Adelina's POV
The soft fabric of my white satin nightgown brushed against my skin as I descended the grand staircase, barefoot, the cold marble sending little shivers up my legs. The mansion was quiet — unnervingly so — as if it, too, was holding its breath around me.
I wasn't supposed to be here.
This house, this life, this man they called my father… it was everything I had tried to distance myself from.
But after endless calls, emotionally-wrapped requests, and some playfully twisted threats only he could make sound charming, I gave in.
Just a few days, I told myself.
A few days under this gilded roof — back in a world I tried so hard to erase.
The paintings on the wall still watched me like they used to when I was a child.The smell of cologne and fresh roses still clung to the hallways.Nothing had changed — not even the heaviness in the air.
Yet… something felt different.Or maybe I was different.
Because even though I stood here with my bare feet on familiar ground,my chest was tight —not with fear, but with the feeling that something was about to unfold.Something that had already begun the moment I stepped into the road that night…
The night I stood in front of a stranger's car.The night that stranger saved me.And the night my past quietly reached out and pulled me back in.
Suddenly, a sharp but playful smack landed on the back of my head.
"Ow!" I groaned, spinning around with a glare already loaded in my eyes.
Nickolas stood there, grinning like a devil in sweatpants and a hoodie, clearly enjoying himself far too much.
"You still sleep like a corpse," he teased, ruffling my hair before I could duck. "And walk like a ghost. I almost thought I'd seen an actual spirit walking down the stairs."
"Seriously, Nick?" I muttered, smoothing my hair with a scowl. "It's too early to deal with your nonsense."
"But not too early to wear something that could make half the staff faint," he shot back, eyeing my nightgown with a dramatic wag of his brows.
I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck.
"Pervert."
"Big brother privilege," he said proudly, shrugging. "Anyway, Dad's waiting for you in the study. I think he's got something important to say. And no, before you ask, I didn't eavesdrop. Yet."
I sighed. The peace never lasted long here.
I walked into the study, expecting the usual scene—my father behind his grand mahogany desk, drowning in files and phone calls. Instead, I froze.
There was a man.
He stood tall near the window, dressed in black. Sharp suit. Sharper aura. His presence filled the room like smoke—dark, cold, and suffocating. His eyes, cold as steel, flicked toward me with not even a hint of emotion.
"Adelina," my father's voice broke the silence. "Meet Lukas Volkoff."
The name meant nothing to me.
"And?" I asked cautiously, shifting my eyes between the two men.
"He's your new full-time bodyguard," my father said bluntly, leaning back in his chair. "He'll be with you everywhere. From this moment on."
"What?!" I snapped, the words flying out before I could stop them. "No. Absolutely not. I don't need a bodyguard, and especially not a stranger who looks like he walked out of a villain's closet."
Lukas didn't flinch. He just kept watching me. Unreadable. Like a statue carved from stone.
"This isn't a request, Adelina," my father said, voice firm. "It's already done."
My hands clenched at my sides. "You can't be serious—"
"I am," he cut in. "He stays with you. At all times. End of discussion."
I turned to Lukas, expecting him to at least act human. Say something. Defend himself.
But he said nothing. Just stared. Like I was a mission. A task.
He was cold. Colder than anything I had ever felt.
And for the first time, I felt like I had just stepped into something much bigger than myself.
I had bodyguards before. Plenty, actually. But they always gave me space. They were just shadows in the background—appearing only at social events, important meetings, or when the press got too close.
But this… this was different.
This man wasn't going to guard me—he was going to live with me.
Sleep under the same roof. Walk behind me like a shadow. Sit beside me at every dinner. Watch me like a hawk. Every. Single. Moment.
"What the actual—" I muttered under my breath, clenching my fists. "You mean he's going to stay with me? Like in the same house?"
"Yes," my father said, not even blinking. "Wherever you go, he goes."
I stared at Lukas again. That man didn't even blink. He just stood there, arms folded, gaze locked on me like I was his next assignment.
"This is messed up," I hissed. "I don't need a full-time babysitter. I need space. Privacy. I can take care of myself."
"You've proven otherwise," my father said calmly, like this was all some chessboard and I was just a piece he was moving. "Your stubbornness has made you a target, Adelina. I'm not taking chances."
