I should have known it was too quiet.
Two days passed with no move from Victoria.
No threats.
No scandals.
No sudden meetings.
That was the most terrifying part.
Adrian had moved me to a private security detail. Two guards outside my apartment. One shadowing me discreetly during the day.
He didn't say it, but I knew.
He was preparing for war.
That afternoon, I received a message from an unknown number.
"If you want the truth about the forged documents, come alone."
Attached was a location.
An underground parking structure downtown.
My pulse quickened.
I knew I should tell Adrian.
But if this was the proof he needed…
I grabbed my coat.
Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in the dim concrete garage. The sound of dripping water echoed around me.
"Hello?" My voice bounced off the walls.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Controlled.
Victoria stepped out from behind a black SUV.
Elegant as always. Calm as always.
"You're braver than I thought," she said smoothly.
"You wanted to talk."
She smiled faintly. "I wanted to see how far you'd go for him."
"You won't win."
Her laughter was soft.
"Oh, sweetheart. I already did."
Before I could react, two men stepped out behind me.
Strong hands grabbed my arms.
"What are you doing?!" I struggled.
Victoria walked closer, heels clicking against concrete.
"I don't need you to sign anything," she said quietly.
"What?"
"I just need you… unavailable."
Cold fear slid down my spine.
"You see," she continued, "Adrian's weakness isn't money. It isn't power. It's attachment."
Her fingers lightly brushed my chin.
"And when powerful men get emotional… they make mistakes."
The men forced me into the back of the SUV.
My heart pounded violently.
This wasn't just intimidation.
This was a calculated move.
The doors slammed shut.
Darkness swallowed me.
As the engine started, panic rose in my throat.
Adrian.
He would blame himself.
He would lose control.
And that's exactly what she wanted.
Hours later — or maybe minutes, I couldn't tell — the car stopped.
The door opened.
Bright lights blinded me.
I was dragged into an abandoned warehouse.
Tied to a metal chair.
Victoria stood in front of me once more.
"You should have walked away," she said softly.
Suddenly—
Gunshots.
Shouting.
Chaos erupted outside.
Victoria's expression shifted for the first time.
Annoyance.
Then fury.
"He found you," she muttered.
Footsteps thundered closer.
And then
A single gunshot rang out inside the warehouse.
Pain exploded through my side.
I gasped.
Victoria stared down at me, stunned.
The gun trembled slightly in her hand.
"That wasn't supposed to happen."
The warehouse doors burst open.
Adrian stood there.
Breathing hard.
Eyes dark with something terrifying.
He saw the blood.
And something inside him broke.
Should Adrian lose control completely and become ruthless… or should he stay calm and outsmart her? Comment: RUTHLESS or STRATEGIC.