The tension that had been simmering finally boiled over.
For days, Nina had tried to live in two worlds.
By daylight, she sat in lecture halls beside Daniel, her books open but her mind far away, drawn to the warmth of his voice, the way his hand brushed hers when he leaned close. By night, she was back in Adrian's penthouse, chained by desire and fear, wrapped in sheets that smelled of smoke and sin.
Every morning, she promised herself she would choose. Every night, she broke that promise.
Until the day Adrian found out.
It began innocently enough. A Thursday afternoon. The library was nearly empty, sunlight pooling on wooden tables and dust motes dancing lazily in the air.
Daniel sat across from her, his expression soft but urgent.
"Nina," he said, lowering his voice. "I can't watch you suffer anymore. If he's hurting you"
"He's not," she cut in too quickly, though her voice shook. "Not like that."
Daniel frowned, leaning closer. "Then what is it? What does he have on you?"
Nina's chest tightened. She wanted to tell him everything the way Adrian's eyes pierced her, the way he touched her until she forgot who she was, the way he owned her without ever saying the word.
But instead she whispered, "I don't know how to leave."
Daniel's hand slid across the table, covering hers. The warmth of it made her want to cry.
"Then let me help you," he said softly. "Let me be the reason you walk away."
Her throat closed. For a terrifying, exhilarating second, she wanted to say yes.
But then the hairs on her neck prickled.
The world seemed to shift.
And when she turned her head, she saw him.
Adrian.
Standing by the far row of shelves, half-hidden in shadow, his eyes locked on hers.
Her blood turned to ice.
The next moments blurred.
Adrian moved with lethal grace, closing the distance in a few strides. Daniel stood instinctively, his body tensing, his jaw set.
"Get your hands off her," Adrian said, his voice low, dangerous.
Daniel's chin lifted. "She's not yours to command."
Nina's breath caught. "Please both of you stop."
But Adrian's gaze never left Daniel. "You think you can protect her? You think you can give her what she needs?" He stepped closer, his presence like a storm cloud swallowing the room. "You don't even know what she craves."
Daniel's fists clenched at his sides. "What she craves is freedom. Something you'll never give her."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Nina stood frozen between them, heart pounding so hard she thought it might break through her ribs.
Adrian's lips curved in a dark smile. "Freedom? That's what you think she wants? Let's ask her."
His eyes snapped to Nina, sharp as a blade. "Tell him. Tell him who you run back to every night."
Nina's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Her body trembled, torn apart by fear, guilt, and longing.
Daniel's eyes softened. "Nina. You don't owe him anything. Just choose for yourself. Right here, right now."
Two voices. Two flames.
Her silence was its own betrayal.
Adrian moved first. His hand shot out, gripping Nina's wrist, pulling her against him. The scent of his cologne, the heat of his body, overwhelmed her senses.
"She's mine," he said, his voice like steel.
Daniel's eyes flashed. "Not if she doesn't want to be."
Adrian's smile was sharp, cruel. "And you think she wants you?" He tilted Nina's chin up, forcing her to look at him. "Say it, Nina. Tell him who owns you."
Her chest heaved. Tears burned her eyes. "Adrian, please…"
"Say it," he growled.
She closed her eyes, torn in half. And in her silence, Adrian saw the answer he wanted.
Triumph flickered in his eyes as he bent to claim her mouth, kissing her with brutal force, a public brand that left no doubt.
Daniel's fury broke.
He shoved Adrian back, fists raised. "Don't touch her like that."
The library erupted into chaos. Books tumbled from shelves, tables scraped against the floor. Adrian moved like a predator, his fist slamming into Daniel's jaw. Daniel staggered, but didn't fall.
"Stay down," Adrian hissed.
Daniel wiped blood from his lip and stood taller. "Not a chance."
They collided again, raw power against stubborn defiance. Adrian was stronger, more ruthless, but Daniel fought with something Adrian couldn't understand: conviction.
And all Nina could do was watch, her voice lost in the roar of her heartbeat.
At last, Adrian pinned Daniel against the table, his forearm pressing into his throat.
"You don't know what she is," Adrian snarled. "You don't know what she needs."
Daniel's voice was strained but steady. "I know what she deserves. And it's not you."
For a moment, time froze.
Nina saw the darkness in Adrian's eyes, the cold calculation that had made men fear him. She knew what he was capable of. She knew how this could end.
And in that instant, she found her voice.
"Adrian, stop!" she cried, grabbing his arm. "Please if you care about me at all, stop."
The words pierced the storm.
Adrian froze. Slowly, his grip loosened. His chest heaved, his jaw tight with fury.
He stepped back, releasing Daniel, though the fire in his eyes promised this wasn't over.
"Fine," he spat, his gaze cutting between them. "Play your little game. But remember, Nina" His voice dropped to a whisper that chilled her blood. "You're mine. And nothing changes that."
With that, he turned and walked out, his presence lingering like smoke long after he was gone.
The silence left behind was deafening.
Daniel coughed, rubbing his throat. He turned to Nina, his eyes full of both pain and tenderness.
"You can't keep living like this," he said softly. "He'll destroy you."
Her chest ached with guilt. She reached for him, but her hands shook too badly to touch.
"I don't know how to choose," she whispered.
Daniel's gaze softened. He cupped her cheek gently, his touch so different from Adrian's. "Then let me show you there's another way."
For the first time, Nina didn't pull back.
And as Daniel's lips brushed hers gentle, tentative, full of promise she realized her betrayal was complete.
Not of Adrian.
Of herself.
Because no matter who she chose, someone's world was about to burn.