Sophia barely slept. Every creak of the apartment, every whisper of wind against the window sent her nerves on edge. The memory of the shadow in the hallway gnawed at her, but she told herself not to mention it to Adrian — not yet. He was already protective to the point of suffocation. If he knew she was being followed, he'd probably lock her in the penthouse like a prisoner.
And despite the danger, she wasn't ready to surrender the scraps of independence she still clung to.
---
A Softer Adrian
The next morning, Adrian showed up unannounced. His usual sharp suits were traded for a dark sweater, his hair slightly mussed. For once, he looked less like a tycoon and more like a man who hadn't slept either.
"You should've stayed at mine," he muttered as he stepped inside, scanning her place like a hawk. "It's safer."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "You don't get to dictate where I live."
He smirked faintly. "I'll let that one slide. Coffee?"
It was ridiculous, but that small offer — coffee — was the most ordinary thing she'd heard him say in weeks. And against her better judgment, she let him make it.
Over steaming mugs at her tiny kitchen table, their conversation drifted away from business, danger, and contracts. He asked about her childhood, about the books she loved, even about the scar on her wrist she usually hid with bracelets.
When she told him the story — a childhood accident, nothing glamorous — he listened with a kind of attentiveness that startled her. It wasn't just politeness. He wanted to know her, piece by piece.
For the first time, Sophia saw Adrian not as the untouchable man at the top of the world, but as someone lonely, someone desperate for connection but too proud to admit it.
And she found herself wanting to be the one who filled that emptiness.
---
Earning his trust
Later that week, Adrian had a business dinner with a stubborn investor threatening to pull funding from one of his ventures. He surprised her by asking her to come.
"You want me at a deal table?" she asked, skeptical.
"You have a way of reading people," Adrian replied. "Besides, I'd rather have you where I can see you."
Sophia didn't know if she should be flattered or insulted. Still, she agreed.
At the dinner, she quickly saw what Adrian meant. The investor — an older man with sharp eyes — was stonewalling, brushing off Adrian's proposals. But when Sophia gently steered the conversation toward family, he thawed. She drew out stories about his daughter studying abroad, his worries about her being alone in a foreign country.
Adrian caught the shift instantly and leaned in, framing his next pitch around legacy, family security, and building something lasting. By the end of the night, the investor was not only back on board but asking about expanding their partnership.
In the car afterward, Adrian turned to her, something almost reverent in his expression. "You disarmed him in ten minutes. I've been at it for weeks."
Sophia smiled. "Maybe you should let me sit at more tables."
"Careful," he said softly. "If I let you in too deep, I might start depending on you."
Her heart stuttered at the admission.
---
The Secret
But even as she basked in his rare vulnerability, Sophia's own secret weighed heavier.
She'd started digging weeks ago. At first, it was curiosity — Googling his name, scrolling through financial articles, scanning whispers on obscure forums. But soon curiosity became obsession. She needed to know who Adrian Stone really was, beyond the polished headlines and rumors of ruthless deals.
The deeper she went, the darker the shadows became. Shell companies. Sudden bankruptcies of his competitors. Whispers of connections to underground networks. She couldn't tell where the truth ended and speculation began.
And still, she couldn't stop.
Because if she was truly falling for this man — this dangerous, complicated man — then she had to know what kind of fire she was stepping into.
---
DISCOVERY
One night, Adrian invited her back to the penthouse. After dinner, he stepped out to take a call.
Curiosity tugged at Sophia, and against her better judgment, she slipped into his office. She knew exactly what she was looking for — proof, answers, something concrete. Her fingers hovered over his desk drawer when a voice froze her.
"What are you doing?"
Her heart stopped. She turned slowly.
Adrian stood in the doorway, eyes sharp, his phone forgotten in his hand. But it wasn't anger she saw first. It was something far more dangerous.
Betrayal.