Hours passed in the safe-house infirmary, but Rhea didn't move from Adrian's side.
Her fingers stayed wrapped around his, her eyes never leaving his face.
Lucian stood near the door, arms crossed, watching both of them with an expression that was half worry… and half something unreadable.
A medic approached him quietly.
"Sir, Agent Marcus… disappeared. We found a car, but no body. No trail."
Lucian's jaw clenched.
"He won't run. He'll return to finish what he started."
The medic nodded nervously and walked away.
Rhea finally looked up.
"Lucian… Marcus said something strange. He said Adrian would 'never expect who's coming next.' Who is he talking about?"
Lucian hesitated—rare for him.
"There are… people from Adrian's past. Not enemies. Not friends. Something in between."
Rhea frowned. "Someone who can get close to him?"
Lucian's silence was answer enough.
Rhea swallowed.
"Then we need to prepare. We need—"
Her words were cut off by the sound of footsteps.
Soft.
Confident.
Slow.
Lucian immediately drew his gun and stepped in front of Rhea.
A woman entered the corridor.
Tall.
Elegant.
Wearing a blood-red coat that brushed her knees.
Her hair was black and sleek.
Her heels clicked softly as she approached.
Her eyes—cold, sharp, calculating—landed on the glass window where Adrian lay.
Rhea's stomach twisted.
She knew instantly:
This woman had a history with Adrian.
Lucian's voice was low and threatening.
"You aren't welcome here."
The woman smiled faintly, ignoring him completely.
"I heard Adrian was dying. Again."
Rhea stiffened. "Who are you?"
The woman finally turned her gaze to Rhea—slow, assessing, as though she were evaluating her weaknesses one by one.
"I'm Dr. Serena Vale," she said.
"Adrian's former fiancée."
Rhea felt her breath stop.
Former… fiancée?
Lucian stepped forward aggressively.
"You have no right to be here."
Serena tilted her head.
"Adrian's father called me. Since Adrian can't receive blood, I'm the only doctor who has treated his condition successfully."
Rhea blinked.
"What condition?"
Serena smiled, but it wasn't friendly.
"The Knight genetic disorder. The real reason they call it a curse."
Lucian growled under his breath.
"You don't need to explain anything—"
"No, she should know," Serena interrupted calmly.
"She's the one Adrian is willing to die for."
Rhea's throat tightened.
"How do you know that?"
Serena's eyes softened only a fraction.
"Because Adrian only pushes people away when he cares about them."
Lucian scoffed.
"Sentimental analysis from a woman who left him at the altar."
Rhea's eyes widened.
"You… you left him?"
Serena's expression turned stone cold.
"No. He left me."
A thick silence filled the room.
Rhea stared at her, her heart pounding.
"Why?"
Serena took a step closer, looking straight into Rhea's eyes.
"Because he saw you."
Rhea froze.
Lucian's eyes widened very slightly.
"You're lying," Rhea whispered.
Serena shook her head.
"Five years ago, Adrian saw you at an event. You didn't notice him, but he… noticed you. After that night, he ended our engagement within 24 hours."
Rhea's legs felt weak.
She had never met Adrian back then.
She hadn't even known who he was.
But he remembered her?
Serena continued, her voice icy but steady.
"He believed the curse would kill any woman he loved. And when he realized his heart was already choosing someone else…"
Her eyes flicked to Adrian behind the glass.
"…he ended everything with me."
Rhea's heart ached.
A strange mix of guilt and disbelief washed over her.
Lucian cut in sharply.
"This is not story hour. Why are you here?"
Serena finally spoke the sentence that twisted everything:
"I'm the only one who can temporarily stabilize Adrian's heart. Without my procedure, he won't survive the next 48 hours."
Rhea went pale.
Lucian cursed.
Serena stepped past them toward the operating room.
But before she entered, she whispered to Rhea—so quietly only she could hear:
"Protecting Adrian comes with a price, Mrs. Knight. And you haven't paid anything yet."
Rhea's spine turned cold.
Serena walked in.
Machines beeped urgently.
Medics scrambled.
Lucian swore and left to secure the perimeter.
Rhea remained outside the glass, staring at the man she loved being surrounded by strangers and needles and cold white lights.
Her hands shook.
Her voice trembled.
But this time, there were no tears.
Only determination.
"If there's a price," she whispered into the quiet hallway,
"Then I'll pay it."
She didn't know that someone behind the cameras was watching her…
smiling darkly…
and whispering:
"She's ready. Begin the next phase."