Stay
Lia did not stay at the office.
Mostly because remaining alone with Adrian Monteverde while he looked at her like that felt like a terrible life decision.
And unfortunately—
she was becoming dangerously bad at making smart decisions around him.
"I should go home," she said quietly.
Adrian's gaze remained fixed on her face for one lingering second longer before he nodded once.
The movement looked controlled.
But something underneath it felt reluctant.
Like he disliked the answer even while accepting it.
"I'll drive you."
Lia sighed softly.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The part where you pretend everything is optional when it really isn't."
A faint flicker crossed his expression.
"You could refuse."
They both knew she probably wouldn't.
That realization hung silently between them while thunder rolled softly outside the windows.
—
The elevator ride downstairs felt more dangerous than the office somehow.
Small space.
Soft lighting.
Too quiet.
Lia stood beside Adrian hyperaware of everything now.
The warmth radiating from him.
The way his sleeves remained rolled slightly past his wrists.
The fact she could still feel where his hand had rested against her waist earlier.
Which was deeply annoying.
Because no one should have that kind of effect on her this quickly.
"You're staring at the floor again."
Lia glanced up immediately.
"You monitor eye contact like it's a professional hobby."
"It's useful."
"For terrifying people?"
A small smile appeared briefly.
"For observant people."
The elevator doors opened into the underground parking garage before she could respond.
Rain echoed softly through the concrete structure while expensive cars gleamed beneath dim lighting.
Adrian led her toward the familiar black car.
And for the first time—
Lia noticed the security guards watching him carefully.
Not casually.
Carefully.
Like people who understood exactly how powerful he was.
The realization settled uneasily in her stomach.
She'd become so distracted by Adrian himself that sometimes she forgot who he actually was.
Not just wealthy.
Influential.
Dangerous in ways beyond obsession.
The second Adrian opened the passenger door for her, one of the guards immediately looked away.
Respect.
Fear.
Maybe both.
Lia slid into the seat quietly.
The car smelled like rain and cedarwood again.
Like him.
Adrian got in moments later, and suddenly the atmosphere shifted back into something softer.
Private.
The city lights blurred outside as the car pulled slowly into traffic.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Rain tapped steadily against the windshield while soft instrumental music played low through the speakers.
Then finally—
"Why me?"
The question slipped out before Lia could stop it.
Adrian glanced toward her briefly.
"You've asked that before."
"And you never answered properly."
Silence.
Lia expected him to avoid the question again.
Instead—
he spoke quietly while watching the road ahead.
"Because you look lonely in crowded rooms."
Her chest tightened instantly.
"Adrian—"
"You look at exits first when entering places."
The city lights moved across his face in flashes of gold and shadow.
"You apologize too much."
Another breath.
"You act like needing things is embarrassing."
Lia stared at him silently now.
Because every sentence landed somewhere deeper than it should have.
"You notice details no one else does," she whispered.
"I notice details about you."
The honesty nearly hurt.
Again.
Always again.
Lia looked down at her hands resting in her lap.
"You barely know me."
"I know enough."
"That's not possible."
Adrian finally looked at her fully for the first time since the drive started.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes—
his eyes looked intense enough to unravel things.
"You think people need years to understand someone," he said quietly. "Most people simply don't pay attention."
The words settled heavily inside the car.
Because maybe he was right.
Maybe no one had ever looked closely enough before.
And maybe Adrian looking too closely was exactly why she couldn't stay away from him.
The rain outside intensified again.
Traffic slowed near downtown intersections while neon lights reflected against wet roads.
Lia leaned her head lightly against the seat.
Tired suddenly.
Emotionally exhausted.
Adrian noticed immediately.
"You didn't sleep properly."
"You notice everything."
"Yes."
Silence.
Then:
"You should stop saying that."
Lia frowned slightly.
"Saying what?"
"That I barely know you."
His voice remained calm.
But something beneath it sounded sharper now.
More personal.
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly against the steering wheel.
"I know the exact expression you make before you pretend you're fine."
Her breath caught softly.
"I know when you're overwhelmed before you admit it."
The car felt smaller now.
Warmer.
Dangerous in a quieter way.
"And I know," he continued softly, "that you stop talking when something hurts you."
Lia looked away quickly toward the rain-covered window.
Because suddenly her chest ached.
Not from fear.
Something worse.
The feeling of being understood too deeply.
Adrian slowed the car near a red light.
Then quietly—
without taking his eyes off the road—
he asked:
"What happened to your wrist?"
Lia froze instantly.
Her hand unconsciously moved toward the faint scar near her wrist bone.
A tiny pale line barely visible unless someone looked closely.
Of course he noticed.
"N-nothing."
Adrian glanced at her briefly.
"You touch it when anxious."
Lia swallowed carefully.
The rain sounded louder suddenly.
"I fell when I was younger."
"That isn't the full answer."
She hated how calmly he said things like that.
Like he already knew.
Like lying to him felt pointless.
Lia stared down at her lap quietly.
"My father grabbed me too hard once."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence immediately filled the car.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Adrian went completely still beside her.
Not angry loudly.
Worse.
Controlled.
Dangerously controlled.
The light turned green.
But the car didn't move for two full seconds.
Then slowly—
Adrian drove again.
His jaw looked tighter now.
His hands steadier.
Which somehow made him seem far more dangerous.
"You don't talk about him," he said quietly.
"No."
"Good."
Lia blinked slowly.
"That's your response?"
"Yes."
She stared at him.
"You're weirdly intense about things."
"No," Adrian said softly.
This time when he looked at her—
something dark moved behind his eyes.
Protective.
Possessive.
Terrifyingly calm.
"I'm intense about people hurting you."
The words wrapped tightly around her chest.
And for one horrifying second—
Lia believed him completely.