Chapter 24
Chapter 24
I lifted my chin, steel entering my spine. “You know what, Primo? Fuck you.”
His face contorted with rage. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me. I won’t play your sick games anymore. My family isn’t weak- we’ve survived worse than you. And if you think I’ll strip for your entertainment or sacrifice Adrian to save my own skin, you don’t know me at all.”
“You stupid bitch.” Primo’s face twisted into an ugly sneer. “Always acting so high and mighty. In the end, you’re nothing but a-”
The rest of his words vanished in a blur of movement. Adrian shot past me like a shadow, his fist connecting with Primo’s jaw in a sickening crack. Primo’s head snapped back as he crashed to the floor, blood spraying from his split lip.
Yesha’s scream pierced the air. She
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scrambled backward, nearly tripping over her heels.
Adrian stood over Primo’s crumpled form, his knuckles bloody. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper that made my skin prickle. “No one talks about my woman like. that.”
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Primo lay motionless except for the slow rise and fall of his chest, while Yesha pressed herself against the wall, her earlier bravado evaporated.
My heart thundered in my chest as Adrian turned his attention to Yesha. His gray eyes had shifted to a cold, metallic sheen that sent chills down my spine.
“You woman,” Adrian’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “If I ever see you talking bad about my woman again…” He stepped closer to Yesha, who shrank further against the wall. “I’ll peel your skin off inch by inch, keeping you alive with the best medical care money can buy. Then I’ll
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over. By the time I’m done, you’ll beg for death – but I won’t grant it. Instead, I’ll ship what’s left of you to a black market organ farm in pieces, where they’ll keep you conscious while they harvest everything useful. Your final moments will be spent watching them auction off parts of your body to the highest bidder.”
The blood drained from Yesha’s face. She slid down the wall, her legs giving out beneath her.
Adrian’s voice remained eerily calm, almost conversational. “And that’s just the beginning. I have contacts who specialize in keeping people alive far longer than nature intended. They owe me favors.”
Yesha’s lips trembled as she tried to form words, but only a strangled whimper escaped.
Adrian turned to me, his expression softening as he crossed the distance
between us. His hand reached for my
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cheek, fingers gentle despite the blood on his knuckles. “Are you alright? I saw him push you.”
I nodded, still processing the transformation I’d witnessed. The art dealer I knew had vanished, replaced by something darker and more dangerous.
His eyes flickered to Primo’s prone form. “Want me to break his arm? Same one as
last time. Seems he needs a reminder about keeping his hands to himself.”
The casual way he offered violence sent a shiver through me. This wasn’t just protectiveness – this was the confidence of someone who’d done far worse.
“Who…” My voice caught. I swallowed and tried again. “Who are you really?”
Adrian’s jaw tightened. His eyes darted to Yesha, still crumpled against the wall, then back to me. “Not here. Let’s get you back to your mansion. I’ll explain everything.
there.”
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He placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the door. The touch was familiar, but now carried new weight–like being under the protection of a predator.
The Adrian I thought I knew was clearly just one facet of a much more complex man. The question was: which version was real?
Adrian snatched Primo’s discarded jacket from the floor, quickly pulling it over his exposed torso. The fabric covered the intricate web of tattoos.
“I’ll fucking kill you both,” Primo snarled from the ground, blood still dripping from his split lip.
Adrian didn’t even glance back as he guided me toward the exit. My legs felt wooden as we walked through the club, past oblivious party–goers lost in their drinks and dancing.
The cool night air hit my face as we
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stepped outside. Adrian held out his hand. for my keys, and I passed them over without protest. My mind raced with too many questions to focus on driving.
The ride passed in complete silence. I couldn’t stop staring at his profile, trying to reconcile this man with the man who’d just threatened to dismember someone. His knuckles were still stained with Primo’s blood where they gripped the steering wheel.
The mansion’s lights grew closer, and my stomach tightened. We pulled into the circular driveway, and Adrian cut the engine.
Inside, Dad sat in his favorite leather armchair, laptop balanced on his knees. His face lit up when he saw us.
“There’s my girl! And Adrian, good to see-” His smile dropped as he took in Adrian’s bloody knuckles and borrowed jacket, then my shell–shocked expression. Dad’s entire demeanor shifted, his shoulders squaring
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Chapter 24
as his eyes hardened.
“What happened?”
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