Part 1 – The One Who Left
The city lights shimmered on the glass walls of the restaurant, casting soft golden hues over the tables. People laughed over wine, cameras flashed, music played gently in the background. It was the perfect scene for anyone… except me.
I swirled my drink slowly, staring at the amber liquid like it might answer all the questions that had been haunting me for years. My best friend, Mia, leaned closer.
“Stop brooding, Lena. Tonight’s a charity gala, not your funeral.”
I gave her a dry smile. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to stand here smiling at strangers while pretending you belong.”
“You do belong. And who knows? You might even meet someone interesting.”
I almost laughed at that — until my gaze shifted toward the entrance.
The air left my lungs.
He walked in like the world belonged to him. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a tailored black suit that hugged his frame in all the right ways. His hair was darker than I remembered, his jaw sharper. But it was his eyes — those deep, stormy eyes — that froze me in place.
Adrian.
Five years. Five years since he’d left without a word. Five years since he’d torn my heart out and disappeared like smoke. And now… he was here.
I could feel my pulse in my throat as I gripped the stem of my glass. I told myself it didn’t matter, that I was over him. But my body betrayed me — my heart pounding, my breath catching, my mind flashing with memories of the boy who had once been my entire world.
Mia noticed my stillness and followed my gaze. “Oh. My. God. Is that—?”
“Yes.” My voice was tight.
“Wow… he looks—”
“Don’t say it.”
But she was right. He looked incredible. Dangerous. Like the years had turned him from a reckless young man into something far more controlled, far more powerful. I hated that my eyes lingered on him anyway.
And then… he saw me.
The noise of the gala faded as his gaze locked on mine. A slow, knowing smirk curved his lips. He started walking toward me, and I couldn’t move. My feet were rooted, my mind screaming run while my body stayed frozen.
When he stopped in front of me, his presence filled the space like a storm cloud ready to break.
“Lena,” he said, his voice deeper, smoother than I remembered. “You haven’t changed.”
I forced a bitter smile. “You have.”
His eyes flickered with something I couldn’t read. “You look good.”
I raised my glass between us like a shield. “You look… present. Which is surprising.”
A ghost of a laugh escaped him. “Still sharp.”
I wanted to throw every question at him — Where did you go? Why didn’t you call? Why now? — but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he could still get to me.
“I’m here for the charity,” I said, turning slightly away. “Enjoy your night.”
But as I tried to walk past him, his hand closed around my wrist. Firm. Warm. Familiar.
“We need to talk,” he said softly, but there was steel under his tone.
I yanked my hand free. “We have nothing to talk about.”
His jaw tightened, but that smirk returned. “We’ll see about that.”
And then he walked away, leaving me with my heart pounding and my thoughts spiraling.
Mia leaned in immediately. “Lena. What the hell was that?”
I swallowed hard. “That… was my past.”
She glanced toward where Adrian now stood across the room, surrounded by people yet watching me like I was the only one there. “Looks like your past wants to be your present.”
I didn’t answer. But deep down, I knew this wasn’t over.
Not even close.
---
Part 2 – The Past Never Died
I didn’t sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Adrian’s face — older, sharper, but still wearing that same look that used to melt me and terrify me all at once.
By morning, I convinced myself it didn’t matter. People from the past pop up sometimes, but it doesn’t mean they stay. He would leave again. He always did.
Except… he didn’t.
By the third day, I’d seen him twice. Once at the coffee shop near my apartment, where he sat in the corner reading something on his phone — though I knew he was aware of me. And again at the bookstore, leaning against the shelves like he owned the place. Both times, he said nothing. Just watched.
The worst part? I could feel my resolve cracking.
---
Five Years Ago
The world had felt endless then. We were young, stupid, in love. I’d met Adrian at the pier, both of us skipping class, watching the water turn gold in the sunset. He had that wild charm — the kind of boy every parent warned you about. And I was the kind of girl who thought she could tame storms.
We were inseparable for two years. Laughing, fighting, making up like it was our second language. I thought nothing could touch us… until it did.
One night, he showed up at my window, his face pale. “I have to go,” he said.
“Go where?”
“Just… away.”
I’d begged him to explain, but he only kissed me — rough, desperate — and whispered, “I love you, Lena. Don’t forget that.” Then he was gone.
