Adrian didn't answer immediately.
He read the message again.
"Tell me something you've never told anyone."
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Then stilled.
No.
That wasn't how this worked.
He didn't…open up.
Didn't overshare.
Didn't hand pieces of himself to someone he couldn't even see.
And yet,
He hadn't closed the chat.
Hadn't walked away.
Hadn't done the one thing he was actually good at:
Disconnecting.
A slow breath left him as he leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting toward the city beyond the glass.
Control.
That's what this was about.
It always was.
Still, his phone remained in his hand.
He found himself not letting go.
Across the city, Elena stared at the screen longer than she wanted to admit.
No reply. Of course.
For someone who had opinions about everything, he suddenly had nothing to say.
"Coward," she muttered under her breath.
But the word lacked heat.
Because if she was being honest, She wasn't sure she would've answered either.
The question wasn't casual.
It wasn't playful.
It was…dangerous.
Her fingers tapped lightly against her desk as her thoughts drifted uninvited, back to the lounge.
To Daniel.
To what he'd said.
They know about his off-record communications.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
Coincidence?Maybe.
But she didn't believe in those.
Not anymore.
Her gaze dropped back to the screen.
Still nothing.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling crept in.
Not disappointment. Not quite.
Something closer to…Expectation.
Annoying.
She locked her phone, pushing it aside.
Work.
That's what she needed.
Something solid.
Something predictable.
Something that didn't…..
Buzz.
Her hand moved before she could stop it.
Adrian stared at the message he'd just typed.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
Deleted it again.
This was ridiculous.
He negotiated billion-dollar deals without hesitation.
Made decisions that affected entire markets.
And yet, One question.
One simple question, and suddenly, he was hesitating.
His jaw tightened.
Enough.
Before he could overthink it again, he typed.
"I don't trust people who ask questions like that."
Elena blinked.
Once.
Then a small, incredulous laugh slipped out.
Of course he'd deflect.
Of course he'd turn it around.
Her fingers moved quickly.
"That wasn't the question."
Adrian's lips pressed into a thin line.
Persistent.
He should've expected that. Then he typed
"And I didn't say I'd answer it."
Elena leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing slightly.
There it was. Control.
He was trying to regain it.
Shift the dynamic.
Keep distance.
She recognized it immediately.
Because she did the exact same thing.
"Then why are you still here?"
The question landed harder than she intended.
Or maybe, exactly as intended.
Adrian stared at the screen.
Something about that, It cut through the usual noise.
No games.
No distractions.
Just a question he didn't have a clean answer for.
His grip tightened slightly around the phone.
Because the truth? He didn't know.
And he hated that.
Across town, Elena waited.
Not impatiently. Not obviously.
But enough that when the reply came, her attention snapped back instantly.
"Because you don't sound like everyone else."
Her breath stilled.
Just for a second.
It wasn't dramatic. Wasn't poetic.
But it was, honest. Unfiltered.
And that made it more dangerous than anything else he'd said.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
She pulled up her keyboard and typed,
"That's not a good reason."
Adrian exhaled sharply, almost amused.
"It's the only one I have."
Silence followed.
Not empty. Not awkward.
Just…full.
Like something had shifted slightly beneath the surface.
Something neither of them had named yet.
In his office, Adrian stood, shrugging off his jacket as he moved toward the window.
The city stretched endlessly below him.
Controlled. Predictable. Manageable.
Unlike this.
Unlike her.
"You're making a habit of this."
The voice came from behind him.
Familiar. Unwelcome.
Adrian didn't turn around.
"You should knock."
"I did."
A pause.
"You ignored it."
Adrian glanced over his shoulder.
Elena.
Of course.
Because apparently, one version of her wasn't enough.
"What do you want?" he asked flatly.
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she stepped further into the room, her gaze briefly flicking to his desk, to the phone still resting there.
Unlocked.
Active.
Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
Then she looked back at him.
"We need to talk."
"About?"
"Your company."
His expression didn't change.
But something in his posture did.
Subtle. Sharp. Dangerous.
"I'm listening."
Elena held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary.
Measuring. Calculating.
Then she said,
"There's a leak."
Silence.
Not surprised. Not shocked.
Just…still.
Adrian turned fully now, his expression unreadable.
"I'm aware," he said.
That stopped her.
"You are?"
"Yes."
Her brows pulled together slightly. "And you're just…handling it?"
"I don't panic over problems I can solve."
His tone was calm. Too calm.
And that, that irritated her more than anything.
"You don't know the full extent," she said.
"Then enlighten me."
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Because suddenly, this didn't feel simple anymore.
Daniel's words echoed in her mind.
They know about his off-record communications.
Her gaze flicked again to his phone.
Then back to him.
Careful.
Too careful.
"They're not just targeting your company," she said slowly. "They're targeting you."
Adrian's eyes sharpened slightly.
Still calm. Still controlled.
But now, interested.
"And?"
Elena took a step closer.
Close enough that the air between them shifted.
Tightened.
"They know things they shouldn't."
A pause.
"Personal things."
Something unreadable flickered across his face.
Gone just as quickly.
"That's vague."
"It's intentional."
Silence stretched.
Heavy. Charged.
Amidst the tension,
His phone buzzed.
Once.
Both of them heard it.
Both of them looked.
Elena's gaze dropped to the screen.
Just for a second.
Just long enough, to see the name.
Nova.
Something in her expression changed.
Barely.
But enough.
Enough to register.
Enough to matter.
Adrian noticed.
Of course he did.
He always noticed.
"What?" he asked.
Her gaze snapped back to his.
Neutral. Composed. Perfectly controlled.
"Nothing," she said.
Too quickly. Too smoothly.
Too….Unconvincing.
Another buzz
The silence between them shifted again.
Different now.
Sharper. More dangerous.
"Seems important," Elena said lightly.
Adrian didn't respond.
Didn't move. Didn't reach for the phone.
Because suddenly, for reasons he couldn't explain, this didn't feel like a coincidence anymore.
Across the screen, the message waited.
Unopened.
"You still haven't answered me."
And standing right in front of him,
Elena Voss felt like a question he was getting dangerously close to understanding.