Adrian's POV
There's something intoxicating about watching someone who doesn't know they're being watched.
Lyra always had that unawareness of the hold she had on people. She moved through the world like she was untouched, separated from the chaos around her. And for a long time, I let her believe that. Let her think she could walk away from me.
But that was her mistake.
But women like Lyra? They weren't meant for ordinary lives. They were meant for men like me. Men who see past the innocence, past the wild eyes and gentle smile. I see the fear behind facade, the truth she tries so hard to hide.
And it's beautiful.
I leaned back in the leather seat of my car, parked a few streets from Leo's estate. I've been watching her for days now. It's almost pathetic,how easily she's fallen into Leo's trap. She doesn't even realize the danger she's in.
But she will.
I gave space, enough time to think she was free,but she's always belonged to me. And now seeing her tangled up in Leo's world, only makes me want her more.
There's a thrill in it. A challenge.
She's the perfect mix of innocence and defiance, and everytime she resists,it only deepens my obsession.
But it's not just about her beauty, or the way she looks when she's scared, that makes me want her. It's deeper than that. It's about her. The woman she reminds me of.
Leah.
The name is like a deep knife to my chest, cutting deep everytime I think of her. Eva doesn't know. How could she? Leah was before her time. Before the chaos, before Leo Weston entered my world like a fucking wrecking ball and took everything I loved from me.
Lyra and Leah. They're not the same, not by a long shot. Leah was pure, untouched by the darkness we swam in. But there's something about Lyra, the way she carries herself, that brings out buried memories.
They have the same eyes. Same fire. That untamed spirit.
But unlike Leah, Lyra can be bent, broken. she can be mine.
I run a hand through my hair, smirking as I imagine it. I don't just want to take Lyra from Leo. I want to ruin her for him. I want her to be so tangled up in me that by the time he realizes what's happening, it'll be too late. She'll already be mine.
It's poetic, really. A perfect way to make Leo pay for what he did to me. He thinks he owns this city, thinks he owns her. But I know him. I know how he operates. His need for control, for domination. it's a weakness.
And Lyra?
She'll be the weapon I use to cut him down.
My phone buzzes, pulling me from my thoughts. I glance at the screen, a message from one of my men stationed near Leo's estate.
Saw her leave the house. Alone. Want me to follow?
A surge of excitement rushes through me. Lyra never goes far without him shadowing her. Maybe she's finally feeling the pull, sensing that she's not as safe as she thinks.
No. I'll handle it.
I toss the phone onto the passenger seat and glance out the window again. I've been patient up until now, playing this game in the shadows, letting Leo think he's in control. But I'm done waiting. The moment is close. It's time to make my move.
There's a darkness in me that I've spent years trying to drown, a monster that woke up the day Leo took Leah from me. I never had the chance to fight for her. But Lyra? She's my redemption. My chance to defy him, to steal from him what he stole from me.
I imagine his face when he realizes what I've done. The anger, the helplessness. He won't be able to do a damn thing, not when Lyra's so deep in my world that she won't know which way is up.
And the best part? He'll know I took her not because I needed to. but because I wanted to.
I start the car and pull away from the curb, heading toward the old warehouse. It's where we always met before, back when things were... simpler. Back when Lyra didn't know how deep this game ran.
Lyra doesn't realize she's already made her choice. She made it the second she stepped into Leo's world. The second she let him touch her. She's been marked, and now she's mine to take.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, the thought sending a thrill through me. I don't care how she fights it, how much she struggles. In the end, she'll break. They always do.
And when she does?
She'll thank me for it.