The night was heavy with the sound of distant thunder, and the air hummed with an electric tension. Lia stood at the edge of the balcony, her fingers curling around the cool metal railing as she gazed out at the dark, brooding sky. Below, the city lights flickered like fireflies, oblivious to the chaos stirring inside her. Adrian's words had left an echo in her mind, one she couldn't shake off. His plea, his insistence, it was all too much to process.
"You don't have to leave, Lia. Not like this."
She had heard the sincerity in his voice, a sincerity that contradicted everything she knew about him. For years, Adrian Blackwell had been nothing but cold, distant, and cruel. And yet, as their eyes locked earlier that day, she had seen something different—regret, perhaps, or was it desperation? It was hard to tell, especially with the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
But she wasn't just questioning his feelings; she was questioning everything. Her past, her future, the mysterious man who claimed to be her lover… She didn't known where to turn when he appeared. His voice had sounded familiar, too familiar as if it belonged to someone from her past, someone she couldn't quite remember. And his eyes—those eyes were full of memories, memories that didn't belong to her.
The storm outside rumbled louder, and Lia pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, the cold night air biting through the fabric. She needed to think. She needed clarity, but all she had was confusion. And then, from the shadow of the doorway, came a voice that could have made her heart stop.
"Lia…"
She didn't turn around at first. She couldn't. It was impossible to face him, not now, not after everything that had happened. The familiar footsteps drew closer, and she knew without looking that Adrian was there, standing only a few feet away.
"Are you still planning to leave?" His voice was soft, but there was an edge to it, an almost pleading undertone that made Lia's heart twist. It was a voice she had never heard before.
"I don't know what I'm planning," she replied, her voice shaky, uncertain. "I don't even know who I am anymore, Adrian."
A silence fell between them, thick with unspoken words. Adrian stepped closer, and Lia could feel the weight of his presence like a physical force. Her pulse quickened, and for a moment, she wondered if she could resist the pull that had always drawn her to him.
"You don't have to figure it all out tonight," he said quietly. "Just stay. We'll figure it out together."
Lia shook her head, taking a deep breath as she tried to push the emotions threatening to overwhelm her back down. The truth was, she had been so focused on her mission, on the promise of the money, that she had never truly allowed herself to feel—until now. Until Adrian's unexpected vulnerability, until the mysterious man who had claimed her heart without her even knowing it.
But none of that mattered, not really. The voice in her head, the one that had guided her for the last three years, was the only thing that had been constant, the only thing she could trust. But even it was starting to feel like a distant memory, as though it, too, was slipping away.
"I can't stay, Adrian," she whispered, finally turning to face him. His eyes were softer now, the harshness gone, replaced by something raw and almost desperate. She could see the fight in them, the conflict. It mirrored her own.
"You don't have to go," he insisted again, taking a step forward, his hand reaching out as if to bridge the gap between them.
Lia took a step back, the intensity of his gaze making her heart race. "I don't belong here anymore. I never did. This was always just a contract. A deal. But now… now it's more complicated than that."
Adrian's face hardened, a flash of anger crossing his features. "You think I don't know that? You think I didn't feel it too?" He stepped closer again, this time almost closing the distance between them. "Lia, I was wrong. I see that now. I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done, but I can't lose you, not like this."
The vulnerability in his voice cut through her defenses. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected him to fight for her. She had thought it would be easy—take the money, disappear, and never look back. But here she was, on the verge of losing herself in a man she had once sworn never to care about.
"What do you want from me, Adrian?" she asked, her voice breaking. "You want me to stay, to be what? Your servant? Your… lover? I don't even know what I want anymore."
He reached for her then, his hand gently touching her arm. "I want you. Just you. I've always wanted you, Lia. Even when I didn't know it."
She flinched at his touch, but he didn't let go. His fingers, warm and steady, brushed against her skin, sending an unexpected wave of heat through her body. She couldn't deny the pull between them, the connection that had always been there, no matter how much she had tried to ignore it.
"I'm not the same person I was three years ago," Adrian continued, his voice low and earnest. "I know I've hurt you, but I swear I'm trying to make it right. For you. For us."
Lia's heart raced in her chest as she searched his eyes for any trace of dishonesty. But there was nothing there—nothing except the raw truth of his words. And, in that moment, a part of her wanted to believe him. To believe that everything they had been through could lead to something real, something lasting.
But then, just as she was about to speak, the door slammed open behind them, and the air seemed to freeze.
"Lia…" The voice was unmistakable.
Lia turned, her breath catching in her throat as the mysterious man stepped into the room, his dark eyes locking onto hers. The same man who had claimed to be her lover, the man whose voice had haunted her thoughts.
And then, with a voice full of quiet intensity, he said, "It's time you remembered the truth."
Adrian froze, his face paling as he looked between the two of them. Lia's heart pounded in her chest as the weight of the moment settled over her. The truth? What truth? Was it even possible for the answers to all of her questions to be here, now, in this room?
Lia's world tilted on its axis, and she knew, at that moment, that nothing would ever be the same.