"Then give me someone who respects boundaries, not some stone-faced robot with dead eyes!"
Still, Lukas didn't react. Didn't speak. It was like he was made of stone—cold, unshakable.
I hated the way his eyes followed me. Not lustful. Not curious. Just… possessive. Like I already belonged to him, and I didn't even know it yet.
And worst of all—I had no choice. No say.
This was happening.
Lukas Volkoff was going to be my shadow.
And I had no idea what kind of hell was about to unfold.
This was suffocating.
First, an overprotective father who treats me like I'm still five. Then a brother who acts like he owns my life. And now—now—a full-time bodyguard?
Not just any bodyguard. No. That would've been too easy. This one—Lukas Volkoff—was cold as stone and twice as unmovable. He didn't speak. Didn't blink. Just stood there, arms folded, like he was daring me to make a move.
I could already feel my freedom slipping through my fingers.
God, I hate this.
I wanted to scream. I almost did.
Did they really think I couldn't take care of myself? I wasn't some porcelain doll that needed to be locked in a display case. I was Adelina. I could fight, argue, claw my way through anything. But no. All they saw was a fragile little girl to be protected—wrapped in silk and rules.
Overprotective father? Check. Obsessed older brother? Check.
And now this man?
Uff.
His presence alone was suffocating. Like a wall closing in on me. Like a storm waiting to explode.
I turned my head slightly, stealing one more glance at him. His expression hadn't changed. Ice. Total, emotionless ice. And yet… something about him felt dangerous. Like behind that frozen silence was something darker. Something that wasn't here just to protect me.
And that was the worst part.
Something deep in me—buried under all my fury and frustration—was curious.
God help me.
I turned on my heel and stormed out of the study, not even bothering to give Lukas Volkoff a second glance.
By the time I reached the breakfast table, I was still fuming. My fingers gripped the edge of my chair a little tighter than they should. The silence in the room was sharp, awkward, and annoyingly thick.
And he was still there.
Standing. In the damn corner. Like a statue carved out of winter itself. Arms crossed. Eyes blank. No blinking. No shifting. Not even breathing, it seemed.
My spoon clinked against the bowl.
Two bites in, I couldn't take it anymore.
I looked up at him with narrowed eyes, my voice laced with sarcasm."Do you even move?"
He didn't respond.
Didn't even twitch.
I scoffed and leaned back in my chair. "What are you? A mannequin from hell?"
Still no answer.
God, he was so infuriating.
I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath, "Great. A shadow with no personality. That's just what I needed in my life."
But what I didn't know then—what I couldn't have known—was that this silent shadow wasn't just watching.
He was studying.
Memorizing.
Calculating exactly how to make me his.
He finally moved. Just slightly—tilting his head in my direction, his gaze sharp and unreadable. Then came his voice.
"I'm just studying you," he said, calm and deep—like the ocean at midnight, with secrets buried beneath every syllable."And giving you space."
It was the first time I heard him speak. And god, it was dangerous. That voice could be a lullaby or a weapon—depending on how he chose to use it.For a split second, I froze. My spoon hung in the air, my heart skipping like it was unsure what rhythm to follow.
But then I blinked, shook myself out of it. Get a grip, Adelina.
I forced a smirk. "Well, if we're talking about space—then I've never had any. Not in this house. Not in his mansion. Not under his name."
I could feel my father and brother's gazes flick toward me from the other side of the room, but I didn't care. I kept my eyes locked on the man in black—this stranger who was suddenly a part of my every move.
He said nothing in return. Just kept staring, analyzing.
And somehow, that silence was louder than any scream.
I pushed the fork around my plate, pretending to eat while my head throbbed with a rhythm too painful to ignore. My shoulders stiffened. I hated when it returned—this kind of pain didn't just hurt, it clawed through my calm, threatened my control.
And then his voice broke the silence.Low. Deep. Too smooth for someone so stone cold.
"Are you alright?"
I froze.Not just because he spoke.But because he noticed.No one ever noticed.
I didn't answer right away. My eyes flicked up, meeting his. That sharp, unreadable gaze of his pinned me in place. His expression didn't change, but something behind his eyes... it wasn't concern. It was something darker. Deeper. Like he was learning me.
