Chapter 2 - Adrian

The moment I saw her lying there, unconscious and vulnerable, something twisted inside me. Sera. The name tasted bitter on my tongue, laced with the venom of betrayal. Seven years. Seven goddamn years, and yet, the sight of her still had the power to unravel me.

Nick had assured me the plan would work. Of course, it did—how could it not? Sera was predictable in her unpredictability. A lone wolf who thought she could outrun the world. Stubborn to a fault.

And now, here she was, standing in front of me, pointing a gun at Nick as if she actually had a chance. The defiance in her eyes hadn't changed. Neither had the fire.

When I spoke, I made sure my voice was steady, cold. "Hello, sweetheart."

The way her body tensed told me I'd struck a nerve. Good. She deserved to feel that fear, the same fear she'd left me drowning in all those years ago. But as she turned to face me, lowering the gun, a different emotion flickered across her face—shock.

God, I hated how beautiful she still was. It made everything worse.

"Seven years," I said, keeping my tone even. "You've been a hard woman to find, Sera."

Her reply came sharp and quick, as expected. "Maybe you weren't looking hard enough."

Nick's laugh grated on my nerves, but I didn't take my eyes off her. I couldn't. It was as if looking away would break whatever fragile control I had over myself.

"Lower the gun," I commanded.

She hesitated. Of course, she did. This was Sera—always calculating, always considering her next move. But eventually, she obeyed, the defiance in her posture a clear reminder that she wasn't submitting. Not yet.

I took a step closer, letting her feel the weight of my presence. "We have unfinished business, sweetheart."

Her jaw tightened, and I could see the war raging in her eyes. The same eyes that had haunted me for years. "So it seems," she bit out, her voice hard.

I smirked, even though my chest felt like it was caving in. "Oh, you have no idea."

But the truth was, neither did I.

Standing this close to her, after everything, I wasn't sure if I wanted to tear her apart or pull her closer. The anger was there, boiling beneath the surface, but so was something else. Something I didn't want to name.

I stepped back, shoving my hands into my pockets to keep myself from doing something I'd regret. "Nick, take her gun," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

Nick hesitated for a fraction of a second before moving to obey. She didn't fight him, but the glare she shot me was enough to make my blood simmer.

I leaned against one of the broken pews, keeping my eyes on her. "Welcome home, Sera," I said, my tone dripping with mockery.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her body rigid with tension. But I knew her well enough to see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. She didn't know what I wanted, why I'd brought her here. And that was exactly how I needed her to feel—off balance, vulnerable.

This time, I was going to control the game.

I slid the paper across the table towards her, the sharp sound of it slicing through the tense silence. She glanced down at it, her eyes immediately locking onto the words.

"A marriage contract," she said with a scoff, her voice laced with defiance. "Over my dead body."

I smirked at her response, leaning back in my chair, watching the fire flicker in her eyes. "You sure about that, Sera? Or over someone else's dead body too?"

Confusion flashed across her face for a split second before suspicion took over. She knew exactly what I was implying, but she wasn't going to make it easy for me.

I reached for my phone and slid it across the table towards her. "Class 7B, Room 302, St. Helena's International. Your daughter."

Her gaze moved from me to the phone, then back to me, her expression shifting quickly from disbelief to a sharp, piercing focus.

I didn't wait for her to ask questions. "Iris," I added, naming her daughter.

She stiffened, her eyes widening slightly, then narrowing with growing alarm. She didn't need to ask what I meant. She could see it in my eyes.

I hit play on the phone.

The screen flickered to life, showing Iris sitting peacefully at her desk, completely unaware of the danger lurking around her. A man stood at the back of the room, a gun trained on the back of her head. The camera zoomed in on him slowly, the cold, lifeless barrel of the weapon unmistakable.

Her breathing quickened, her fingers trembling as she looked at the screen. She didn't need me to explain further. She knew exactly what I was capable of. She knew this wasn't a threat.

"How dare you!" Seraphina's voice shook with rage, but there was something in her eyes—fear. The kind of fear she hadn't shown me in years. "You think you can use my daughter against me? She's just a child, Adrian."

Her eyes never left the screen as she spoke, the desperation in her voice making it clear how much this was tearing her apart.

"You don't get to make demands like this," she spat. "Not after everything we've been through, everything you did—"

"Sera," I interrupted, my voice calm but firm, cutting through her fury. "This isn't about the past. This is about you signing this contract. If you don't, Iris pays the price. We both know it. So, do what's necessary."

She glared at me, her jaw tightening. She wasn't going to break so easily. But then again, neither was I.

Her eyes flicked back to the screen one last time. Iris. Her daughter, helpless and unaware. It was a choice no mother should ever have to make.

Her hand hovered above the pen. I could see the war inside her—her pride, her fear, her love for her daughter—all of it conflicting in that one moment. She hesitated, but I wasn't letting her off the hook.

I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice. "Sign it, Sera. Or I'll make you regret it. Not just today, but for the rest of your life."

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she grabbed the pen with trembling fingers, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and resignation. Slowly, almost painfully, she signed her name at the bottom of the contract.

The weight of her decision hung in the air as she pushed the pen back toward me. Her gaze met mine—furious, but defeated.

I picked up the contract and smiled at her, savoring the moment. "Good girl," I said softly, knowing full well that her heart was breaking, just as mine had once done.

Seraphina stood up abruptly, her chair scraping harshly against the floor as she made her way toward the door. Her back was stiff, her movements sharp with the fury and helplessness swirling inside her. She wasn't about to show it, but I could see it.

She reached for the door handle, her hand shaking ever so slightly, when my voice cut through the air, calm and unyielding.

"Sera," I said, the weight of the words holding her in place.

She turned her head slightly, not fully facing me, but I knew she was listening. "What now?" she asked, her voice dripping with frustration.

"As per the contract," I began, my tone intentionally casual, almost mocking, "you're required to stay in my house. Under my roof. Until further notice."

Her body stiffened, her back straightening as if she hadn't heard me right. "What?" she snapped, her voice rising, turning toward me with a look of disbelief.

"You heard me," I said, leaning back in my chair, the satisfaction clear in my voice. "The terms of the agreement are clear. You stay with me. No exceptions."

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, I thought she might lash out. But then the reality of the situation hit her, and her anger morphed into something darker, more resigned.

"I signed that contract under duress," she growled, fists clenched at her sides. "You can't just control my every move."

I stood up slowly, walking toward her, closing the space between us. "I can," I replied softly, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "And I will."

She took a step back, shaking her head, her eyes blazing with fury. "You're impossible."

"Welcome to my world," I said, my voice low and steady. "You don't get to walk away from this. Not anymore."

There was a brief silence as her eyes bored into mine, as if she was looking for any sign of weakness. But she found none.

"You're not going to win this one, Sera," I added, my gaze unwavering.

She held my stare for a moment longer before turning away. The weight of the decision was heavy, but the contract was signed. The terms were set.

And now, she was mine.