Celine slumped into her office chair, the weight of exhaustion bearing down on her. She had barely managed to get through the day, and now, all she wanted was a moment of peace. But as soon as she entered her office, she found her close friend, Mia, already there, perched on her desk with her phone in hand.
"Celine!" exclaimed Mia, her face bursting with excitement. She instantly hopped up and took Celine's phone, brandishing it in front of the other girl's nose. "You gotta see this!"
Celine blinked at the screen in her sleep-deprived mind as she tried to wrap around the bright news article. "What is it?" she asked in a totally flat voice.
Mia grinned and pointed at the headline. "It's about Adrien! Everyone's been talking about what happened at his concert yesterday. Apparently, his surprise is the big thing now. Isn't he just amazing?"
Upon mention of his name, Celine stiffened. Her fingers curled slightly against the armrest of her chair. She made herself look at the screen, though her chest tightened when she saw all the speculation and videos of the concert plastered everywhere on the news.
Mia, unaware of Celine's discomfort, continued. Her voice was full of praise. "He said all this to everyone that the sudden exit was part of some big surprise for fans. But can you think of it? Analysts are saying it's just a cover-up! Saying he left the stage just because he was chasing some woman. A woman, oh my God, how do you imagine?"
Celine's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. Her mind raced as she recalled the chaos of the previous night, the intensity of his gaze, and the panic that had gripped her when he started walking toward her.
Mia continued walking without knowing what Celine was going through inside. "I'm dying to know who she is! Like, what does she look like? What's her story? And why the heck did she run away? I mean, if Adrien was coming toward me, there's no way I'd let him go. Ugh, I wish I had been there to see it all!"
She sighed dreamily, clutching her phone like it was a prized possession. "I swear, that woman doesn't know how lucky she is. Adrien was chasing her! Can you even imagine?"
Celine tried to force a weak smile, attempting to look unconcerned as her friend continued to gush. But her mind was spinning. Adrien had turned the entire situation into a spectacle, and now, all eyes were on the mystery woman he had pursued. On her.
Mia took one last dramatic sigh before she headed for the door, still talking about Adrien's charm. "I am so jealous of her, whoever she is. I hope I get to see her face one day. What I wouldn't give to be in her shoes!"
As the door clicked shut behind Mia, Celine let out a shaky breath, her mask of composure crumbling. She leaned forward, resting her head in her hands, as the enormity of the situation began to sink in. Adrien had made it clear—he wasn't going to let her slip away so easily. And now, the entire world seemed to be watching.
_____________________
Rain lashed against the windshield; its beat nearly drowned the hum of Adrien's car as he sped down the empty streets. It was midnight, painting everything in shades of darkness. But thoughts in his mind were nothing like that-burning bright, alive with memories of her.
Celine.
A deep, almost predatory smile played on his lips as her image filled his mind. He had waited years to see her again, and now she was within his reach. But with that smile came the sharp sting of an old memory—a memory he couldn't shake.
It was back in high school, on a day much like this one. Rain pounded into the courtyard relentlessly, saturating the wide open area as students scurried for cover. He spotted her then, standing alone under the rain. How her wet hair clung to her face, the way her eyes seemed to gleam with secrets she only wanted to convey through the rain-it froze him where he was standing. She was entrancing, otherworldly, and he had wanted nothing so much as to go up to her, to stake a claim on that moment. But then, there was someone else looking after her. Another boy was there before Adrien had a chance to step ahead, his face sneering as he took off his coat and threw it on Celine's shoulders. Adrien recalled the moment she smiled, her cheeks rosy, at him, thanking him with her lips closed. She had crushed something in Adrien deep inside with that smile.
And it remembered now, burning and wet, twisting the corners of Adrien's lips to a darker shape. His knuckles whitened where his fingers gripped the steering wheel. The anger lay simmering low in his chest, threatening to boil over as his foot drove down the accelerator harder. The car laced the wet streets at a speed that was wildly reckless.
How dare somebody else touch her? How dare she let them?
The image of Celine in the rain was switched to one of her with her at the concert-the way she had disappeared from view before he could make his way through the crush to her. It felt exactly the same unbearable feel-to be just a split second too late, to see someone else siphon off what was rightfully his.
Adrien's jaw clenched, his thoughts darkening. No one would take her from him again. Not the boy from the past, not the world, not even Celine herself.
The car roared down the road, matching the storm outside. Adrien's smile returned, cold and determined. He would find her. He would have her. And this time, no one would come between them.
______________________
She comes in late at night into Lila's home soaked to the bone by torrential rain and shivering with fear. Her face was pale, and wet hair clung to her skin as she clutched the edge of the doorframe. Lila, surprised to see her friend in such a condition, quickly ushered her into her place.
What's wrong, Celine?" Lila asked, her voice full of concern as she led her to the couch. The sound of the rain pounding against the windows filled the room, a steady reminder of the storm raging outside.
Celine hesitated, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm terrified, Lila. I feel like I'm being watched. like he's going to find me.
Lila sighed and sat beside her, draping a comforting arm over her shoulder. "Celine, you're safe here. Nothing's going to happen, I promise."
Then, in an attempt to lighten the mood playfully, she said with a smirk, "Besides, you're a champion at running away. No one's going to catch you.
Celine managed a faint smile at that, though the fear in her eyes didn't waver. They spent the next hour talking, Lila's attempts at distracting her gradually easing some of Celine's tension.
But their brief moment of calm was shattered by a sudden, loud knock at the door.
Celine's heart stopped. She shot a terrified glance at Lila, who frowned but didn't seem as alarmed. The sound of the rain seemed louder now, as if the storm itself sensed her fear.
"I'll check," Lila said calmly, standing up and heading toward the door.
"Wait—don't—" Celine started, but Lila was already reaching for the handle.
The door swung open, and there he was. Adrien stood in the doorway, his gray eyes piercing, his figure drenched from the storm outside. His expression was calm, too calm, as if the chaos of the night had no effect on him.
"Adrien." Lila stammered, startled by the unexpected sight.
Celine's blood ran cold. Her worst fear had materialized before her eyes.
Adrien's eyes flicked past Lila to Celine, who was standing stock-still in the middle of the room. Slowly, he took a step forward, and his presence was like an oppressive weight.
"Adrien, what are you—" Lila began, but her words were cut off by the sudden, deafening crack of a gunshot.
Celine screamed out as she helplessly witnessed Lila's body collapsing onto the floor. Dark red liquid had begun accumulating under her head, bleeding out into the wooden flooring like an ebony stain.
Adrien lowered his gun and remained steady there, like nothing had really happened, and his stare remained focused on Celine—unyielding, and cold as ice.
"Did you really think you could hide from me?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an edge of menace that made her knees buckle.
Celine's whole body shook as tears streamed down her face. The rain outside seemed to grow louder, as if mourning the horror unfolding inside.
Adrien took another step forward, the gun still in his hand. "I told you before, Celine," he said, his voice chillingly soft. "You're mine. No one else gets to protect you. No one else gets to take you away."
Celine stumbled backward, her mind racing for an escape, but deep down, she knew there was none. Adrien had found her, and there was no running now.