For weeks, campus felt different now, Nina had been walking a razor's edge, balancing her old life as a struggling student with the glittering, dangerous one Adrian had thrust her into. Her friends whispered about the expensive clothes she suddenly wore, the tiredness in her eyes, the way she often disappeared on weekends.
She brushed off the questions with excuses about a part-time job. But no one bought it completely. And Nina felt the scrutiny tighten around her every day.
It was Daniel who noticed first.
"You've changed," he said one afternoon, as they sat side by side on the library's worn leather couches. His tone wasn't accusing just observant, concerned.
Nina's fingers tightened on her notebook. "Everyone changes, Daniel."
"Not like this." His gaze softened. "I don't mean it in a bad way. You just… you look like you're carrying more than anyone should alone."
His kindness was disarming. For a moment, Nina forgot the walls she'd built around herself, the way Adrian's voice echoed in her head like a warning. She let out a breath, her shoulders sagging.
"I don't know how to explain it," she whispered.
"You don't have to," Daniel said. "Just… let me be your friend, okay?"
The warmth in his words wrapped around her like a blanket. And yet, somewhere deep in her chest, guilt twisted like a knife.
Because Adrian would never allow this.
That night, Adrian noticed everything.
She had barely stepped into his penthouse before he was on her, his gaze sharp, possessive. His fingers brushed her jaw, tilting her face up.
"You smell different," he murmured.
Her pulse stumbled. "What do you mean?"
His eyes narrowed. "Like someone else's cologne. Who were you with today?"
Nina swallowed hard. "Just a classmate. We were studying."
"Studying." The word dripped with disdain. His thumb pressed harder under her chin. "And did this classmate sit close enough to leave his scent on you?"
"I… Adrian, you're overreacting."
His lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Am I?"
She tried to step back, but his arm curled around her waist, pinning her against him. His mouth hovered over her ear, his breath hot.
"I don't share what's mine, Nina. Not with anyone. Remember that."
Her knees weakened, the warning sinking into her bones. She hated the way his dominance both frightened and thrilled her. It was like drowning and being kissed at the same time every instinct told her to escape, but her body leaned into the fire.
Adrian sensed it, of course. He always did. His lips brushed her throat, lingering at her pulse. "Tell me," he whispered, "did you think of me while you were with him?"
Nina's breath caught. "Adrian…"
"That's all I need to know," he said, cutting her off with a searing kiss.
Her world blurred, reduced to the press of his mouth, the commanding grip of his hands, the dark pleasure that made her forget Daniel's soft smile entirely.
But Daniel didn't disappear.
Over the following days, he found more excuses to be near her walking her to class, sharing study notes, offering to grab coffee. He never crossed a line, never pressured her. But his presence was steady, and it chipped away at the walls she tried to keep up.
One afternoon, as they sat in the campus café, Daniel leaned forward. "You don't have to tell me what's going on. But if someone's hurting you, Nina… you can trust me."
Her heart thudded painfully. "It's not like that."
"Then what is it?" His voice was gentle but insistent. "Because I see you. You're here, but part of you looks trapped somewhere else."
The word trapped cut too close to the truth. She looked away, blinking hard. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," he said softly.
She almost did. The words trembled on her tongue about Adrian, about the nights in his penthouse, about the way she was torn between desire and fear. But before she could speak, her phone buzzed.
Her stomach dropped. Adrian.
Come. Now.
The message was short, sharp, impossible to ignore.
Daniel noticed her flinch. "Is it him?" he asked quietly.
Her head snapped up. "What?"
"The guy who's pulling you away every time you start to smile."
She froze. He had seen more than she realized. And yet, before she could answer, her legs were already moving, carrying her out of the café and toward Adrian's waiting car.
Adrian was livid when she arrived.
He didn't shout the never needed to. His silence was worse, charged with restrained fury. He stood by the window, back to her, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass he hadn't touched.
"You made me wait," he said finally, his voice low.
"I was in class," Nina whispered.
"Don't lie to me." His head turned slightly, just enough for her to see the razor edge of his jaw, the cold fire in his eyes. "You were with him again."
Nina's chest tightened. "He's just a friend."
"There is no such thing," Adrian snapped, spinning toward her. His glass hit the table with a sharp clink. "Not when it comes to you."
Her throat closed. She wanted to argue, to tell him he had no right to dictate her life. But the intensity in his gaze froze her in place.
Then, slowly, his expression shifted. His anger melted into something darker, more dangerous. He stalked toward her, and her breath quickened with every step.
"You want to test me, Nina?" His hand slid into her hair, tugging her head back just enough for his eyes to bore into hers. "Then understand what happens when you do."
Her pulse thundered. His mouth crashed onto hers, fierce and demanding, leaving no room for resistance. His hands roamed, claiming her as though he needed to brand every inch of her skin with his possession.
Nina gasped against his lips, her body betraying her even as her mind screamed at her to stop. She was caught, utterly, between terror and desire.
Adrian broke the kiss, his lips brushing her ear. "If I ever see him touch you," he whispered, each word like a blade, "I won't be merciful."
She shuddered, torn apart inside. Because part of her wanted to scream at him for his jealousy. And another part wanted to melt into him completely, to drown in the very cage he had locked her in.
Later, when she finally stumbled back to her hostel, her lips swollen and her body trembling, she caught sight of Daniel waiting near the entrance.
He looked at her really looked and his smile faltered.
"Nina," he said softly, concern etching every word, "what is he doing to you?"
Her throat closed. Tears burned behind her eyes. She opened her mouth to answer, but no words came.
Because she didn't know anymore.
Was Adrian destroying her… or was he the only thing keeping her alive?
And as Daniel reached out, gently brushing her hand with his, she realized the choice was no longer about tuition or survival.
It was about her heart.
And whichever path she chose, someone would bleed.