The door closed softly behind him.
Alex stood still for a moment.
Silent.
Unmoving.
The hallway felt colder than usual, the air heavier as if it carried the weight of everything he had just witnessed inside her room.
Her tears.
Her voice.
Her helplessness.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before turning toward a direction he rarely hesitated to go—
Adrian's office.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Not because he feared walking into that room.
But because he knew—
This time, he was stepping into something he shouldn't.
He stopped in front of the large door.
Dark wood.
Closed.
Intimidating.
For a brief moment, Alex hesitated.
His hand hovered near the bell.
Thinking.
Calculating.
*Should I…?*
But then—
Her tearful face flashed in his mind.
And that was enough.
He pressed the bell.
A soft sound echoed inside.
A second later—
"Come in."
The voice was low.
Commanding.
Unquestionable.
Alex straightened instantly before opening the door and stepping inside.
He closed it quietly behind him.
Adrian didn't look up immediately.
He sat behind his desk, a glass of amber liquid swirling slowly in his hand. The dim light reflected against the surface, casting shadows across his sharp features.
"She sent you here."
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
Alex bowed his head slightly.
"Boss… she didn't."
Adrian's gaze lifted then.
Sharp.
Piercing.
Waiting.
Alex cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully.
"She's… afraid."
The word lingered.
Heavy.
"She's trying to prove what she saw last night. Even though I know the truth… I had to tell her it was a nightmare."
Silence followed.
Adrian continued swirling the drink in his glass, his expression unreadable.
"So what?"
The two words were enough to make Alex's jaw tighten slightly.
He rarely questioned.
Never interfered.
But today—
Something felt different.
"Boss… maybe you shouldn't scare her like that…"
The moment the words left his mouth—
He knew.
He had crossed a line.
Adrian didn't respond immediately.
But the shift in the air was instant.
Dangerous.
The next second—
Adrian was standing in front of him.
Close.
Too close.
His movements fast.
Silent.
Predatory.
Alex didn't move.
Didn't step back.
But he could feel it—
That pressure.
That dominance.
Adrian towered over him, his eyes cold and sharp.
"Don't you think you're getting… a little too sympathetic?"
His voice dropped.
Lower.
Colder.
"Or is it concern?"
Alex swallowed hard, keeping his posture straight.
Neutral.
Even as his pulse quickened.
"Since when did you start caring about some crying woman, Alex?"
The words were quiet.
But they hit harder than any shout.
Alex opened his mouth slightly—
But no words came out.
Because there was no safe answer.
Adrian's gaze didn't waver.
Didn't soften.
"I bought her."
The statement was simple.
But absolute.
"And I can do whatever I want with what belongs to me."
A pause.
Then his voice sharpened slightly.
"And you—"
His eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"—act like you don't know anything in front of her."
Alex nodded immediately.
"Yes, boss."
But Adrian wasn't done.
"Don't try to act like her damn brother."
The words were final.
A warning.
A boundary.
Clear and unbreakable.
Alex lowered his gaze slightly.
Understood.
Accepted.
Because this was Adrian.
And no one—
No one crossed his line twice.
Without another word, Alex turned and walked out of the office.
The door closed behind him.
Leaving Adrian alone.
The room fell silent again.
But this time—
The calm didn't last.
Because the moment Alex left—
Adrian's grip on the glass tightened slightly.
His jaw clenched.
And his eyes darkened.
Not with anger.
But something far more dangerous.
Something even he wasn't ready to name yet.