No calls. No letters. No trace.
---
Present
It was raining when he finally approached me again. I was leaving the grocery store, arms full of bags, when a black car pulled up beside me. The tinted window rolled down.
“Get in,” he said.
I laughed without humor. “You’ve lost your mind.”
But then he stepped out, umbrella in hand, and took the bags from me before I could protest. “We need to talk. And you’re not going to run from me this time.”
His closeness sent unwanted warmth through me. He opened the passenger door and gave me that look — the one that always dared me to disobey. Against my better judgment, I got in.
The car smelled like leather and rain. Neither of us spoke as we drove, the city lights streaking past. Finally, we stopped at a quiet riverside.
“Why are you here, Adrian?” I asked. My voice was steady, even though my heart was racing.
He leaned back, studying me. “Because I made a mistake. And I’m here to fix it.”
I shook my head. “You don’t get to vanish for five years and then waltz back like nothing happened.”
“I didn’t vanish.” His tone darkened. “I left to keep you safe.”
I frowned. “Safe from what?”
He hesitated. “From people who would have hurt you to get to me. I thought staying away would protect you. But it didn’t.”
My stomach tightened. “What are you talking about?”
His gaze locked on mine, unwavering. “You think you moved on, Lena. But you didn’t. And neither did I. I’m not asking for permission this time.”
I laughed bitterly. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, leaning closer, “I will make you mine. Again.”
The rain pattered against the roof, filling the silence that followed. My pulse thundered in my ears. I wanted to tell him no — to push him out of my life for good — but my voice wouldn’t come.
Instead, I opened the door and stepped into the rain.
If he wanted me back, he’d have to fight harder than that.
---
Part 3 – A Dangerous Pull
I thought avoiding Adrian would be simple.
I was wrong.
For the next week, he was everywhere. Outside my office building. At the café I visited on weekends. Even once outside my apartment building, leaning against the hood of his car like he was part of the scenery.
He didn’t speak every time — sometimes he just watched, his gaze steady, unreadable. Other times, he’d say things like:
“You look better in red.”
or
“I liked that smile you gave the barista… but I’d rather it be mine.”
It was infuriating how easily he unsettled me. I’d spent years stitching my heart back together, and now with every glance, every word, he was pulling the threads loose again.
---
One night, Mia dragged me to a friend’s rooftop party. Music thumped through the air, and I was determined to have fun, to prove — if only to myself — that Adrian didn’t matter.
I was talking to Daniel, a guy Mia had introduced me to, when a hush rippled through the crowd. The kind of hush that only happened when someone’s presence shifted the room.
I turned… and there he was.
Adrian stood at the edge of the rooftop, dressed in black, the wind tugging at his hair. His eyes found me instantly. And that was when I realized — he hadn’t just stumbled upon this party. He’d followed me here.
I forced myself to keep talking to Daniel, ignoring the weight of Adrian’s gaze. But minutes later, I felt a hand wrap around my wrist — firm, unyielding.
“Come with me,” Adrian said, his voice low but sharp.
“Excuse me?” I yanked my hand free.
He didn’t care that people were watching. “You’re leaving. Now.”
Daniel stepped forward. “Hey, she’s not going anywhere with you if she doesn’t want to.”
Adrian’s eyes flicked to him — cold, dangerous — before settling back on me. “Lena. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Something in me snapped. “You don’t get to control me, Adrian.”
For a moment, something like pain flickered in his eyes. Then it hardened. “I’m not trying to control you. I’m trying to remind you who you belong to.”
I laughed bitterly. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
“Then why,” he murmured, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from him, “are you shaking right now?”
The truth was… I didn’t know. Anger? Fear? Or something far more dangerous?
---
The rain began falling — sudden and heavy — sending people rushing indoors. I stayed where I was, staring at him. He reached out, brushing wet strands of hair from my face.
“You can fight me all you want, Lena,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “But I’m not leaving this time. Not until you’re mine again.”
I should have walked away.
Instead… I froze, caught between the urge to slap him and the urge to pull him closer.
---
Part 4 – Breaking the Walls
After the rooftop incident, I avoided him for three days.
I didn’t answer his calls, ignored the messages he slipped under my door, and even started leaving work through the back exit.
But on the fourth day, I found him sitting on the steps outside my apartment, a black hoodie pulled over his head, raindrops dotting his shoulders.
