chapter 4: The Glimpse Beneath

The streets were quiet by the time Eli arrived at Adrian’s penthouse, just before midnight. He stood outside the glass doors of the high-rise building, a takeout tray holding a black coffee in hand—strong, no sugar.

He didn’t need to knock.

The door unlocked with a soft click the moment he sent the message.

> I’m here.

The elevator took him to the top floor with a hushed glide. Everything about the building whispered luxury—quiet, cold, immaculate.

But the silence inside Adrian’s home was louder than the city outside.

Eli stepped into the penthouse, the scent of clean leather, amber, and something darker—cologne and power—hitting him instantly. The living room stretched out before him like a photograph: all black marble, minimalist furniture, and walls of glass offering a view of the glittering skyline.

It was beautiful. But it felt empty.

And then he saw Adrian—barefoot, in a dark silk shirt with the top buttons undone, sleeves rolled up. No tie. No armor.

He looked… human.

“You came,” Adrian said, his voice lower than usual. It didn’t sound surprised. More like he’d never doubted it.

“You texted,” Eli replied, holding out the coffee.

Adrian took it, his fingers brushing Eli’s. “And you followed. That’s becoming a habit.”

“I don’t recall being given much of a choice.”

Adrian’s mouth twitched into the faintest smirk. “There’s always a choice, Eli. Just fewer options.”

They stood in silence, the lights from the city bathing them in a faint silver glow.

Adrian gestured to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Come see the view.”

Eli followed, stopping a few feet from him.

“This is where I come to think,” Adrian said. “Or forget. Depends on the night.”

“You have an entire city at your feet,” Eli said. “But you always look like you’re somewhere else.”

Adrian was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, “Because no matter how high you climb, there’s always more silence up here.”

The confession hit Eli unexpectedly hard.

“You don’t talk like this at the office.”

“At the office, I’m a god,” Adrian said simply. “Here… I’m just a man trying to remember if I ever had a soul.”

Eli turned to look at him.

There it was—that flicker of vulnerability beneath the arrogance, the wound behind the walls. He wasn’t just cold. He was empty in places no amount of power could fill.

“Why me?” Eli asked softly. “You could have anyone.”

“I don’t want anyone,” Adrian said. “I want clarity. I want someone who looks at me and sees the monster, and stays anyway.”

Eli’s chest tightened.

“I’m not here to fix you.”

Adrian nodded. “I don’t want to be fixed. I want to be understood.”

The room seemed to shrink between them.

Adrian stepped closer, slow and deliberate. Not to dominate. Not to control. Just… to be near. To be seen.

“You make me quieter,” he said. “Inside. That’s rare for me.”

Eli’s breath caught. “Is that why you watch me so much?”

Adrian didn’t deny it.

“I watch because I want to know which part of me you’ll break first.”

Silence.

Then, in a voice that cracked just slightly, Eli asked, “And what if I don’t break anything?”

Adrian looked at him then—really looked. No masks. No CEO. Just the man. Alone. Exposed.

“Then maybe,” he whispered, “you’ll be the only thing I don’t try to control.”

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That night, Eli didn’t sleep in Adrian’s bed.

He lay curled on the velvet couch, listening to the quiet hum of the city. Every once in a while, he thought he heard footsteps pacing behind the closed bedroom door.

Adrian Cross was a man used to owning everything.

But Eli suspected, just maybe, he was afraid of losing him before he ever had the chance to hold him.

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