The silence didn't last long.
It shattered.
The door burst open with a deafening bang.
Wood slammed against the wall, the impact echoing through the room like a gunshot.
She screamed.
The sudden noise tore through her already fragile state, her body jolting violently on the bed. Her heart, which had barely begun to slow down after the intruder's disappearance, spiraled back into chaos.
Before she could even process what was happening—
Gunfire exploded.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Adrian.
Without hesitation, without a second thought, he raised his gun and fired straight toward the balcony—toward the swaying curtains that still carried the ghost of the intruder's presence.
His shots were precise.
Relentless.
Ruthless.
Each bullet tore through the fabric, ripping it apart as if he could drag the man back with sheer force.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
He didn't stop.
Didn't pause.
Didn't think.
Behind him, Alex rushed in with half of the armed guards, all fully equipped, their weapons raised and ready. They spread across the room instantly, moving like a trained unit.
"Search everything!" Alex commanded sharply.
The guards obeyed without delay.
Closet.
Bathroom.
Under the bed.
Balcony.
Every corner was checked with deadly precision.
But there was nothing.
No trace.
No shadow.
No sign that someone had just been there seconds ago.
As if the intruder had dissolved into the night itself.
Meanwhile—
She sat frozen on the bed.
Her hands clamped tightly over her ears.
Her entire body trembling violently.
The sound of gunfire was too much.
Too loud.
Too close.
Each shot felt like it was tearing through her mind, breaking whatever little stability she had left.
"Stop…" she whispered weakly, but her voice was lost under the chaos.
Adrian didn't hear her.
Or maybe—
He didn't care.
He kept firing.
Even when there was nothing left to shoot at.
Even when the magazine was nearly empty.
Even when the target was long gone.
Because this wasn't just anger anymore.
This was fury.
Uncontrolled.
Explosive.
Dangerous.
Alex noticed.
His eyes shifted from the empty balcony to her shaking figure on the bed. Her condition—fragile, terrified, barely holding on—made something in his expression harden.
This had gone too far.
Quickly, he stepped forward.
Carefully.
Cautiously.
Because approaching Adrian in this state was like walking toward a loaded weapon.
Still—
He did it.
Reaching out, Alex placed a firm hand on Adrian's shoulder.
"Boss."
His voice was low.
Steady.
Grounded.
Adrian didn't react immediately.
His breathing was heavy.
His finger still tight on the trigger.
"Boss," Alex repeated, slightly firmer this time, "the intruder is gone."
That—
Finally broke through.
The gunfire stopped.
Silence crashed back into the room, heavier than before.
Adrian stood still for a second.
Then—
His jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might crack.
With a sharp motion, he threw the empty gun across the room. It hit the wall with a loud clang before falling to the floor.
The guards froze.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because everyone knew—
He was at his limit.
And no one wanted to be the one to push him further.
Slowly—
Adrian turned.
His gaze landed on her.
Sitting on the bed.
Shaking.
Broken.
Terrified.
For a split second—
Something flickered in his eyes.
But it disappeared just as quickly as it came.
Replaced by something darker.
Colder.
"Who was it?"
His voice was harsh.
Demanding.
Sharp enough to cut through her already fragile state.
She didn't respond.
Didn't move.
Didn't even blink.
Her mind was still stuck—
Back in that moment.
Those eyes.
That voice.
That presence.
Her lips trembled, but no words came out.
Adrian's expression darkened further.
The silence irritated him.
No—
It enraged him.
"Answer me."
Still nothing.
Her body curled slightly into itself, as if trying to disappear.
That was it.
Adrian snapped.
A low, dangerous growl escaped his chest as he strode toward her in long, aggressive steps.
The guards instinctively stepped back.
No one dared interfere.
No one dared speak.
Because right now—
Adrian wasn't just angry.
He was volatile.
Unpredictable.
Explosive.
He reached the bed in seconds.
Without warning—
He grabbed her shoulder.
Hard.
Too hard.
Her body jerked at the sudden force as he shook her.
"Speak!" he barked, his voice thunderous, echoing through the room.
Fear surged through her veins.
Her vision blurred with tears.
"I—"
Her voice broke.
Nothing came out.
"Before I put a damn bullet in that pretty head of yours," he snarled, his grip tightening.
That did it.
Her control shattered completely.
A sob tore out of her chest.
"Sk—Skull…"
Her voice trembled violently.
"…Crusher."
The name hung in the air.
Heavy.
Deadly.
Final.
Everything froze.
Adrian's hand stilled on her shoulder.
His expression—
Changed.
Completely.
The fury in his eyes didn't disappear.
It deepened.
Darkened.
Turned into something far more dangerous.
"Mention that again."
His voice dropped.
Low.
Lethal.
She flinched.
Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head instinctively, unable to repeat it.
But it was too late.
He had heard enough.
"Skull Crusher…" Adrian muttered under his breath, the name tasting like poison.
His grip on her loosened slowly.
Not out of gentleness—
But because his focus had shifted.
To someone else.
To a man who should not have been able to enter his territory.
A man who dared—
To touch what was his.
Adrian stepped back.
Running a hand through his hair, his breathing still uneven.
"Impossible…" one of the guards whispered under his breath.
Alex heard it.
And he didn't disagree.
Because everyone knew that name.
A legend in the underworld.
Fear.
And bodies.
Alex's gaze hardened.
If it was really him—
Then this was no ordinary intrusion.
This was a message.
And that made it worse.
Adrian suddenly let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
The sound sent chills down everyone's spine.
"So he finally showed himself…"
His eyes turned cold.
Deadly.
"But he chose the wrong place."
He turned toward Alex.
"Lock down the entire mansion."
His voice was calm now.
Too calm.
"Double the guards."
A pause.
"No—triple them."
"Yes, boss," Alex responded immediately.
Adrian's gaze shifted back to her.
Still sitting on the bed.
Still trembling.
Still broken from everything that had just happened.
For a brief moment—
Something unreadable flickered in his eyes again.
But instead of softening—
His expression hardened further.
Then—
He turned away.
"Stay inside."
The words were directed at her.
Firm.
Non-negotiable.
"Don't open the door for anyone."
A pause.
Then more quietly—
"Not even if they call your name."
Her breath hitched at his words.
Fear creeping deeper into her bones.
He walked toward the door without another glance.
Alex followed him silently.
But just before stepping out—
Alex looked back at her once.
There was concern in his eyes.
But he said nothing.
The door closed.
Leaving her alone again.
But this time—
It felt worse.
Much worse.
Because now she knew—
The danger wasn't just in her mind.
It was real.
It had a name.
And it was strong enough—
To shake even Adrian.
She pulled her knees to her chest, hugging herself tightly as silent sobs escaped her lips.
Her body still remembered the touch.
The voice.
The presence.
"My little bird…"
The words echoed in her mind.
Over and over again.
Her hands clenched tightly into the bedsheet.
Because now she understood something terrifying.
She wasn't safe.
Not from Adrian.
And definitely—
Not from the man in the shadows.