Rain poured from the sky again.
The drops hit the pavement with a steady rhythm, turning the quiet street into a blurred reflection of lights and shadows.
Liora stood beside Adrian, still trying to process everything that had just happened.
Three men had tried to kidnap her.
Three men were now lying unconscious on the ground.
And Adrian…
Adrian looked as calm as if none of it had mattered.
"We have to go," he said.
Liora blinked. "Right now?"
"Yes."
"What about them?" she asked, glancing at the men sprawled across the street.
"They'll wake up eventually."
"That's not comforting."
Adrian ignored the comment and walked toward the black van the men had arrived in. He checked the inside quickly before stepping back out.
"Come on."
"Wait," Liora said.
He stopped.
She crossed her arms.
"You said I can't go home tonight."
"That's right."
"And you're just expecting me to follow you somewhere?"
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
"You don't have many options."
"That's not an answer."
He sighed quietly.
Then he reached into the van and pulled out a set of car keys.
"You can either stay here and wait for their friends to arrive…"
He tossed the keys in his hand casually.
"Or you can come with me."
Liora hesitated.
Her mind raced.
This was insane.
She barely knew this man.
He was dangerous.
Mysterious.
Possibly involved in things she didn't even want to imagine.
But the men who had tried to grab her…
They were even worse.
And they clearly knew who she was now.
Adrian watched her silently.
"Five seconds," he said.
"What?"
"That's how long you have to decide."
"You're unbelievable."
"Five."
"Adrian!"
"Four."
She groaned.
"Fine!"
He opened the passenger door.
"Good choice."
Twenty minutes later.
The van drove through the quiet outskirts of Nemor.
The city lights faded behind them as they entered a quieter district filled with older buildings and empty streets.
Liora sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window.
The silence between them felt strange.
Finally, she spoke.
"You fight like that often?"
Adrian kept his eyes on the road.
"Sometimes."
"That's not normal."
He shrugged slightly.
"Depends on the job."
Her eyes narrowed.
"What job?"
No answer.
Liora sighed.
"You're really bad at explaining things."
"And you ask too many questions."
"I'm being chased by criminals because of you."
"Fair point."
The van turned down a narrow street and stopped in front of an old apartment building.
It looked ordinary.
Maybe even slightly abandoned.
Adrian turned off the engine.
"We're here."
Liora looked at the building.
"This is the safehouse?"
"Yes."
"It looks like nobody lives here."
"That's the idea."
He stepped out of the van and motioned for her to follow.
They climbed two flights of stairs before Adrian unlocked a door at the end of the hallway.
The apartment inside was simple.
A small living room.
A couch.
A table.
A kitchenette.
Everything looked clean but minimal.
Like it was used only occasionally.
Liora stepped inside slowly.
"So this is where you hide?"
"Sometimes."
Adrian closed the door and locked it behind them.
The soft click of the lock echoed in the quiet room.
For the first time since the kidnapping attempt, Liora felt a small sense of safety.
She set her bag down.
"You have multiple safehouses?"
He removed his coat carefully.
"Enough."
Her eyes drifted to the bandage on his arm.
It was already stained with fresh blood.
"You reopened the wound," she said.
"Probably."
She walked closer.
"Sit down."
Adrian gave her an amused look.
"You like giving orders."
"You like getting shot."
He smirked slightly but sat on the couch anyway.
Liora opened her bag again and pulled out the small first aid kit.
"Good thing you carry that," he said.
"Good thing you keep getting injured."
She carefully removed the old bandage.
The wound looked worse now.
"You really should go to a hospital."
"That's not happening."
"Why?"
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"Because hospitals ask questions."
"And you hate questions."
"Exactly."
Liora cleaned the wound again.
Adrian watched her quietly.
"You're not scared," he said suddenly.
She paused.
"Of what?"
"Of me."
Liora considered the question.
Then she shrugged slightly.
"You saved me."
"That doesn't mean I'm a good person."
She tied the new bandage carefully.
"Maybe not."
Then she looked up at him.
"But you're not a bad one either."
For a moment, Adrian said nothing.
Her answer seemed to catch him off guard.
"You don't know anything about me," he said.
"Then tell me."
Silence filled the room.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
Finally, Adrian spoke.
"My job," he said slowly, "is dealing with people who are very dangerous."
Liora frowned.
"Like… criminals?"
"Sometimes."
"And the men chasing you?"
His expression darkened.
"They're worse."
"How?"
Adrian looked at her seriously.
"They're part of an organization."
"What kind of organization?"
"The kind that doesn't forgive mistakes."
A chill ran down Liora's spine.
"And what mistake did you make?"
Adrian leaned back against the couch.
"I survived."
The answer hung heavily in the room.
Before Liora could ask more questions—
A faint sound came from outside the apartment.
Both of them froze.
Adrian's eyes instantly sharpened.
"Did you hear that?" Liora whispered.
"Yes."
He stood up slowly.
His movements were quiet and controlled.
He walked toward the door.
Then another sound echoed in the hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
Someone was outside the apartment.
Adrian glanced back at Liora.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Stay behind me."
The doorknob suddenly moved.
Click.
Someone was trying to get in.
And whoever it was…
They had already found the safehouse.