The world seemed to stop. Lina's heart thudded painfully in her chest as her eyes darted between Adrian and the woman who had just stepped from the shadows.
"Elara…" Adrian whispered again, as though saying her name could make sense of the impossible. His eyes, wide with disbelief, were filled with something Lina had never seen before—raw pain, guilt… and something that twisted her heart with jealousy.
But Elara only smirked, her voice cold as ice.
"Surprised to see me, Adrian? You thought I was gone forever… yet here I stand. And she—" her gaze flickered to Lina, sharp as a blade—"is nothing but a replacement."
Lina felt the words cut deep. A replacement? Her chest tightened, a storm of emotions threatening to break her. She looked at Adrian, desperate for him to deny it, to prove Elara wrong.
"Don't say that," Adrian growled, stepping forward. His fists clenched at his sides. "Lina is not a replacement. She's… she's everything."
Lina's breath caught, her heart leaping, yet still trembling with doubt. Did he mean it? Or was he just trying to protect her?
Elara's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with venom.
"You told me those exact words once. Before you let me fall. Before you chose yourself over me."
Adrian's face twisted with guilt. He took a step closer to her, his voice breaking. "I thought you were dead, Elara. I mourned you every single day. But if you're alive… why are you here? Why are you with them?"
Her laughter echoed through the warehouse, chilling and bitter.
"Because, Adrian… death changes people. Betrayal changes them even more. You left me to burn in the dark, and now… I'll make you feel the same."
Suddenly, the armed men raised their weapons, surrounding them. Lina's grip on Adrian's arm tightened, her fear almost suffocating. But beneath it, jealousy still burned like a hidden flame.
For the first time, Lina spoke, her voice shaking but fierce:
"If you think you can tear him away from me… you're wrong. I won't let you."
Elara's smirk deepened, her eyes glittering with cruel amusement.
"Then let's see, little girl. Let's see how far you're willing to go for a man who once let me die."
And as the warehouse filled with the sound of weapons being cocked, Lina realized—this wasn't just Adrian's past coming back to haunt hi
m.
It was now her battle too.