The moment Nyra disappeared from his sight, Adrian did not return to normal.
He did not sit.
He did not think about anything else.
Because something inside him had already crossed a line the second he saw her break in his arms, the second he heard her voice tremble, the second she clung to him like she had nowhere else to go—and that moment did not leave him, it carved itself into him in a way that demanded an answer, demanded a consequence, demanded someone to pay for it.
—
“Felix.”
—
The door opened immediately.
—
“Yes, boss.”
—
Adrian didn’t turn around, his gaze fixed on the city beyond the glass, but his voice carried something far more dangerous than anger—it carried certainty.
“I want Louise,” he said slowly, each word deliberate, controlled, final. “I don’t care where he is or who he’s with, I want him brought to me before the hour ends, and I want him to understand—very clearly—that this is not a conversation he walks away from.”
—
Felix nodded once.
“Understood.”
—
“And Felix…” Adrian added, his voice lowering just enough to make it colder, sharper, more threatening without raising its volume.
—
A pause.
—
“Make sure he’s still conscious when he gets here.”
—
Felix didn’t ask anything.
He just left.
—
—
The warehouse was quiet.
Too quiet.
—
Louise was forced onto his knees, his breathing uneven now, his earlier arrogance already cracking under the weight of a situation he no longer controlled, his confidence slipping as reality began to settle in—the kind of reality that did not offer escape.
—
The door opened.
—
Adrian walked in.
—
Slow.
Measured.
Unhurried.
—
Each step echoing like something inevitable.
—
Louise tried to speak.
Tried to recover.
Tried to pretend.
—
“Mr. Voss, I think whatever this is can be handled professionally, because I believe you’re overreacting to something that—”
—
He didn’t finish.
—
Because Adrian didn’t respond with words.
—
He moved.
—
Fast.
—
The impact was sudden, enough to silence whatever Louise thought he was about to say, enough to break the illusion that this situation could still be controlled with smooth talking or manipulation.
—
And Adrian didn’t stop there.
—
Not rushed.
Not wild.
—
But controlled.
Each movement deliberate.
Each action measured.
—
Not rage.
—
Punishment.
—
“You touched her.”
—
His voice was low.
Flat.
Terrifying in its calmness.
—
Louise struggled to steady himself, his breathing uneven now.
“You’re misunderstanding the situation—”
—
Adrian grabbed him, forcing him to look up.
—
“There is no misunderstanding,” he said slowly, his gaze darkening in a way that made it clear this was not something that could be explained away. “There is only the fact that you crossed a line that does not exist for anyone.”
—
Louise tried again, desperation creeping in.
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” he said, forcing a weak smirk. “I know things about you, Adrian… things that would destroy everything if they ever came out.”
—
Silence.
—
Adrian looked at him.
—
And then—
He smiled.
—
Not warm.
Not amused.
—
Cold.
—
“You still think you have leverage,” Adrian said quietly, stepping closer, his voice dropping into something far more dangerous than anger. “That’s almost impressive.”
—
Louise’s confidence faltered.
—
Adrian continued.
“While you were busy underestimating me, I was already removing every possible move you could make,” he said, his tone calm, almost conversational, which somehow made it worse. “Your accounts are frozen, your assets are gone, your partners have cut ties, and by now, your name is something people are avoiding like it never existed.”
—
Louise’s face drained of color.
—
“That’s not possible—”
—
“It already happened,” Adrian cut in.
—
A pause.
—
“And as for your little threat about exposing me…” Adrian leaned slightly closer, his voice lowering to something that felt like a warning before a storm.
—
“You won’t get the chance.”
—
Louise shook his head, panic fully taking over now.
“You can’t just erase me—”
—
“I already did,” Adrian replied.
—
Silence.
—
Heavy.
Crushing.
—
Adrian straightened, his expression turning completely unreadable again, which somehow made him even more terrifying.
—
“You thought you could touch her and walk away like nothing happened,” he said slowly, each word landing with quiet finality. “You thought you could sit in my presence, disrespect what is mine, and still exist in the same world afterward.”
—
Louise’s voice broke.
“I didn’t know—”
—
“No,” Adrian interrupted sharply, “you didn’t care.”
—
That was the difference.
—
And that difference sealed everything.
—
Adrian turned slightly.
—
“Felix.”
—
“Yes, boss.”
—
Adrian didn’t look back at Louise when he spoke again.
—
“Make sure he never forgets what those hands did,” he said calmly, his voice carrying a quiet finality that left no room for interpretation. “And make sure he understands that he will never use them the same way again.”
—
Louise’s breath hitched in panic.
“Wait—please—”
—
Adrian continued walking.
—
“And when you’re done,” he added without turning back, “take him somewhere far enough that he remembers this every time he tries to come back.”
—
A pause.
—
“Somewhere no one hears him.”
—
Felix nodded.
—
Adrian didn’t look back.
—
Didn’t hesitate.
—
Didn’t feel the need to stay.
—
Because for him—
This was already finished.
—
—
Later that night—
—
Adrian stood alone again.
—
But something had changed.
—
The moment she held onto him.
The moment she trusted him without meaning to.
—
Something inside him shifted into something far more dangerous than before.
—
This wasn’t control.
—
This wasn’t curiosity.
—
This wasn’t even obsession.
—
—
This was possession.
—
And Adrian Voss did not share what he considered his.
—
" TO BE CONTINUED "
____________________________________________________________
Author's note....
Hey everyone 🖤
What did you feel about his reaction?
Was it too much… or exactly what the situation demanded?
And Nyra… do you think she would feel safe knowing this, or scared of him?
Tell me your thoughts 💌
See you in the next chapter 🖤
Bye bye dear readers 👋 👋 👋 👋
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