PART 4 – AN INEVITABLE FATE
1165 Words
The night felt quieter than usual. The wind blew gently, carrying a sense as though something was hiding in the darkness. Nadine stood on the balcony of Lucas’s apartment, her gaze empty as she looked down at the busy city streets. Neon lights blinked in shades of blue and red, casting strange shadows on the window.
Her heart felt heavy. Since that anonymous message had appeared, her mind had never been at ease. Something inside her kept whispering that Adrian was never really gone. That he was always nearby, waiting for the right moment to take her back.
Her hand gripped the balcony railing tightly. With every passing second, the feeling grew stronger. It was as if a dark shadow was following every step she took, a shadow she couldn’t escape.
Adrian Callway.
The name was like poison flowing through her veins. She had known from the start that he was different. No one could truly oppose Adrian and win. Everyone who opposed him ended up destroyed. Even she, who had tried so hard to escape his grasp, could never fully break free.
But Nadine had fought for so long. She didn’t want to return to his trap. She didn’t want to feel the fear that had almost shattered her before. But now, after that message had appeared, it was as though old wounds that hadn’t fully healed were opening up once again.
"Nadine?" Lucas’s voice broke her thoughts. Nadine turned, finding him standing at the door with a worried expression.
"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer.
Nadine nodded slowly, though deep inside, she knew the answer wasn’t as simple as that. "I just… feel like something’s wrong."
Lucas looked at her carefully. "I feel it too."
He took a deep breath before pulling out his phone and showing her something. It was a business document he had just received from his sources—a large transaction involving Adrian Callway’s company.
"He couldn’t be doing this from prison," Lucas said. "And if he’s really out, that means someone in the system helped him escape."
Nadine’s heart began to beat faster. "So… he’s really free?" Her voice shook.
Lucas clenched his fist. "I don’t have concrete proof, but all the signs point to it."
Tears welled up in Nadine’s eyes. "Then… we’re in danger, Lucas."
Lucas looked at her seriously, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I won’t let him touch you again. I promise."
But deep inside, Nadine knew—his promise might not be enough to stop Adrian.
Because that man was not someone who would just give up.
2. ADRIAN – BREAKING HOPE
From inside his car parked at the street corner, Adrian watched Lucas’s apartment with a blank expression.
He could see it.
Nadine standing on the balcony, with Lucas.
His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening.
That should be me there.
Adrian pulled out his phone and typed a message.
Adrian: I never really left, Nadine.
He waited.
Only a few seconds later, he saw Nadine lift her phone and freeze. He could imagine the fear on her face, how her lips would tremble slightly, how her eyes would widen in shock.
He wanted this moment.
The moment when Nadine would realize that there was no place safe enough for her. That no matter how hard she tried to escape, she would always return to the same place—to Adrian’s grasp.
He closed his phone and smiled faintly.
Everything was going according to plan.
In his car, Adrian glanced out the window, watching as the sky darkened. The night was growing late, and fewer people wandered the streets. But no one knew what he was planning. No one knew that he was putting the pieces of a game back together that he had started long ago.
But this time, nothing would stop him. No one would get in the way of him returning to Nadine. Even if it meant destroying everything.
3. QUEEN DIOR – AT THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE
Queen Dior stared at her phone screen with a conflicted expression.
Lucas had just sent a message, asking for her help to investigate Adrian. But on the other hand, her mind was filled with feelings that she herself couldn’t quite understand.
She loved Lucas.
She always had.
But all this time, she had only been a shadow in the midst of Lucas and Nadine’s story. She had never truly been the main focus. Lucas always chose Nadine, and Queen knew that. She knew her feelings were wrong, that she shouldn’t have harbored such emotions. But those feelings still existed, and now they were stronger than ever.
If Adrian really was back… didn’t that mean Lucas would get closer to Nadine? Didn’t that mean, once again, she would lose the chance to be with Lucas?
Her hands trembled.
She could choose to help Lucas and Nadine… or choose her own path.
Her heart pounded.
This decision would change everything.
Queen closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her thoughts. But the more she thought, the heavier it felt. She knew that if she didn’t act now, that chance might never come again.
Reluctantly, she opened Lucas’s message again and typed her response.
Queen: I’ll help you. But we have to be careful. Adrian is not someone to be taken lightly.
She hit send, then placed her phone aside. Her heart grew more restless. She wanted to protect Nadine, that was certain. But what if her feelings for Lucas became an obstacle? What should she do if a harsher reality came to pass?
4. AN UNAVOIDABLE MEETING
That night, Nadine sat in Lucas’s apartment, trying to calm herself. Lucas was speaking to someone on the phone, busy strategizing.
But suddenly…
There was a soft knock on the window.
Nadine froze.
It couldn’t be. They were on the third floor.
With bated breath, she slowly turned toward the window.
And there he was.
Adrian.
Standing outside the window, staring directly into her room with a cold, possessive expression.
Nadine’s heart nearly stopped.
Before she could scream, her phone vibrated.
Adrian: Open the door, Nadine. Don’t make me wait.
Her hand gripped the phone tightly, her body frozen in fear. She couldn’t. It was impossible. But she knew—there was only one way to face this. And it wouldn’t be easy.
Lucas was still in the other room.
She had to make a decision.
To fight… or to surrender.
Every second felt heavier than the last. Nadine knew that if she opened the door, everything would change. Adrian wouldn’t give her a second chance. She knew that man could control her, manipulate her, and she had been under his grasp for far too long.
But would she let her fear control her again?
With trembling hands, Nadine took a deep breath. "Lucas," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Lucas, he’s outside."
Deep in her heart, Nadine already knew the answer. No matter what happened, she would never truly be safe from Adrian.
- Writer
