"Miss me, Zariah?"
The words sliced through the corridor like a blade, sharp and deliberate. Zariah's breath left her lungs in a single, broken gasp. Her grip tightened instinctively on the back of Adrian's shirt, fingers curling into the fabric as if anchoring herself to the only solid thing left in the world.
The man stepped fully into the dim emergency light.
And suddenly, denial was no longer an option.
It was him.
The face she had once trusted.
The smile she had once loved.
The man who had promised her forever and left her drowning in debt, humiliation, and betrayal.
"Kellan," she whispered.
Saying his name felt like reopening a wound that had never truly healed. Her knees threatened to give way, memories crashing into her all at once—late nights, whispered reassurances, the way he had held her when everything felt uncertain. The same man who had drained her savings, signed loans in her name, cheated without remorse, and vanished when everything collapsed.
Adrian stiffened immediately.
"You know him," Adrian said, voice dangerously calm.
Kellan smiled wider, slow and smug, clearly enjoying the tension stretching between them. "Know me?" he echoed softly. "That's one way to put it."
Zariah's chest burned. "You shouldn't be here."
"No," Kellan agreed lightly, taking another step forward. "But neither should you. Funny how life works."
Adrian shifted, angling his body so he was fully between them now. His presence was a wall—solid, protective, lethal. "You've trespassed into a restricted space," Adrian said. "Leave. Now."
Kellan laughed under his breath. "Ah. You must be the husband."
The word dripped with mockery.
"I was wondering when I'd meet the man who replaced me."
Zariah flinched. "You don't get to say things like that."
"Oh, but I do," Kellan replied smoothly, his eyes never leaving Adrian. "Because if it weren't for me, she wouldn't be here. Would she?"
Adrian didn't respond immediately. His silence was far more terrifying than anger.
"You're the reason she's in debt," Adrian finally said. "The reason she ran. The reason she disappeared."
Kellan tilted his head, feigning thoughtfulness. "I prefer to think of it as… motivation."
Zariah's hands shook. "You ruined my life."
Kellan's smile faltered—just for a moment—before hardening. "I gave you a life. You just couldn't keep up."
Adrian moved.
In a blink, he had Kellan pinned against the wall, one forearm pressed to his throat, his voice low and lethal. "Say another word," Adrian warned, "and you won't leave this place alive."
Zariah's heart slammed painfully against her ribs. She had seen Adrian dangerous before—but this was different. This wasn't controlled training or calculated restraint.
This was personal.
Kellan coughed, then laughed softly despite the pressure. "See?" he rasped. "That's the problem with attachments. They make men sloppy."
Adrian tightened his grip.
"Adrian," Zariah whispered urgently. "Don't."
He hesitated.
That hesitation saved Kellan's life.
Adrian released him with a sharp shove, stepping back but never lowering his guard. Kellan straightened his jacket, clearly shaken but far too arrogant to show fear.
"You came for something," Adrian said coldly. "Speak."
Kellan's eyes flicked briefly to Zariah before returning to Adrian. "I came to collect what's mine."
Zariah laughed bitterly. "You have nothing that belongs to you anymore."
"Don't I?" Kellan replied, his gaze sharp. "The accounts. The documents. The information your father hid."
Zariah's blood ran cold.
"My father had nothing to do with you," she said.
"Oh, sweetheart," Kellan murmured, stepping back into the shadows just enough to stay out of Adrian's reach. "Your father had everything to do with me."
Adrian's expression darkened. "Explain."
Kellan sighed theatrically. "Your wife's father wasn't just an innocent man who got unlucky. He was a courier. A keeper of secrets. And when he disappeared, those secrets didn't just vanish."
Zariah's head spun. "You're lying."
"I'm really not," Kellan said gently. "And when I realized you were his daughter… well. I stayed close. I watched. I waited."
Her stomach churned violently. "You used me."
"Yes," he said simply. "And I would've gotten away with it too—if you hadn't run."
Adrian took a step forward. "You targeted her."
Kellan shrugged. "She was convenient. Vulnerable. In love." His lips curved cruelly. "And she had access."
Zariah felt sick.
"All this time," she whispered. "You were never helping me. You were watching me."
"Learning," Kellan corrected. "But then you vanished. Changed your name. And suddenly…" His gaze swept the penthouse. "You reappear married to a man like him."
Adrian's voice was ice. "So you followed her."
"Yes," Kellan said. "And now I know where the last pieces are."
Zariah shook her head. "I don't have anything."
"That's what you think," Kellan replied. "But someone always leaves something behind."
A soft beep echoed through the corridor.
Adrian's head snapped toward the security panel.
Kellan smiled slowly. "You should check your system."
Adrian turned—just for a second.
That was all Kellan needed.
He lunged.
Zariah screamed as Kellan grabbed her wrist, yanking her hard against his chest, a cold blade flashing into view.
"Let her go," Adrian said, his voice dangerously steady.
"Step back," Kellan countered, pressing the blade lightly against Zariah's side. "Or she bleeds."
Zariah's breath came in shallow gasps. Fear wrapped around her spine—but beneath it, something else burned.
Anger.
"You won't win," she said through clenched teeth.
Kellan chuckled. "I already have."
Adrian raised his hands slowly—but his eyes never left Kellan's.
"You don't want what happens next," Adrian said.
"Oh, I do," Kellan replied softly. "Because now I know the truth."
His gaze flicked between them.
"You're not just protecting her," he said. "You're hiding something."
Adrian didn't answer.
Kellan smiled.
And pressed the blade just enough for Zariah to feel its cold promise.
"Now," Kellan whispered, "let's see how far love really goes."