ADRAIN POV
I was so furious when I saw that bruise on her wrist that I came straight home from college.
The entire drive back, her face haunted me.
Those frightened eyes.
That stupid lie.
That bruise.
Most of all...
The fact that someone had hurt her.
I sat on the edge of my bed, fists clenched so tightly the wood beneath me cracked.
Why didn't she tell me?
Why was she protecting him?
Whoever touched her...
Whoever dared put those marks on her skin...
I swear—
I'll kill him.
The room seemed to darken with my rage.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
Mike walked in.
Holding a card.
"Is everything alright?"
I looked away.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Do you need something?"
"I may not be your real father, Adrain," he said quietly, "but I know you. And I know when you're hiding something."
For a moment, guilt flickered through me.
Then vanished.
"There's nothing. Why are you here?"
Mike sighed and handed me the invitation.
"Mr. Dawn invited us to his house for a family gathering. His son has fallen in love, and he wants to introduce the girl to everyone."
"I don't want to go."
"This isn't about what you want."
His voice hardened.
"Mr. Dawn is an important ally."
I exhaled sharply.
"Fine. When?"
"Monday evening."
I nodded.
As he reached the door, he paused.
"If you ever need to talk..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'm here."
The door closed.
Silence returned.
And somehow...
My thoughts found their way back to her.
Again.
Always her.
Eira.
Her stubbornness.
Her lies.
Her smile.
Her eyes.
God.
What was happening to me?
Then another memory surfaced.
Andy.
After everything she'd endured...
After all the nightmares...
There had been a time she couldn't even sleep alone.
A time when every shadow terrified her.
A time when she forgot how to smile.
So I took her away.
Just for one day.
A picnic.
The forest.
Fresh air.
Freedom.
For hours we ran through the trees.
Hunted.
Laughed.
And for the first time in months...
I saw the old Andy again.
The one Dawson hadn't destroyed.
The one who still knew how to smile.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
Then I remembered.
Andy.
I stood immediately and headed toward her room.
The door was half open.
Inside, she was packing.
My jaw tightened.
"You're not going anywhere."
She looked up.
Completely calm.
Completely fearless.
Only Andy could look at me like that.
She walked over and gently pushed me onto the bed.
Then knelt in front of me.
"Adrain..."
Her voice softened.
"I know you care about me."
My throat tightened.
"I know you're scared something will happen again."
Scared?
Terrified.
"Andy," I said quietly, "last time you left, you know what happened. How can I risk that again?"
Her eyes filled with understanding.
But also determination.
"I understand."
She smiled sadly.
"But I want to be independent."
The smile broke my heart.
"If I stay here forever, I'll never truly be free."
I looked away.
Because she was right.
And I hated it.
"I need to find my own happiness."
Silence.
"I need time alone."
"Andy, try to under—"
"Please, Adrain."
Her voice cracked.
"Please."
That one word destroyed every argument I had.
I sighed.
Then pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Fine."
My voice was rough.
"You can go."
She smiled instantly.
"But promise me something."
She nodded.
"If you're ever in trouble..."
My arms tightened around her.
"You answer my call."
A dangerous edge entered my voice.
"If you don't..."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"I'll come for you."
Her smile widened.
"And I'll bring you back myself."
"Okay, Daddy."
I groaned.
She burst out laughing.
And for a moment...
Everything felt normal.
Later, after dropping Andy at her hostel, I returned home.
And spent the entire night staring at the ceiling.
Sleep never came.
Every time I closed my eyes...
I saw Eira.
That bruise.
That lie.
Those eyes.
What is she doing to me?
I sat upright.
Enough.
I needed to see her.
Just once.
Just to make sure she was alright.
That was all.
At least that's what I told myself.
A moment later I was racing through the forest.
The wind screamed past me.
Trees blurred.
The night swallowed everything.
Except one destination.
Her.
The girls' hostel stood silent beneath the moonlight.
I slipped through her window without making a sound.
And froze.
She was asleep.
Moonlight spilled across her bed.
Across her hair.
Across her face.
Everything felt strangely peaceful.
The room itself was a disaster.
Books everywhere.
Clothes on chairs.
Papers scattered across the desk.
Completely chaotic.
Completely Eira.
A smile escaped me before I could stop it.
She looked different when she slept.
Softer.
So Fragile.
Almost innocent.
As if the world hadn't hurt her yet.
My hand twitched.
I wanted to move her hair away from her face.
Wanted to touch her forehead.
Wanted—
No.
I stepped back.
Then I saw it.
The bruise.
My smile vanished instantly.
Rage returned.
Cold.
Sharp.
Violent.
Someone had done this to her.
Someone had made her cry.
Someone had put fear in her eyes.
And she had lied to protect him.
Slowly, I knelt beside the bed.
Her hand hung loosely over the edge.
Carefully.
Gently.
I lifted it.
The bruises looked even worse beneath the moonlight.
My jaw clenched.
A strange ache settled inside my chest.
An ache I couldn't explain.
Then before I could stop myself...
I lowered my head.
And pressed my lips softly against the bruise.
A silent promise.
A silent apology.
A silent vow.
No one would ever hurt her again.
Not while I was breathing.
Not while my heart still beat.
Not while I existed.
Then—
I looked up.
And froze.
Her eyes were open.
Looking directly at me.
For one endless second neither of us moved.
Neither of us breathed.
The world seemed to stop.
Then slowly...
Very slowly...
She closed her eyes again.
As if she wasn't sure I was real.
As if she thought she was dreaming.
And then I vanished through the window.
EIRA POV
Something cold touched my wrist.
Something soft.
Something impossibly gentle.
My eyes fluttered open.
And my entire world stopped.
Adrain.
He was kneeling beside my bed.
Holding my hand.
Kissing the bruise on my wrist.
For a moment I couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
My heart simply forgot how to function.
Adrain?
Here?
In my room?
At midnight?
What?
My eyes widened.
His face was so close.
Close enough to see every detail.
The sharp lines.
The dark eyes.
The strange sadness hidden behind them.
For a second I thought I was still dreaming.
So I closed my eyes.
Maybe if I opened them again—
He'd be gone.
Maybe none of this was real.
Maybe—
I opened my eyes.
The room was empty.
My heart dropped.
I immediately sat up.
The light switched on.
Nothing.
No Adrain.
No open door.
No sign anyone had ever been there.
I checked the bathroom.
Empty.
The balcony.
Empty.
The room.
Empty.
Slowly, I sat back down.
My pulse refused to slow.
What was that?
A dream?
Hallucination?
Wishful thinking?
No.
It felt real.
Too real.
I touched my wrist.
Then froze.
The pain was gone.
Completely gone.
Confused, I pulled my sleeve back.
And my breath caught.
The bruise had disappeared.
Not faded.
Not healed.
Gone.
As if it had never existed.
My fingers trembled.
How?
How was that possible?
Ice couldn't heal bruises overnight.
Medicine couldn't erase injuries in hours.
Then my thoughts returned to him.
Adrain.
The way he looked at my wrist.
The way he held my hand.
The way he kissed the bruise.
My face instantly burned.
No.
No.
No.
That couldn't have happened.
Could it?
I buried my face in my hands.
Completely confused.
Completely overwhelmed.
And completely unable to stop thinking about him.
Was I really dreaming??...