“You’re getting predictable,” I said dryly, stepping past him.
“Then stop making me chase you,” he replied, standing.
I unlocked my door, but before I could step inside, his voice caught me.
“You deserve the truth, Lena.”
Something in his tone made me pause. I turned slowly. “About why you left?”
He nodded, his eyes shadowed. “Let me in. Please.”
I hesitated — and then, against my better judgment, I stepped aside.
---
We sat across from each other in my small living room. The rain tapped softly against the windows.
“When I left,” he began, his voice low, “I wasn’t running from you. I was running from people who wanted to use you against me.”
I frowned. “What people?”
“My father’s enemies,” he said. “When he died, I inherited more than his business. I inherited every grudge, every threat. I thought if I disappeared from your life, they’d lose interest.”
I shook my head. “And you didn’t think I deserved to know? You didn’t think I could handle the truth?”
His jaw tightened. “I couldn’t risk it. If you had fought me… I wouldn’t have been able to walk away.”
The admission hung in the air, heavy and raw.
“Five years, Adrian,” I whispered. “Do you have any idea how much that broke me?”
His eyes softened. “It broke me too. Every day. But I told myself it was worth it if it kept you safe.”
I wanted to stay angry. I needed to stay angry. But as I looked at him — at the man who had once been my everything — the anger tangled with something else. Something warmer. Something dangerous.
He leaned forward, his voice rough. “I’ve spent every day since I left regretting it. I’m not asking for forgiveness, Lena. I’m asking for a chance to make it right.”
I swallowed hard, my walls trembling. “And what if I say no?”
His lips curved, faint but certain. “Then I’ll just keep showing up until you say yes.”
---
Silence fell. My heartbeat was too loud, my breath too shallow. He reached out, his fingers brushing mine — tentative, almost afraid.
For a moment, I didn’t pull away. And in that moment, I realized something terrifying: I had never truly stopped loving him.
---
Part 5 – I Will Make You Mine, Again
The next evening, I came home to find my apartment door ajar.
My pulse spiked instantly.
“Adrian?” I called out, stepping inside cautiously.
But it wasn’t Adrian waiting for me.
A man I didn’t recognize — tall, broad, with a scar down his cheek — leaned casually against the wall. His smile was wrong. “You must be Lena.”
I took a step back, but another man emerged from my kitchen, blocking the way.
“Who are you?” My voice was steady, but my hands trembled.
“The reason Adrian should have stayed away,” the scarred man said. “He took something from us years ago. We figured taking you would get his attention.”
My stomach dropped. “He left to protect me…”
Before I could move, rough hands grabbed me. My scream was muffled by a cloth pressed to my mouth. The world blurred, then went dark.
---
I woke to the sound of voices — and the low, lethal tone I knew instantly.
“Let her go,” Adrian said.
Even half-dazed, I could feel the fury radiating off him.
The scarred man chuckled. “We just wanted to remind you, Kane, that debts don’t disappear.”
Adrian’s voice dropped lower. “Touch her again, and you’ll disappear.”
What happened next was a blur. Adrian moved like a storm breaking — fast, precise, unstoppable. Two men went down in seconds. By the time he reached me, his breathing was heavy, his eyes still burning with danger.
He cut the ropes binding my wrists and pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Lena. I should’ve never let you out of my sight.”
I gripped his shirt, still shaken. “You can’t keep saving me forever.”
“Yes,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I can. And I will.”
---
Later, in the safety of his car, I finally found my voice. “They came for me because of you, Adrian. That’s not going to change.”
He turned to me, his expression fierce. “Then I’ll change it. I’ll burn down anything that threatens you. I’ll make enemies disappear. I don’t care what it costs me.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding — not from fear this time, but from the terrifying truth: I believed him.
“You’re insane,” I whispered.
His lips curved, slow and certain. “Insane for you.”
I should have argued. I should have told him this was too much. Instead, I leaned forward, closing the space between us. His hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me into a kiss that was everything we’d lost and everything we still were — desperate, claiming, unyielding.
When we finally broke apart, his voice was rough against my ear.
“You were mine then. You’re mine now. And I will make you mine… again and forever.”
---
THE END
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Bye, My dear readers! 🥰🥰🥰
