Celine lay on the cold, tiled floor in the school hallway, the coldness of the surface a stark contrast to her inner humiliation and pain. She was surrounded by her high school peers, a circle of students whose face displayed shock, curiosity, and fear. Whispers went around like wildfire through the crowd, but not a single person stepped forth to help.
Adrien's sudden outburst stunned them all. His charm and commanding presence had become dark and terrifying, leaving everyone too afraid to intervene.
Finally, one girl pushed through the crowd, her face full of worry. She knelt beside Celine and delicately helped her sit up. "Are you fine?" the girl asked gently, her voice shaking with the same fear that the shadow of Adrien would be there.
Celine winced, her elbow aching, and nodded faintly. "I'm fine," she whispered, though her voice said otherwise.
She hesitated and then held out her hand. "Let's get you out of here."
She helped Celine to shaky legs. The murmurs around them grew louder, but the girl ignored them, leading Celine toward the edge of the crowd.
As she prepared to leave, the girl pulled out a small notebook and scribbled something on a torn page. She handed it to Celine, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Here's my number. If you need anything, call me, okay? No one should have to deal with. this alone."
Celine took the note, her fingers shaking as she looked at the well written number. She nodded not saying anything and observed that the girl smiled and continued into the dispersing crowds.
Left to herself, Celine grasped the piece of paper tightly in her hand, her heart heavy with gratitude and despair. Adrien's actions echoed above her.
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Adrien braked the car right in front of Lila's house. He gripped the steering wheel hard, but the rain was pounding on the windows, blocking his view, and it did not matter. Rage overcame him. Lila was the reason why Celine slipped away from him again.
He opened the car door and the storm continued to drench him while he stormed over to the front door, banging at it without much thought in the heavy blows that did not carry any further through the storm. His silhouette stood ominously in the rain, eyes gray but burning with wrath.
Finally, the door creaked open and Lila appeared with a face twisting in confusion to see him. "Adrien—what—"
She could hardly complete her sentence before Adrien stepped inside with cold deliberate movements. Without saying anything, he raised the gun and pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed through the house, cutting through the beat of the rain. Lila's body fell lifeless to the floor, blood pooling beneath her and stark against the wooden floorboards.
A sharp, terrified scream cut through the air. Adrien froze for a moment, his heart sinking. He turned his head slowly, his gaze locking onto Celine. She stood in the hallway, trembling, her wide eyes filled with horror.
"Celine." he murmured, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. This wasn't how he wanted it to happen. He never wanted her to see him like this.
But now she had.
Celine screamed again, then tumbled to the floor, her limbs shaking as she began to crawl backward, wanting to get as far away from them as possible.
Adrien crouched down with a hungry smile, his voice low and unnervingly calm. "Running from me again, little one? How far do you think you'll get this time?"
She kicked hard, but he was faster. His hand closed over her ankle, pulling her toward him as she flailed at the floor. "Let me go!" she screamed, her voice cracking with terror.
Hoping against hope, Celine snatched a heavy vase from a nearby table and swung it with all her might, hitting Adrien on the side of his head.
That affected him. He let go of her foot, stumbling back as his vision blurred. Celine didn't wait for him to react – she sprang to her feet and ran down the hallway, her heart beating in her chest.
Adrien shook his head to steady himself. His rage flared up again, sharper and hotter. He stumbled after her, screaming her name.
Celine threw herself into a room and slammed the door shut, locking it from the inside. She pressed her back against the door, gasping for breath, her mind racing for an escape.
Outside, Adrien banged on the door, his voice a low growl. "Celine, open the door. Don't make me do something we'll both regret."
His patience snapped with no reply. He pointed his gun at the lock and shot it off. The door swung wide open as Adrien rushed inside, eyes scanning for anyone in sight.
Empty.
He zeroed right in on the window that had been left ajar wide open, pouring rain onto the floor. He approached it and could see the outline of a figure across the garden; she disappeared into the dark.
Adrien cursed under his breath, vaulting out the window and landing in the mud. The rain lashed against his face as he searched the shadows for her.
"Celine!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the storm. "You can't hide from me!"
But the garden was huge, and the darkness swallowed her whole. Adrien's head throbbed from where she had struck him, and his vision blurred slightly, but it didn't stop him.
He moved through the garden, the rain soaking him further, his anger a mix of fury and desperation. She was close—he could feel it. She couldn't outrun him forever.
And he would find her.
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Two days had already gone by since the school incident, and Celine lay on her small, tattered couch, her body burning with fever. She could not work nor even drag herself out for medicine because the weight of her fear and humiliation pressed too heavily on her. She lived alone with her eight-year-old brother, Danny, who was too young to understand the gravity of her condition or to help.
The room was dimly lit, and Danny sat quietly nearby, flipping through an old comic book, his innocent presence the only solace in her turmoil. But Celine knew she couldn't go on like this. Desperation finally overcame her pride, and she reached for her phone.
She scrolled to the number scribbled on the piece of paper—the girl from school. With trembling fingers, she pressed call.
Hello?" the girl replied, her voice warm but surprised.
"It's. it's Celine," she croaked, her voice weak. "I. I need help."
The girl didn't hesitate. "Give me your address. I'll be there as soon as I can.
The girl turned up at Celine's house an hour later with a worried face. She helped Celine stand, guided her out of the door, and asked Danny to lock the door while they were away until their return. The girl drove her to a pharmacy where she bought the medicine. She even sat beside her as she took some water and sat in the car to recover.
"It's late," the girl said softly as they drove back. "You should rest. And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything, okay?"
Celine nodded, murmuring a weak, "Thank you."
By the time they reached her house, it was late at night, and the streets were eerily quiet. Celine stepped out of the car, clutching the small bag of medicine, and made her way to the front door.
The house was dark. The lights were off, and an unsettling silence filled the air. As she stepped inside, her heart sank. The furniture was overturned, the small living room in complete disarray. She froze in the doorway, her breath hitching.
"Danny?" she called out, her voice trembling.
From the corner of the room, a low voice responded, calm and chilling. "Welcome home, Celine."
Her heart stopped. She blinked, and slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness. And she saw him. Adrien. He was sitting on the couch, his legs crossed loosely, with Danny beside him, munching away oblivious to the snack in his hand. Adrien's gray eyes locked onto hers, a small, dangerous smile curling on his lips.