The cameras flashed one after another.
Elena Mareis kept her smile steady, walking down the red carpet in a red dress that caught every light. People called her name, microphones were pushed forward, and for the crowd she was everything they wanted her to be—a star.
She waved, posed, answered the usual questions. It was all routine. To them, she was dazzling. To her, it was just another night. Fame was noise she had learned to live with, but it never truly touched her.
And then she saw him.
Adrian Korr stood a little apart from the chaos, in a black suit that made him look calm and untouchable. He didn't shout her name or chase her with a camera. He just watched her—quiet, steady, certain.
Her smile softened for a moment. Not the fake one she gave to reporters, but a real one, small and private. Adrian nodded slightly in return, as if to say, I'm here. Don't worry.
Hours later, when the event was finally over, Elena sank into the car waiting for her. She let her shoulders drop, the mask slipping off. The door opened, and Adrian stepped inside, sitting across from her.
"Tired?" His voice was deep but gentle.
"Always," she admitted, eyes half closed.
"You don't look it."
"That's the point," she said quietly, turning to the window. The city lights rushed by. "They only want the perfect smile. They don't care what's real."
Adrian leaned forward a little. "I would."
She froze at that. It wasn't the kind of answer she expected from him. She looked at him properly then, meeting his eyes. They weren't cold, weren't distant. They were warm. Solid.
"Why do you stay?" she asked softly.
"Because this is where I belong."
The car fell into silence. Elena's chest tightened with something unfamiliar—something dangerous. But she didn't look away. For the first time in years, she let herself feel it.
When they arrived at her home, the world outside faded. Inside the quiet villa, Elena removed her earrings and tried to shake off the weight of the night. Adrian stayed at the door, watching.
"You should rest," he said.
She gave him a small, tired smile. "Do you ever rest, Adrian?"
He almost smiled back. "Not when you're awake."
Her heart skipped. She looked away quickly. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Elena."
When the door closed, she leaned against it for a moment, hand pressed over her chest. Her heart hadn't felt this unsettled in years. It was frightening—and yet, it felt alive.
And she knew, deep down, that something was beginning.
---⏳
Adrian stood in the hallway long after Elena's door had closed. The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed on your ears. He had grown used to it—her life was full of noise outside, but once she returned home, it was silence.
He stayed there for a moment, listening. Not with his ears, but with something deeper. Her heartbeat was steady on the other side of the wall, though sometimes it shifted, quicker than normal. He wondered if she knew he noticed.
Adrian wasn't a man of many words, and Elena never asked for explanations. But he had made his choice long ago. She might have the whole world staring at her, but someone had to stand in the shadows and make sure she was safe. That someone was him. Always him.
He finally stepped back, moving through the house like a shadow. No creak of the floor, no sound out of place. His senses were sharper than they should have been, but that was something he never explained to anyone. He didn't need to. His job wasn't to be understood—it was to protect.
---
Inside her room, Elena sat in front of the mirror. The red dress had been folded away, the makeup wiped clean, but the woman staring back still looked flawless. That was the problem. She hadn't changed in years, not really. Time passed for everyone else. For her, it stood still.
She touched the edge of the glass, her eyes tired. Fame gave her everything people thought they wanted—money, adoration, endless attention. But in the quiet of the night, all she felt was the weight of her secret.
Her thoughts slipped back to Adrian.
The way he had looked at her in the car.
The way his words—This is where I belong—had cut through her defenses.
It shouldn't matter. He was her bodyguard. She was his responsibility. But something about his presence always calmed her, like a steady anchor in a world that never stopped spinning.
For a long moment she let herself imagine what it would be like if things were different. If she could be just Elena—the woman, not the star, not the secret she carried—and he could be just Adrian. But reality was sharper than dreams, and she knew better.
She pushed the thought away, lying down on the bed. Outside, the city lights flickered against the curtains. She closed her eyes, telling herself that tomorrow would be the same as every other day.
But her heart refused to agree. It beat just a little faster, and for once, she didn't fight it.
---
Down the hall, Adrian stood by the window, watching the night. His reflection stared back at him, sharp-eyed, restless. Somewhere in the distance, a dog howled, and the sound stirred something inside him that he tried hard to bury.
He clenched his fists, forcing the feeling down. His world was simple: protect her, no matter the cost. That was enough. It had to be enough.
But deep inside, he knew the truth.
Every time she smiled at him—not the practiced smile for cameras, but the small, real one meant only for him—his resolve shook.
And that scared him more than anything else.