✦ EIRA POV ✦
What is he going to do?
The thought kept circling inside my head like a curse.
Oh God, please.
Send an earthquake.
A tsunami.
A lightning strike.
Anything.
Anything that could save me from this monster sitting beside me.
I squeezed my eyes shut and silently prayed for divine intervention.
Nothing happened.
Of course.
Because apparently God enjoyed watching me suffer.
Suddenly the car came to a stop.
My heart jumped.
We're at the hostel?
I quickly opened my eyes.
No.
The hostel stood in the distance, still several minutes away.
Then why had he stopped?
Slowly, I turned toward him.
And instantly regretted it.
Adrain was staring at me.
That smirk.
That horrible, infuriating, evil smirk.
The one that always made me want to scream.
The one that looked like he knew every thought running through my head.
Without saying a word, he reached behind him, grabbed a tablet, and started typing.
Calm.
Unbothered.
As if I didn't even exist.
My palms began sweating.
"What are you doing?" I snapped, immediately grabbing the door handle.
Locked.
Of course it was locked.
"Open the door, Adrain."
Nothing.
Not even a glance.
My eye twitched.
One day.
One day I was going to punch that stupid smirk right off his face.
Finally, after what felt like forever, he looked up.
That wicked smile still sat on his lips.
"I'm giving you one last chance," he said slowly.
"Tell me what's going on between you and him."
My chest tightened.
But I lifted my chin stubbornly.
"No. I will not tell you."
"As you wish."
His voice remained infuriatingly calm as he looked back down at the screen.
A horrible feeling settled inside my stomach.
"What are you doing now?"
"Nothing," he said casually.
"Just thinking."
His fingers tapped against the screen.
"Tessy's father is a manager, isn't he? He's about to get a promotion."
My eyes widened.
Then he added casually—
"Maybe I'll cancel it."
My jaw dropped.
"What?! Are you insane?"
Still calm.
Still emotionless.
Still typing.
"Or better yet..."
His eyes lifted.
"Maybe I'll throw him out of the company altogether."
My heart stopped.
"No!"
The word escaped before I could stop it.
"You can't do that! Don't do that!"
Panic surged through me.
Tessy's family didn't deserve this.
They had done nothing wrong.
He leaned closer.
His eyes dark.
Cold.
Dangerously calm.
"Then tell me what's going on between you and him."
Blackmail.
The arrogant jerk was actually blackmailing me.
I wanted to strangle him.
Wanted to scream.
Wanted to throw the tablet out of the window.
But Tessy...
My best friend.
Her future.
Her family.
Slowly, I closed my eyes.
Defeated.
And told him everything.
Every ugly detail.
Every disgusting thing Peter had done.
Every threat.
Every lie.
Every fear.
When I finally finished, silence filled the car.
The playful arrogance vanished from his face.
His expression darkened.
Dangerously.
"You shouldn't help Tessy."
His voice was low.
Cold.
"He's dangerous."
Anger immediately exploded inside me.
"So what?"
I shot back.
"You want me to sit quietly and watch my best friend marry that monster?"
His jaw tightened.
"He is dangerous, Eira."
"He can harm you."
I laughed bitterly.
"It's not like you care."
The moment the words left my mouth—
Something changed.
His eyes flickered.
For the first time all night.
For the first time ever.
He looked away first.
His grip tightened around the steering wheel.
The leather creaked beneath his fingers.
"You won't interfere in this."
His voice was sharp.
Final.
"Stay away from him."
"I can't."
My voice shook.
Not from fear.
From frustration.
"I won't let him ruin Tessy's life!"
The car screeched violently to a stop.
My breath caught.
Before I could react—
His hand wrapped around my arm.
Strong.
Warm.
Unyielding.
And suddenly I was pulled toward him.
My breath vanished.
Our faces were inches apart.
Close enough to feel each other's breathing.
Close enough to hear each other's heartbeat.
His eyes burned.
Not with anger.
With something far more dangerous.
"He is dangerous."
Each word came through clenched teeth.
"He can kill you."
My pulse hammered.
But I refused to back down.
"Why do you care, Adrain?"
Silence.
A deadly silence.
For one brief second—
Something raw flashed across his face.
Something vulnerable.
Something broken.
Then it disappeared.
Replaced by fury.
Pure fury.
He shoved the door open.
Stormed around the car.
And yanked my door open.
"Adrain, wait—"
He ignored me completely.
His grip closed around my wrist.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to drag me forward.
The entire walk to the hostel passed in silence.
Heavy.
Tense.
Painful.
When we reached the gate, he released me so suddenly I stumbled backward.
For one second—
Just one second—
I thought he might say something.
Anything.
Instead—
He turned.
Walked away.
Got into his car.
And drove off.
Without looking back.
Without a single word.
Leaving me standing there.
Confused.
Angry.
Hurt.
My eyes followed the disappearing taillights.
What is wrong with him?
First he saves me.
Then he blackmails me.
Then he acts like I mean absolutely nothing.
I don't understand him.
I don't understand him at all.
I fell onto my bed hours later, staring at the ceiling.
My mind replaying everything.
Every word.
Every look.
Every touch.
Every fight.
And one thought finally surfaced.
His name isn't Adrain Blake.
It's Arrogant Blake.
And honestly?
That suits him perfectly.
✦ ADRAIN POV ✦
Why doesn't she listen?
The question echoed endlessly inside my head.
The car sped through the empty road.
Trees blurred past.
Streetlights vanished one after another.
But none of it mattered.
Because my mind remained trapped on one person.
Eira.
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Why the hell do I care so much?
Why does every bruise on her skin feel like a wound on my own body?
Why does every tear she sheds make me want to burn the world down?
Peter was dangerous.
I knew it.
I could smell it.
Feel it.
The darkness inside him wasn't normal.
And yet she kept running straight toward the fire.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Why won't she protect herself?
Why won't she stay away?
Why does she always throw herself into danger for other people?
A bitter laugh escaped me.
Because deep down—
I already knew the answer.
That's who she was.
Stubborn.
Reckless.
Kind.
Infuriatingly kind.
The kind of person who would destroy herself to save someone she loved.
My chest tightened.
And suddenly her voice echoed inside my mind.
"It's not like you care."
The words hit harder now.
Much harder.
Because she had no idea.
No idea what she was doing to me.
No idea how difficult it had become to stay away from her.
No idea how many times I found myself searching for her in every room.
Listening for her voice.
Looking for her smile.
Worrying when she wasn't there.
What the hell is happening to me?
I slammed my hand against the steering wheel.
The car swerved slightly before I corrected it.
"Damn it."
My voice was barely a whisper.
Why her?
Why now?
Why does every instinct inside me scream to protect her?
Why does the thought of losing her make something inside me panic?
The memory of her frightened face flashed before my eyes.
Then her tears.
Then Peter's hands on her.
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt.
A dark promise settled inside my chest.
If Peter touched her again...
If he so much as looked at her the wrong way...
There wouldn't be a second warning.
This time—
I would finish it.
And for the first time in a very long time...
The thought didn't scare me.
What scared me...
Was how much Eira mattered.