The crumpled photograph fell from Adrian's hand to the floor, landing between them like a dropped truth.
Lena stared at it, her pulse racing. The image was too sharp, too recent. Someone had been close — close enough to see through the glass, close enough to know exactly what they were doing.
"Adrian…" she whispered. "How long have they been watching us?"
He didn't answer right away. He crossed to the window, glancing through the storm-fogged glass. "Long enough to know where I keep my ghosts."
She hugged her arms to her chest. "What do they want from you?"
"The list," he said. "And now, they think they can get to it through you."
"Why me?"
"Because you matter to me," he said — almost too softly. Then he turned away before she could respond.
---
He picked up his phone, dialed, and said one sentence that made her blood run cold.
"Activate Protocol Seven."
Within minutes, his home transformed. Shutters rolled over the glass walls, locks sealed with metallic clicks, and hidden lights flickered on across the floor.
Lena looked around, stunned. "What is this?"
"Contingency," Adrian said. "If they come for us tonight, they won't make it past the gate."
She swallowed. "Us?"
"You're part of this now, whether you like it or not."
---
Hours passed in restless silence. Lena sat near the fireplace, staring at the flickering flames. Adrian stood by his desk, typing rapidly on a secured laptop, his jaw tight with focus.
Finally, she couldn't take the tension any longer. "You can't protect me forever, Adrian. Whoever these people are — they'll keep coming."
He looked up. "I know."
"Then maybe it's time to stop hiding and fight back."
A faint smile ghosted his lips. "You sound like me ten years ago."
"Was that before or after you decided trust was a luxury?"
He froze — the question hitting something deep. "Before," he said quietly. "Before I learned what it costs."
Lena stood, moving closer. "Maybe this time it's worth the price."
He looked at her, and for a moment the storm outside was nothing compared to the one between them. "You don't know what you're saying, Lena."
"Yes, I do."
Her voice trembled, but she didn't look away.
---
Before he could answer, the screen on his laptop flashed — a new message appearing over his secure system.
He frowned. "That's not possible."
"What is it?" she asked, stepping closer.
The message expanded across the screen, written in stark white text:
> HELLO, ADRIAN. YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACES. THE ANSWERS ARE WITH HER.
Then the screen went black.
Lena's heart stopped. "With me?"
Adrian's expression hardened. "They're trying to turn us against each other."
"But what if they're right?" she whispered. "What if I am connected to this somehow?"
"You're not," he said firmly. "I checked every file, every record. You're clean."
"Then how did they know my name before I even met you?"
He didn't answer.
---
A knock shattered the silence — loud, deliberate. Three times.
Adrian's eyes narrowed. He drew his gun again, motioning for her to stay behind him. "Security would've called first. Whoever's out there didn't come for conversation."
He opened the door slowly, revealing a drenched figure standing under the stormlight.
Ethan.
Lena gasped. "Ethan—?"
Adrian's voice turned to ice. "You have ten seconds to explain why I shouldn't throw you off this floor."
Ethan raised his hands. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to save her."
Lena stepped forward. "From what?"
"From him," Ethan said, locking eyes with Adrian. "You don't know what he's hiding in that room, Lena. You think it's about his father — but it's about you."
"That's enough," Adrian snapped, grabbing him by the collar.
But Ethan didn't flinch. "Ask him who your father really worked for, Lena."
The words hit harder than the thunder outside.
She froze. "What are you talking about?"
Adrian's grip tightened. "He's lying."
Ethan's voice was steady, deadly calm. "No. He's just afraid you'll remember."
"Remember what?" Lena whispered.
Ethan looked straight at her. "The night Marcus Blackwood died."
Adrian threw him against the wall, gun raised — but Lena's voice cut through the chaos.
"Stop!" she cried. "Adrian, tell me what he means!"
He didn't speak. His silence was an answer in itself.
And for the first time, Lena felt something she never had before when looking at him.
Fear.