At night, the house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Everyone was in their room, but Adrian.
He walked down the hidden staircase alone — no Aiden, no guards, no witnesses. His footsteps echoed softly against the concrete walls, each step colder than the last.
He reached the steel door.
Unlocked it.
And stepped inside.
Julian sat tied to a chair, head hanging forward, breathing uneven. He wasn't bleeding. He wasn't bruised. But he looked exhausted — mentally drained, terrified, and confused.
He lifted his head slowly when he heard the door.
His eyes widened.
"You," Julian whispered.
Adrian didn't respond. He closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Julian swallowed hard. "What do you want from me now?"
Adrian tilted his head slightly. "I came to see how you're enjoying your stay."
Julian's voice cracked. "LET ME GO. I didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to talk to her—"
"You grabbed her," Adrian said quietly.
Julian flinched. "I panicked. I love her. I didn't want to lose her."
Adrian pushed off the wall and walked closer.
Slow. Calm. Dangerous.
"You didn't lose her," Adrian said softly. "You never had her."
Julian's breath hitched. "She said she loved me—"
"No," Adrian cut in. "She said what she needed to say."
Julian blinked, confused. "What… what do you mean?"
Adrian crouched down so they were eye‑level.
"Do you want to know who she loves?"
Julian froze.
Adrian smiled — not kindly, not warmly, but with a coldness that made Julian's stomach twist.
"She loves someone else," Adrian whispered in his ear.
Julian shook his head violently. "No. No, she doesn't. She chose me. She—"
"She chose convenience," Adrian said. "Not love."
Julian's breathing quickened. "You're lying."
Adrian leaned in closer. Continuing.
"She waits for him after class."
Julian's eyes widened.
"She follows him everywhere."
Julian's throat tightened.
"She cries over him."
Julian's voice cracked. "Stop…"
"She blushes when he looks at her."
Julian squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop."
"And she would burn the world for him," Adrian finished softly.
Julian's eyes snapped open, filled with panic. "Who? Who is it? Who does she love?"
Adrian stood up slowly.
He didn't smile. He didn't blink. He didn't soften.
He simply said:
"Not you."
Julian shook his head, trembling. "Tell me who! Tell me!"
Adrian walked toward the door.
Julian screamed after him, voice breaking. "WHO IS IT?!"
Adrian paused at the doorway.
He didn't turn around.
He just said:
"You already know."
Then he stepped out laughing and closed the door behind him.
The lock clicked.
Julian's scream echoed through the basement.
And Adrian walked away, calm, silent, and terrifyingly sure of one thing:
Julian would never forget this. And he wasn't going to let him.