I scoffed lightly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Do I look alright?" I muttered, voice quieter than I expected. "Or is that part of your observation too?"
He tilted his head slightly. "It is."
My stomach twisted. My hands clenched under the table. I hated this. Hated the way he watched. The way his presence filled the room like a shadow that wouldn't leave. He didn't talk much, but when he did—it got under my skin.
"You know," I whispered, trying to focus on my breath as the pain spiked again, "if you're here to guard me, you're already failing."
He took a slow step forward, but didn't sit. Still by the wall. Still like ice.
"I'm not here to guard you from yourself."His voice was like smoke, curling into my chest.
And for a split second, I forgot about the pain. I just looked at him.
But I had to pull myself back. Get a grip, Adelina.
I reached for my pills in the pocket of my robe, but they weren't there. I cursed under my breath.
He moved again. Silently. Almost like he knew what I was looking for.
"You're in pain," he stated, not asked."Where's your medicine?"
I hesitated.
I didn't want his help. I didn't want him close. I didn't want to need anyone.
"Don't act like you care," I snapped, standing abruptly. My chair screeched back. The dizziness came fast, but I masked it with a breath.
He didn't flinch.Didn't blink.Just stared.
"I don't," he said. "But weakness draws threats. And I don't allow threats."
And just like that, I remembered:He wasn't here to care.He was here to own the battlefield around me.
And unfortunately, that battlefield… was me.
The next few weeks of my life were no less than a pain in my ass.
Every second felt like a slow death, and the reason?Lukas fucking Volkoff.
He had this infuriating ability to get under my skin without even trying. I lost the usual calm I had—snapped at my brother, ignored my father's lectures, and even stopped arguing back because what was the point? This man didn't need to yell to control a room. He just stood there, breathing all the air I needed.
And today, just when I thought I could finally have a breather, a moment away from all this chaos—I wasn't even surprised to see him there.
I was out with my best friends. My girls. The only people who made this mess of a life tolerable. And guess who decided to tag along like an unwanted shadow?
Yeah. Him.
We were seated at an outdoor café, laughter spilling like wine as I sipped from my iced drink. I tried to ignore his presence at the edge of the restaurant—arms crossed, eyes locked on me like I might shatter if I blinked too fast.
He didn't speak. He didn't move. But somehow, he invaded everything.
"God, he's staring again," I muttered, leaning over to Selene, who nearly dropped her straw.
Selene Drakos—my absolute disaster of a best friend. She's the chief psychiatrist at one of the most powerful tech company, yet clumsy like a cat on ice and always tripping over flat surfaces. With her soft curls bouncing and that mischievous grin on her lips, she whispered, "Should I fake a faint? Maybe we can lose him in the confusion."
I nearly choked on my drink laughing.
Beside her, Iris Deveraux offered a gentle smile. Calm and graceful, she radiated the kind of peace I envied. If Selene was the storm, Iris was the stillness after. She placed a hand on mine and said softly, "He's just doing his job, Adelina."
I rolled my eyes."He's doing it too well."
Aurelia Skye, sitting cross-legged in her oversized sunglasses and soft pink lips, hummed a note to herself. A rising star, singer, and poet in her own world, she waved at the waiter with a smile that could break hearts.
Then there was her.
Ariella Noir.
The menace of the group. A supermodel with legs for days, a mouth full of sins, and zero filters. She popped a cherry in her mouth and said, "Honestly? If he wasn't so brooding, I'd climb him like a tree."
"Ari!" we all said in unison.
She only winked.
"I'm just saying. Your broody guard dog is hot, princess. You should tap that before I do."
I groaned, sinking deeper into my seat, "Someone shut her up."
But even as I laughed with them, my eyes flicked toward him. He hadn't moved.
Still watching.Still silent.Still him.
I hated how much space he took in my mind.
And deep down… I hated how some twisted part of me didn't really mind.
I don't know why, but that day… I looked.
Like, really looked.
I had always tried to avoid it before—kept my eyes from lingering, never letting myself register anything other than his annoying presence.
But as I turned my head—mid laugh, mid sip—my eyes locked on him. And just like that, my world paused.
