Kate didn't touch the food right away.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the tray like it might tell her something she didn't already know.
They're already looking.
The words replayed in her mind, over and over.
Looking for him.
Which meant—
Looking for her.
A chill crept down her spine.
"Great," she muttered under her breath. "Just what I needed."
Still, her stomach betrayed her with a quiet twist of hunger. Slowly, cautiously, she reached for the glass of water first. If he wanted her alive like he said, poisoning her wouldn't make sense.
At least… she hoped not.
She took a sip.
Nothing.
Another.
Still nothing.
"Okay," she murmured. "Not trying to kill me. Good start."
The food came next. Simple. Bread, something warm, something real. Not fancy—just enough.
Normal.
Which somehow made everything feel even less normal.
The door opened again sooner than she expected.
Kate stiffened, setting the plate down quickly as Adrian stepped back inside.
Only this time—
He wasn't alone.
Her breath caught.
A man stood behind him in the hallway, half-shadowed but unmistakably there. Taller, broader, dressed in dark clothes that blended into the dim lighting like he belonged in it.
Watching.
Waiting.
Kate's pulse kicked up instantly.
Adrian noticed.
"Stay here," he said quietly.
"Wasn't planning on throwing a party," she shot back, though her voice was tighter now.
His gaze lingered on her for a second—longer than usual.
Then he stepped back out into the hall, closing the door just enough that it didn't latch completely.
Not closed.
Not open.
Kate hesitated.
Then moved.
Slowly.
Carefully.
She edged closer to the door, her footsteps nearly silent against the floor. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure it would give her away.
Voices drifted through the crack.
"…you shouldn't have taken her."
The unfamiliar voice was low. Sharp. Controlled in a different way than Adrian's—less calm, more calculating.
"I didn't have a choice," Adrian replied.
"You always have a choice."
A pause.
Then—
"They saw."
Silence.
Even from inside the room, Kate felt the shift.
"…How many?" the other man asked.
"Enough."
Another pause.
"That makes her a liability."
Kate's stomach dropped.
She leaned closer, barely breathing.
"I'm aware," Adrian said.
"Then why is she still breathing?"
The words hit like a punch.
Kate froze.
Her fingers tightened against the wall.
Seconds passed.
Too many.
Then Adrian spoke.
"Because she's not involved."
"That's never stopped them before."
"I know."
"Then you know how this ends."
Kate's chest tightened, panic creeping in again, sharper this time. Colder.
More real.
Another long silence.
And then—
"She's under my protection."
Kate blinked.
Wait—
"What?" the other man said, disbelief slipping through for the first time. "You're serious?"
"Yes."
A scoff. "Since when do you take on strays?"
Something in Adrian's tone changed—subtle, but there.
Harder.
"Watch it."
The hallway went quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
"…You're making a mistake," the man said finally.
"Maybe," Adrian replied. "But it's mine to make."
Kate's breath caught.
Her mind raced.
Why?
Why would he say that?
Why would he do that?
Footsteps shifted.
"Then don't expect backup when this blows up in your face," the man added coldly.
"I never do."
A beat.
Then the sound of retreating footsteps.
Gone.
Kate barely had time to move back before the door pushed open.
She stepped away quickly, pretending she hadn't been listening—but the look Adrian gave her said he knew.
Of course he knew.
"You should be more careful," he said.
Kate crossed her arms. "You should close doors all the way if you don't want people listening."
A flicker of something—almost amusement—crossed his face.
Almost.
"That wasn't meant for you to hear."
"And yet," she said, raising an eyebrow, "here we are."
Silence settled between them again.
But this time—
It felt different.
Kate studied him.
"You told him I'm under your protection," she said.
Not a question.
A statement.
Adrian didn't respond right away.
Didn't deny it either.
"…That makes things simpler," he said finally.
Kate let out a short laugh. "For who?"
"For you," he said.
Her expression hardened. "Didn't sound like it."
"No," he admitted. "It didn't."
That caught her off guard.
She searched his face again.
"You could've let them deal with me," she said quietly. "Sounds like that would've been easier."
His jaw tightened.
"It would have."
"Then why didn't you?"
There it was.
The question hanging between them.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Adrian looked at her—really looked this time.
And for a split second…
The walls slipped.
Just enough for her to see something underneath.
Not cold.
Not calculated.
Something human.
"You weren't supposed to be part of this," he said, his voice lower now. "That matters."
Kate's breath caught slightly.
That wasn't the answer she expected.
Not even close.
Before she could respond, he stepped back again—distance snapping back into place like it never left.
"Get some rest," he said. "We leave soon."
Her heart skipped. "Leave? Where?"
"A safer location."
"Safer than this?" she asked.
His expression darkened.
"Nowhere is safe," he said. "Just… safer than here."
Kate swallowed.
"Because they're coming."
Not a question.
Adrian met her gaze.
"Yes."
The word settled heavily in the room.
And for the first time—
Kate believed him completely.