The next morning arrived quietly.
Sunlight filtered through Elena's apartment window, landing softly across the piano in the corner of the room. The city outside was already awake—cars passing, distant conversations drifting up from the street below.
Elena sat at the piano bench with a cup of coffee resting beside her.
Her fingers hovered over the keys, but she hadn't played anything yet.
Her mind kept returning to the same thoughts from the night before.
Adrian.
The private dinner.
The hidden piano.
And most of all…
Her name was on his list.
She exhaled slowly.
"You're overthinking," she murmured to herself.
Still, something about the seriousness in Adrian's voice when he spoke about danger lingered in her mind.
Elena finally pressed a soft chord on the piano.
The sound filled the apartment gently.
A familiar comfort.
She began playing slowly, letting the melody guide her thoughts away from everything else.
For a few minutes, the music was the only thing in the room.
Then her phone vibrated on the small table nearby.
Elena stopped playing and leaned over to pick it up.
An unknown number.
She frowned slightly.
"Probably a wrong number," she muttered.
But she answered anyway.
"Hello?"
For a second, there was only silence on the other end.
Then a man's voice spoke.
Calm.
Low.
"Miss Rivera."
Elena sat up a little straighter.
"Yes?"
"You performed beautifully at the gala last night."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
"Thank you…?"
But the way the man spoke made the compliment feel strange.
Like it wasn't really about the music.
"We were impressed," the voice continued.
"We?"
Another brief silence followed.
Elena's instincts sharpened.
"Who is this?"
"That isn't important."
"That's not how phone calls usually work."
The man ignored the comment.
"Mr. Volkov seems to have taken an interest in you."
Elena's expression changed.
Immediately.
Her grip on the phone tightened.
"I don't discuss my personal life with strangers."
"Smart answer."
The voice sounded faintly amused.
"But you should still be careful."
Something cold slid through Elena's chest.
"Careful about what?"
"About the company you keep."
She stood up slowly from the piano bench.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No."
The man's voice remained calm.
"This is simply… advice."
Elena walked toward the window, staring down at the street below.
"Advice from who?"
"You could say we're people who pay attention."
"That's not comforting."
"It isn't meant to be."
Another pause.
Then the voice added quietly,
"Mr. Volkov has many enemies."
Elena said nothing.
"Sometimes," the man continued, "those enemies prefer easier targets."
Her heart skipped once.
"You're suggesting I'm one of those targets."
"Not yet."
Elena's jaw tightened.
"Then this conversation is over."
"Miss Rivera."
She hesitated.
"Yes?"
"If you're wise, you'll stay far away from Adrian Volkov."
The line went silent.
The call ended.
Elena slowly lowered the phone from her ear.
The quiet apartment suddenly felt different.
Heavier.
For a long moment, she simply stood there staring at the screen.
Then she set the phone down and walked back toward the piano.
But she didn't sit down again.
Instead, she stared at the keys without touching them.
Adrian's words from the night before echoed in her mind.
Once someone enters my world, people start paying attention.
Elena let out a slow breath.
"So this is what you meant," she murmured.
Across the city, inside a tall glass building overlooking the skyline, Adrian stood in his office near the wide windows.
Marcus stood across the room holding a tablet.
"We traced the number," he said.
Adrian's voice was quiet.
"And?"
Marcus' expression darkened slightly.
"It came from one of Orlov Group's secondary networks."
Adrian's gaze hardened.
"Seraphina?"
"Not directly."
"But close enough."
Adrian looked out across the city.
Somewhere in that city was Elena.
And someone had just contacted her.
Too soon.
Marcus studied him carefully.
"You were right to put her on the list."
Adrian's voice was colder now.
"She was always going to be noticed."
Lucas, who was present, crossed his arms.
"So what's the plan?"
Adrian's answer came without hesitation.
"We make sure the next warning isn't directed at her."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"And who will it be directed at?"
Adrian turned slightly.
His expression had become completely unreadable again.
"The people who think she's an easy target."
For the first time since the gala…
Adrian Volkov was no longer simply observing.
He was preparing.