Kian woke the next morning with a heavy sense of unease. Adrian's message from the night before still echoed in his mind.
"Marcus won't bother you again. But keep your guard up. This isn't over."
The words were more foreboding than reassuring, and Kian couldn't shake the feeling that things were far from resolved. Despite Adrian's calculated approach, he knew Marcus wasn't the type to back down easily.
As Kian stepped into the office, the tension that had been brewing over the past few days felt thicker than ever. The usual hum of conversations and ringing phones seemed muted, as though everyone else could sense the unspoken storm gathering in the background.
He barely had time to sit down before Lila appeared at his cubicle, her arms crossed and her brows knit in concern.
"Alright, spill," she said, leaning against the wall of his cubicle.
"Spill what?" Kian asked, trying to feign innocence.
"Don't give me that," Lila said, narrowing her eyes. "You've been walking around like a deer in headlights all week, and now Marcus is acting weird too. What's going on?"
Kian sighed, rubbing his temples. Lila was one of the few people he trusted in the office, but explaining the situation to her felt impossible without sounding paranoid—or worse, complicit in Adrian's maneuvering.
"It's nothing," he said finally. "Just work stress."
Lila frowned but didn't push further. "Fine. But if you need to talk, you know where to find me."
"Thanks," Kian said softly, grateful for her understanding.
---
The day dragged on, with Kian throwing himself into his tasks to avoid overthinking the confrontation between Adrian and Marcus. But by lunchtime, his focus was shattered when he spotted Marcus across the room, leaning against the coffee machine and chatting with a coworker.
His posture was relaxed, his easy smile in place, but there was something calculated in the way his eyes swept the room—something that sent a chill down Kian's spine.
"Still watching him, huh?"
Kian nearly jumped, turning to see Adrian standing behind him. The Alpha's gray eyes were sharp, his expression unreadable.
"I wasn't—" Kian began, but Adrian cut him off.
"It's fine," Adrian said, his tone calm but firm. "You should keep an eye on him. People like Marcus thrive on others letting their guard down."
Kian frowned, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "You said you handled it."
"I did," Adrian replied, folding his arms across his chest. "But that doesn't mean he won't try something else. Marcus is ambitious, and he knows how to play the long game."
Kian let out a shaky breath, his chest tightening. "I'm tired of being in the middle of this."
Adrian's expression softened slightly, a rare flicker of vulnerability crossing his face. "I know. And I'm doing everything I can to protect you from it. But I need you to stay alert."
The sincerity in Adrian's tone caught Kian off guard, leaving him unsure how to respond. Before he could find the words, Adrian straightened, his usual commanding presence returning.
"Keep your head down," Adrian said, his voice firm once more. "I'll take care of the rest."
And just like that, Adrian was gone, leaving Kian with more questions than answers.
---
By mid-afternoon, the tension reached a boiling point. Kian was in the middle of revising a client proposal when a sharp knock on his cubicle wall made him look up.
Marcus stood there, his expression carefully neutral.
"Got a minute?" Marcus asked, his tone polite but firm.
Kian hesitated, his stomach twisting. "Sure."
Marcus gestured for Kian to follow him, leading them to an empty meeting room at the far end of the office. Once inside, Marcus closed the door and turned to face him, his green eyes cold and calculating.
"I think we need to clear the air," Marcus said, his tone smooth but laced with an edge.
Kian crossed his arms, trying to mask his unease. "Clear the air about what?"
"About whatever it is Blackwell thinks he's doing," Marcus replied, his voice sharpening. "He's been circling me like a vulture all week, and I know you've been feeding him information."
Kian's chest tightened, his heart pounding in his ears. "I haven't—"
"Don't lie to me," Marcus interrupted, his voice low and dangerous. "I know how this works. He's using you to get to me, isn't he?"
Kian's mind raced, searching for a way to diffuse the situation. "Adrian doesn't need me to get to anyone. He sees everything that happens in this office."
Marcus let out a humorless laugh. "Of course he does. But that doesn't mean he's infallible. Blackwell likes to think he's untouchable, but everyone has weaknesses—even him."
The weight of Marcus's words hung in the air, the implications sinking in like stones.
"What do you want from me?" Kian asked, his voice trembling despite his best efforts to stay calm.
"I want you to think for yourself," Marcus said, his tone softening but still laced with urgency. "Blackwell doesn't care about you, Kian. He cares about what you can do for him. Don't let him pull you into his games."
Kian stared at him, his thoughts a chaotic swirl of doubt and anger. Adrian's warnings about Marcus rang loud in his mind, but so did Marcus's accusation that Adrian was using him as a pawn.
"I don't have time for this," Kian said finally, turning toward the door.
Marcus stepped aside, his expression unreadable. "Just think about what I said."
Kian didn't respond, slipping out of the room and heading back to his desk. His hands were shaking as he sat down, his chest tight with unresolved tension.
---
That evening, Kian's phone buzzed with a message as he sat on his couch, staring blankly at the TV.
---
Adrian Blackwell:
Stay late tomorrow. We need to talk.
---
Kian stared at the screen, his chest tightening. He didn't know if Adrian's message was about Marcus or something else entirely, but one thing was clear—whatever storm was brewing, it was far from over.