The rooftop was no longer just a rooftop. It was a battlefield.
Elena stood between them, her breath coming too fast, her palms damp with sweat. The wind whipped against her hair, but it wasn't the cold that made her shiver—it was the weight of two gazes locked on her, pulling her in opposite directions.
Damian's hand was still wrapped around hers, warm, steady, grounding her like an anchor. But Adrian's crimson eyes burned from the shadows, devouring, claiming, making it clear that to step toward Damian was to walk into war.
The silence pressed down on her chest until she could hardly breathe.
Finally, Adrian's smirk cut through the night like a blade. "You're bold, Damian. I'll give you that." His voice was velvet, laced with venom. "But boldness without power? That's just foolishness."
Damian squared his shoulders, refusing to flinch. His grip on Elena's hand tightened. "And what is power without heart? You can protect her body, Adrian. But can you give her happiness?"
A laugh slipped from Adrian's lips, soft, dangerous, the kind of laugh that made the air grow heavier. He took a step forward, each movement deliberate, calculated, predatory. "Happiness? Tell me, senior… does the world care about happiness? Happiness is fragile. It shatters at the first touch of cruelty. What she needs is not happiness. She needs safety. She needs me."
The shadows curled around his shoes as he spoke, tendrils of darkness licking at the rooftop tiles.
Elena's breath caught. The devil inside him was close to breaking through.
Damian's jaw tightened. "What she needs is freedom. The chance to live her own life. With you, she'll never be free. You'll chain her in a gilded cage and call it love."
Adrian's eyes flashed, glowing brighter, sharper, his smile widening into something both beautiful and terrifying. "Better caged and safe than free and broken. Don't you think so, Elena?"
Her heart skipped, his words sliding under her skin like poison and honey mixed.
Damian pulled her closer, his body tense, protective. "She's not yours to claim."
For the first time, Adrian's smirk faded. His voice dropped low, laced with a sharpness that made the hair on Elena's arms rise. "Then tell me, Damian… can you protect her from me?"
The rooftop seemed to still.
Damian's breath hitched, but he didn't falter. He met Adrian's gaze head-on, refusing to be cowed. "I won't let you take her."
The words were quiet, but Elena felt the weight of them vibrate through her bones.
Adrian chuckled, low and cold, his lips curling though his jaw was tight. "You're braver than I expected." He leaned in, his crimson eyes narrowing, voice dropping to a whisper meant for Damian, though Elena caught every word. "But bravery gets men killed."
The shadows thickened, twisting up the railing like dark vines. The air grew colder, heavier, pressing against Elena's chest until panic clawed at her throat.
"Stop!" she cried, stepping between them. Her voice cracked, her hands trembling as she pushed at both their chests. "Enough! I'm not some prize for you to fight over!"
The rooftop rang with her outburst. Both men froze, their gazes flickering to her in surprise.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her voice trembling but fierce. "I don't want to be caged. I don't want to be pulled apart by your pride. I… I can't choose. Not like this."
Damian's shoulders lowered slightly, his fists loosening at his sides. His eyes softened as they landed on her. "Elena…" His voice cracked, tender, aching. "I'm not asking you to choose now. I just want you to remember—you have a choice."
Her throat tightened.
Adrian's gaze, however, did not soften. It darkened. The glow in his eyes dimmed into something more dangerous, more possessive. His voice, when he spoke, was silk over steel.
"You don't need to choose," Adrian said softly, almost lovingly. "Not yet." His eyes slid to Damian, sharp as a knife. "But remember this, Elena. You belong to me—even if you don't realize it now."
Her knees weakened. The way he said it—it wasn't a suggestion. It was a vow. A chain.
Damian stepped forward, fury flashing in his eyes. "She doesn't belong to anyone!"
Adrian's expression didn't shift, but his shadows surged, snapping at the air like wolves. "Careful, senior. You're standing on a line that, once crossed, even the stars won't save you from."
The air was so thick Elena could hardly breathe. She reached for both of them, desperate. "Please—don't—"
Adrian moved suddenly, brushing past her with the kind of lethal grace that made her shiver. His shoulder clipped Damian's as he stopped inches from him.
"This is your first and last warning," Adrian whispered coldly. His words were ice against fire. "Stay away from her. Or the stars you love so much will be the last thing you ever see."
Damian's eyes blazed, but he didn't flinch. "If protecting her means facing you, then so be it."
The tension was unbearable, the rooftop vibrating with unspoken violence. Elena could feel it—if she didn't intervene, they would fight.
"Adrian!" she gasped, clutching his sleeve.
His gaze flicked down to her, and in that instant, the shadows stilled. Slowly, deliberately, he turned from Damian, his hand wrapping around her wrist. His grip was firm, unyielding, but not cruel.
"We're leaving," he said simply.
Her lips parted. "Adrian, wait—"
"No." His voice was final, absolute. "You don't belong here."
Damian's voice rang out behind them, strong, desperate. "Elena! Don't forget—you don't have to be afraid. I'll always be here. Waiting."
Her heart clenched. She wanted to look back, wanted to see his face one last time. But Adrian's grip tightened, pulling her forward, not allowing her to turn.
The fire escape groaned under their weight as he led her down. The rooftop faded behind them, Damian's voice echoing in her chest like a phantom.
But in Adrian's hold, her pulse betrayed her. Because even though fear knotted her stomach, even though his words were chains, a part of her still felt safe in his grasp.
Too safe.
And that terrified her most of all.