He was sitting near the window, half-slouched but entirely alert, bathed in soft golden sunlight. His shirt was the color of black, the fabric hugged his broad frame like it had been made for him. A lock of dark hair fell perfectly over his forehead as he casually rested his head against his hand.
And then there were his eyes.
God.
Piercing blue—cold, unreadable, yet so damn hypnotic it made my chest ache. That stare wasn't just watching anymore. It was studying, peeling layers I didn't even know I had.
He didn't look like a bodyguard.He looked like a sin I wasn't ready to confess.
Sharp jaw, pouty lips, that lazy confidence that somehow screamed danger and temptation in equal measure.
He looked like every poem I never wanted to write.Like the kind of man who ruins you slowly—soft touches, cruel words, and promises he never has to make because you'd give in anyway.
I blinked, forcing myself to look away.
No. Nope. Not doing that.
He was just a bodyguard. An annoying, cold, overbearing one.This wasn't some enemies-to-lovers bullshit.
But I couldn't stop the thought that burned like a spark at the back of my mind.
If looks could ruin a girl, mine were numbered.
Ariella leaned closer, sipping her drink with that sly grin she always wore when she was up to no good.Her eyes flicked to Lukas, then back to me, glinting with mischief.
"Damn, Adelina," she said, loud enough for the whole table to hear. "I see why you've been so grumpy lately. If that man was breathing down my neck 24/7, I'd either stab him or climb him."
I choked on my water.
Selene burst into laughter. Aurelia covered her face, half laughing, half embarrassed. Iris just shook her head with a soft chuckle like she was used to this chaos.
But me?
I glared at Ari. "Shut up."
"Oh come on, babe." She leaned her elbow on the table, her voice dropping just a notch. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed the way he watches you. It's like he's undressing you with his eyes—and strangling the soul out of anyone else who looks too long."
I hated it.
The heat that crept up my neck.The way Lukas didn't even blink at her words, like he expected it.Like he knew.
His posture remained the same, calm and composed in that maddening way, but I could feel the corner of his lips twitch. Not quite a smirk—but it was enough to make me want to throw something.
"You're disgusting," I muttered, grabbing my drink again.
Ari winked. "You're welcome."
And just like that, the migraine returned. Not from stress this time—but from the man sitting a few feet away. The one I couldn't stop thinking about, even if I wanted to.
Which I didn't.
Or so I kept telling myself.
It had been a long time since I felt this... human.
The kind of night where you laugh so much your stomach aches.The kind where the world slows down just enough to let you forget who you are — and what's chasing you.
My friends never asked for permission anymore. Maybe because they knew I wouldn't give it.Maybe because they knew, deep down, I needed this more than I'd ever admit.
Selene threw open the doors around 7 PM, dramatically tossing her overnight bag like a storm had arrived. "If I hear you declined one more party invite, I'll commit violence."
Iris, her calm contrast, walked in behind her, glasses sliding down her nose, already on the phone with someone — probably one of her therapy clients. She nodded at me like she could read every thought I didn't speak aloud.
Aurelia, vibrant and chaotic, danced into the house with a karaoke mic and a portable speaker blaring old school pop. "Tonight," she sang, "we exorcise your sadness!"
And Ariella — the one who always saw me before anyone else — hugged me tight. "We're sleeping here, and you can't say no. Say yes or suffer."
I gave in with a small laugh. "Fine. One night."
They cheered like I'd agreed to a proposal.
We made frozen pizza.We painted each other's nails and made messy cocktails.Selene forced us into a TikTok dance.Aurelia told ghost stories until we screamed.For a while… my mask melted.
I almost forgot I was still being watched.
Because I always was.
From the far end of the hallway, leaning against the doorframe like a shadow carved in stone, Lukas stood.
He didn't speak much around my friends. He rarely needed to.His presence said enough.
Stoic. Dangerous. Sharp-jawed and sharp-eyed.My bodyguard.And something far more complicated.
His eyes never left me.
Not even once.
Later that night, as our snacks dwindled and the girls demanded more sugar and soda, Ariella nudged me. "Let's run to the store. Five minutes, max."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't trust Selene with the snacks?"
"She'll poison us for fun."
I grabbed a hoodie and slid on my sneakers. Lukas was already by the door.
