For the next few days, Adrian's absence gnawed at Gianna like a splinter she couldn't pull out. It was unlike him to vanish without a word—no texts, no visits to the café, nothing. At first, she told herself he might just be busy. But as the days dragged on, her worry grew.
Gianna spent most of her time distracted, her mind spinning with questions she couldn't answer. Mia tried her best to pull her back to reality.
"Gia, come on. Exams are literally two weeks away. You can't bomb this semester just because some guy ghosted you," Mia said, exasperated, as she pushed a stack of books toward her friend.
"I know," Gianna muttered, flipping half-heartedly through her notes. "It's just… this isn't like him."
Mia rolled her eyes but softened at the sight of Gianna's worry. "Look, maybe he's got something going on. You said he's private, right? Maybe this is one of those things he can't talk about. Doesn't mean he's fallen off the face of the earth."
Gianna sighed, nodding, but her heart wasn't in it. The thought of Adrian dealing with something on his own, without letting her in, made her stomach twist.
Meanwhile, at Adrian's Home
The sprawling estate was a stark contrast to the simple life Adrian had been living in the city. High gates, manicured lawns, and the cold elegance of the house screamed wealth and power. It wasn't a place Adrian felt at home—it was more like a fortress, one built to hold him in as much as it kept others out.
His mother sat at the far end of the long dining table, her perfectly styled hair and sharp eyes giving her an air of icy composure. His father was at the head, his presence commanding, even when he wasn't speaking. Adrian sat somewhere in the middle, feeling every inch like a pawn in a game he didn't want to play.
"This meeting isn't a suggestion, Adrian," his father said, his deep voice carrying an edge of authority.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "I didn't say it was. But maybe you could start with why it was so urgent that I drop everything to be here."
His father's gaze darkened, but his mother intervened smoothly. "You know better than to question your father," she said, her tone as sharp as the glint of her diamond bracelet. "This family has certain… responsibilities, Adrian. And it's time you start taking them seriously."
Adrian's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.
"You've been given more freedom than you deserve," his father continued, his voice colder now. "It's time you understood that your place in this family isn't optional."
Adrian clenched his fists under the table. "I know what's expected of me," he said evenly, though his tone betrayed his frustration.
"Do you?" his father asked, arching a brow. "Because from where I'm sitting, all I see is a boy playing at being normal, pretending he can run from what he is."
His mother reached out, placing a hand on her husband's arm. "We need to approach this carefully," she said, her voice soothing. Then, turning to Adrian, she added, "This isn't about controlling you, darling. It's about preparing you. You're part of something bigger, whether you like it or not."
Adrian pushed back his chair, standing abruptly. "If I'm so important, maybe you could try talking to me like a person instead of a tool."
Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the room, the echoes of his footsteps filling the silent hall.
Back in his room, Adrian sat by the window, staring out at the perfectly curated garden below. The weight of his parents' expectations pressed heavily on his chest. He hated this—this world of control and power plays, of being molded into someone he didn't want to be.
But he couldn't escape it. Not yet.
For now, all he could do was navigate the storm as best he could, knowing that every choice he made would carry consequences. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, the thought of Gianna lingered in his mind, a rare light in the suffocating darkness of his world.