Lina
The rain doesn't stop that night.
It falls steadily against the windows, soft but persistent, like the city is trying to wash something away.
I sit at the small kitchen table with my notebook open in front of me, though I haven't written anything in nearly ten minutes.
My mind keeps circling the same thought.
People like Victor Hale don't have weaknesses.
The man's voice from the phone call earlier echoes in my head.
And the part that bothers me most isn't what he said.
It's that somewhere, deep down, I know exactly why someone might think that.
I close the notebook with a quiet sigh.
This was supposed to be the life where Victor's world didn't follow me.
The life where I could exist without looking over my shoulder.
Without wondering who might be watching.
But tonight the apartment feels slightly different.
The silence feels… heavier.
My phone lights up on the table.
My heart reacts before I even look.
Victor.
The name sits on the screen like something I've been expecting and avoiding at the same time.
For a moment, I just stare at it.
Months ago, I let his calls ring unanswered.
Because I knew hearing his voice would pull me back before I was ready.
But now things feel different.
Now someone else is involved.
Someone asking questions.
Slowly, I reach for the phone.
My thumb hesitates for half a second.
Then I answer.
"Hello."
There's a brief pause.
Then Victor's voice fills the quiet kitchen.
"Lina."
The sound of my name in his voice sends a familiar warmth through my chest.
Controlled.
Calm.
But softer than I remember.
"You found me," I say quietly.
Another pause.
"I wasn't looking for you."
I let out a small breath.
"That sounds like you."
"I promised I wouldn't."
"Yes," I reply. "You did."
The silence that follows isn't uncomfortable.
It's the kind of silence that used to exist between us when neither of us felt the need to fill space with unnecessary words.
Finally, he speaks again.
"Someone contacted you today."
My eyes narrow slightly.
"You're watching me."
"No."
"Victor"
"I'm protecting you."
The calm certainty in his voice makes my chest tighten.
"I didn't ask for protection."
"I know."
"Then why"
"Because someone else is watching you too."
The words land heavily.
The room suddenly feels colder.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
I stand and walk toward the window, staring out at the wet street below.
"What do they want?" I ask.
"You."
My stomach twists.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does to them."
I turn slightly.
"Explain."
There's a moment of hesitation on the other end of the line.
Victor rarely hesitates.
"Lina," he says carefully, "there are people in my world who believe power only survives if it removes its weaknesses."
"And they think I'm yours."
"Yes."
The honesty in his voice surprises me.
"You could have lied," I say.
"I could have."
"But you didn't."
"No."
I lean against the window frame, the cool glass pressing against my arm.
"So what happens now?"
"I handle it."
"How?"
"That's not something you need to worry about."
I shake my head slightly.
"That's exactly the kind of answer that made me leave."
Another pause.
When Victor speaks again, his voice is quieter.
"I know."
The admission catches me off guard.
"I didn't call to control the situation," he continues. "I called to warn you."
"About Elena?"
Silence.
So I guessed correctly.
"She's involved," he finally says.
I close my eyes briefly.
"Elena never liked me."
"She doesn't like unpredictability."
"And I'm unpredictable."
"Yes."
A soft laugh escapes me before I can stop it.
"Well," I say, "at least she's consistent."
"Lina."
His tone changes slightly.
More serious.
"I need you to be careful."
"I always am."
"That's not what I mean."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean if anything feels wrong anything at all you call me."
The intensity in his voice makes my chest tighten again.
"Victor…"
"Yes."
"You don't get to protect me by dragging me back into your world."
"I'm not."
"Then what are you doing?"
There's a long pause.
When he answers, his voice is quieter than I've ever heard it.
"Trying to make sure you stay alive."
The words settle between us like something fragile.
For a moment, neither of us speaks.
Finally I break the silence.
"You still think I made the right choice."
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On whether the world lets you keep it."
I stare out at the rain again.
"Victor."
"Yes."
"I didn't leave because I stopped caring about you."
"I know."
The quiet certainty in his voice surprises me again.
"You do?"
"I knew it the moment you walked away."
Another silence settles between us.
But this one feels different.
Heavier.
Full of things neither of us has said yet.
Finally Victor speaks again.
"Lina."
"Yes."
"If things get worse…"
His voice stops for a second.
Then continues.
"…you won't face it alone."
My heart beats a little faster.
"I thought we agreed I needed to learn how."
"You did."
"And?"
"And I agreed."
A small pause.
"But I never said I'd stop caring what happens to you."
I close my eyes briefly.
That was always the dangerous part of Victor.
Not the power.
Not the control.
The way he cared quietly, deeply, and without apology.
"Goodnight, Victor," I say softly.
"Goodnight, Lina."
The call ends.
The kitchen falls silent again.
But something inside me has shifted.
Because for the first time since leaving his world…
Victor Hale isn't just a memory.
He's part of the fight that's coming.
And somehow, I know this isn't the last time we'll speak before everything changes.