"I'll drive," he said simply, no room for argument.
Ariella and I shared a glance. "We're just walking," I said.
He looked at me. "Then I'm walking with you."
The air outside was crisp, too still for midnight. We passed street lamps that flickered like they couldn't decide between light and dark. Lukas trailed just a few steps behind, silent but coiled — like a storm on a leash.
The convenience store was nearly empty.
Too empty.
The bell above the door jingled as we entered. Ariella darted off to the drinks aisle, leaving me alone by the snacks.
That's when I felt it.
That pull.
Like gravity had turned sideways.
Like something was watching.
Then—
A bump.A hand brushing mine.A voice too soft to be heard — but I felt it.
I turned sharply.
An old woman.
Hair in tangled knots. Skin pale, ashen. Eyes… hollow and alive at once.She stared at me like she knew things no one should.
"Excuse me—" I began.
She didn't move.
She just smiled.
And in that instant, my lungs collapsed.
The air thickened. My skin burned — literally. A sharp sting bloomed across the back of my hand as if a cigarette had just been pressed there.
Flash.A woman, younger, burning something into my skin.Flash.Hands on my neck.Flash.Smoke. Screams. A locked room.Flash.That same woman — older now — watching me with glee.
My knees buckled.
I collapsed forward.
She leaned in as I fell, whispering,"You're late, little lamb."
I gasped for breath. Ariella screamed from somewhere behind me. The cold tiles met my knees. My hands trembled. My vision blurred—
Then he was there.
Lukas.
One second he wasn't.
The next he had me in his arms.
"Adelina," he growled low, voice sharp, controlled but barely. "What happened?"
The woman was gone. Vanished like smoke.
My body trembled in his arms, and I didn't even realize I'd buried my face into his chest. For the first time in forever, I wasn't scared of the shadows. I was scared of the memories they carried.
He lifted me like I weighed nothing. "We're leaving. Now."
"Wait," Ariella called, "who was that—what just happened?"
Lukas didn't answer. His eyes scanned the store like a predator.
And behind us, on the shelf where the woman had stood—
A cigarette.
Still burning.
I didn't remember how we got back.
One moment I was choking on air inside that cursed store, clinging to Lukas like a life raft…The next, I was in my living room — lights dimmed, friends whispering in hushed panic around me.
My skin was cold.
My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
No one asked any more questions.
They didn't need to.
Instead, they moved around me like quiet shadows — soft blankets, water, someone dimming the lights. I heard Aurelia in the kitchen, clinking mugs. Selene brought one over, steam curling from the top like a ribbon.
"Chamomile," she said gently. "Iris said it'll calm your nerves."
I took it with both hands, still trembling. My fingers barely wrapped around the ceramic without spilling it.
I wasn't sure I could even swallow.
Lukas hadn't left my side. His hand rested near mine, not touching, but close enough. That was all it took — a silent promise. He didn't have to say a word for me to know: I was safe here. With him.
"I'm staying the night," he muttered, almost to himself.
"Obviously," Ariella said from across the room, arms folded. "None of us are leaving her."
I looked at them — my girls — these pieces of my life I'd been pushing away for weeks, months even, out of fear and work and pressure.
They stayed anyway.
"I'm sorry," I croaked, surprising myself.
Iris looked up. "For what?"
"For not letting you all in," I whispered. "For acting like I didn't need anyone."
Ariella kneeled in front of me, placing a hand on my knee. "Addie… You don't have to explain. We know. We just want you to rest."
She smiled — tired, soft, the way only someone who truly loves you can. "Let us be your lifeline for once, yeah?"
I nodded, unable to speak.
Selene started gathering extra pillows and blankets for the sleepover. Iris sat beside me on the armrest, brushing a stray hair out of my face. She didn't say much — just kept me grounded.
But Lukas…He watched me like a storm ready to move. Like if he blinked, I'd disappear.
I finally glanced up at him. "You can rest too… I know I freaked everyone out."
"I don't care if you scream every night for the rest of your life," he said lowly. "I'm not going anywhere."
I didn't know how to reply to that.
So instead, I leaned against him — not fully, just enough for my head to rest on his shoulder.
And for the first time that day… I felt the chaos start to fade.
Not gone.
But quieter.