casual.
But something about it felt… possessive.
“I needed air,” Adrian replied calmly.
Victoria glanced at me.
“And you brought company.”
Her gaze swept over me from head to toe.
Not openly rude.
But definitely judgmental.
“I stepped out first,” I said before Adrian could answer.
Victoria smiled.
But it wasn’t a friendly smile.
“I see.”
The silence that followed felt uncomfortable.
Then Victoria leaned slightly against the railing.
“You’re Lena, right?”
“Yes.”
“Sophia’s sister.”
“That’s right.”
Victoria nodded slowly.
Then she said something that made my stomach tighten.
“Let me give you some advice.”
“Advice?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes flicked briefly toward Adrian before returning to me.
“Stay away from him.”
The words hung in the air.
For a moment I wasn’t sure I had heard correctly.
“What?”
Victoria didn’t hesitate.
“Adrian hurts people.”
My eyebrows pulled together.
“That’s a little dramatic.”
“Is it?”
Her smile faded.
“You don’t know him.”
“I’m beginning to.”
Victoria laughed softly.
“That’s exactly what I said once.”
The tension between them was suddenly obvious.
Adrian hadn’t spoken yet.
But the air around him felt colder.
“Victoria,” he said quietly.
“That’s enough.”
She ignored him.
Instead she continued speaking to me.
“You seem like a nice girl, Lena.”
Her tone made it clear she didn’t actually mean that.
“But Adrian has a habit of destroying things he gets bored with.”
“That’s not—” I began.
But Adrian cut me off.
“That’s enough.”
His voice was calm.
But it carried an unmistakable edge.
Victoria turned to him slowly.
“Oh?”
“You’re embarrassing yourself, Victoria.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“I’m protecting her.”
“From what?”
“From you.”
Adrian sighed.
“That’s not your responsibility.”
Victoria crossed her arms.
“No, but someone should warn her.”
Then she looked at me again.
“You’re not from this world, Lena.”
Her gaze moved over my dress.
Subtle.
Deliberate.
“But it’s obvious you’d like to be.”
Heat rushed to my face.
I knew exactly what she was implying.
That I was some small-town girl hoping to climb into wealth by attaching myself to the Cole family.
“That’s unfair,” I said quietly.
“Is it?”
Victoria tilted her head.
“Girls like you show up at events like this all the time.”
My chest tightened.
“Girls like me?”
“Yes.”
Her voice softened slightly.
“Curious. Ambitious. Hoping someone rich notices them.”
“That’s not why I’m here.”
“No?”
She gestured toward the ballroom.
“Then why are you here?”
Before I could answer, Adrian spoke again.
“Because it’s her sister’s wedding.”
His tone was colder now.
Sharpened.
Victoria laughed lightly.
“You’re defending her already?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
But the way he looked at Victoria made it clear he wasn’t amused.
Victoria’s expression shifted.
For the first time, she seemed slightly annoyed.
“Oh Adrian,” she said.
“You always did have a weakness for charity cases.”
That did it.
Adrian straightened slowly.
The movement was subtle.
But the tension in his posture was unmistakable.
“Apologize,” he said.
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
His voice remained calm.
But the warning beneath it was obvious.
Victoria scoffed.
“I’m not apologizing.”
“Then go find another toy to play with. Stay away from Lena.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
Then he turned toward me.
“Come on.”
I hesitated.
But the tension between them felt too heavy to stay.
So I followed Adrian back inside.
***
The ballroom had become even louder.
Guests were dancing.
Music filled the air.
And waiters continued passing around champagne.
Adrian walked toward the bar without speaking.
I followed quietly.
After a moment he handed me a glass of water.
“You don’t need to listen to her,” he said.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Good.”
I studied him carefully.
“You two clearly have history.”
His expression didn’t change.
“Old history.”
“She seemed angry.”
“She usually is.”
I hesitated before asking the obvious question.
“Did you really hurt her?”
For the first time that night…
Adrian looked uncomfortable.
“I ended our engagement.”
“So Sophia was right.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead he took a sip of his drink.
“That’s not a short story.”
“I didn’t expect it to be.”
Our eyes met again.
For a brief moment the noise of the ballroom seemed distant.
Then I turned to see Daniel and Sophia walking towards us.
“Adrian. Lena,” Daniel said casually.
His gaze moved between us.
“Adrian, Mother is asking for you.”
“I’ll see her later.”
Daniel chuckled.
“You know she doesn’t like waiting.”
Adrian sighed quietly.
“Fine.”
He set his glass down.
Then he looked at me.
“Are you staying long?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s late.”
“I know.”
“I’ll be back,” Adrian said before leaving to see Mrs Cole.
Sophia placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.
“We should probably head back to the house soon anyway.”
“The house?” I asked.
Daniel smiled.
“The Cole family estate.”
“Lena, it’s almost midnight.” Sophia, pointed out.
I glanced toward the windows.
She wasn’t wrong.
“I should go home,” I said.
Daniel shook his head.
“At this hour?”
“I can call a ride.”
Sophia frowned.
“Your apartment is across the city.”
“It’s fine.”
But Daniel spoke quietly.
“You can stay at the estate tonight.”
“That seems… excessive.”
“It’s practical,” he said.
Sophia nodded immediately.
“Yes! Stay with us tonight. There are plenty of guest rooms.”
I hesitated.
But they were right.
Getting home this late would take almost an hour.
And the idea of arguing with Sophia about it felt exhausting.
“Okay,” I said finally.
“Just for tonight.”
***
Adrian didn’t come back, so I was left with no choice but to ride with the newlywed couple back to the Cole estate.
The drive took twenty minutes.
The city lights slowly faded as the car moved into a quieter neighborhood filled with massive homes hidden behind gates and tall trees.
Then the car turned onto a long private road.
My eyes widened.
The estate looked more like a luxury resort than a house.
A massive stone mansion sat in the center of the property, surrounded by manicured gardens and elegant fountains.
Soft lights illuminated the entire grounds.
“Wow,” I whispered.
Sophia laughed softly.
“I had the same reaction the first time.”
The car stopped near the entrance.
A staff member opened the door for us.
Inside, the house was even more impressive.
High ceilings.
Marble floors.
Paintings lining the walls.
“This place is incredible,” I murmured.
Daniel smiled proudly.
“You get used to it.”
But as we walked further inside, Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen quickly.
Then his expression changed.
Just for a moment.
The confident smile disappeared.
Replaced by something tense.
Almost… nervous.
He quickly turned away from us and answered the call quietly.
“Yes.”
His voice was low.
I couldn’t hear the other person.
But Daniel’s tone suddenly became sharper.
“I told you not to contact me tonight.”
He walked further down the hallway.
Lowering his voice even more.
“I’ll handle it tomorrow.”
I’m not one to eavesdrop but something about the way he said that made me curious.
Handle what?
When Daniel returned a minute later, his smile was back.
Like nothing had happened.
“Everything okay?” Sophia asked.
“Of course.”
But we both knew that answer didn’t feel right.
As the staff showed me toward the guest rooms upstairs, I glanced back down the hallway.
Daniel was already on his phone again, while Sophia was headed to their room.
He was speaking quietly.
And for some reason…
A strange thought crossed my mind.
What if the perfect, charming husband my sister had just married…
Was hiding something?
Something dangerous.
And suddenly, I couldn’t stop wondering what it was.
- Writer
