CHAPTER 49: THE SHADOWS ADRIAN COULD NO LONGER IGNORE
The night in Adrian Kane's mansion was strangely quiet—too quiet for a house that had been at the center of storms for weeks. After Lydia's calculated appearance and the tension she had planted like a poisonous seed, Elena tried to pretend everything was normal. But nothing about the air between her and Adrian felt normal anymore.
She stepped into their bedroom and found him standing by the window, his shirt sleeves rolled up, chest rising and falling with a heaviness he didn't bother hiding. The city lights reflected across his features, hardening the sharp lines of his face.
Elena paused at the door.
"Adrian… are you okay?"
He didn't turn, but she saw his jaw flex.
"When Lydia talks," he finally said, voice rough, "she always leaves a mess behind."
Elena moved closer, cautious, studying him. "She said those things on purpose. To get inside your head. To get inside my head."
"She succeeded," he muttered.
