The day had been unnervingly quiet. I hadn’t heard from Adrian all morning, and part of me had hoped that maybe he’d finally left me alone. Maybe he’d gotten tired of the back-and-forth. But deep down, I knew better. Adrian never let go. He never gave up control.

It was late in the afternoon when my phone buzzed. 

I’m outside. Come out.

My heart sank. I stood frozen, staring at the message, feeling the weight of his demand settle like a stone in my chest. I knew what would happen if I ignored him—he would only get angrier. But the fear of facing him made my stomach churn.

Another message came through, sharper this time. 

Now, or I’m coming in.

I couldn’t let him come inside. My brothers would be home soon, and the last thing I needed was for them to see him. They didn’t know about Adrian. They couldn’t know. Not like this.

With shaky hands, I slipped my phone into my pocket and made my way downstairs, feeling the familiar tightness in my chest that always came before I saw him. The front door creaked as I opened it, and there he was—standing by his car, arms crossed, a dark look on his face.

As soon as he saw me, his eyes narrowed. “Took you long enough,” he muttered, pushing off the car and walking toward me.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, keeping my distance as he approached. “I didn’t see your messages until now.”

Adrian’s face twisted into a sneer. “Bullshit,” he snapped, his hand shooting out to grab my arm with a bruising grip. “You’ve been ignoring me. You think I don’t notice?”

I winced, trying to pull my arm free, but he yanked me closer, his other hand slamming into the side of my face, hard. The blow knocked me off balance, sending a sharp burst of pain through my jaw as I stumbled back.

“You think you can just walk away from me?” Adrian growled, his eyes dark with fury. “You think you can ignore me, hide from me?”

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and I wiped at my lip, feeling the warm, wet slickness on my hand. He had hit me before, but this time, the force behind it was harder, more violent, like he was trying to make sure I understood just how serious he was.

“I wasn’t trying to,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I just—”

“Shut up,” he spat, grabbing my jaw with his hand, forcing me to look at him. “You don’t get to decide when this ends. You’re mine. You think I’ll let you leave? You’re not going anywhere.”

The fear hit me hard, and I tried to pull away, but Adrian shoved me back against the side of the car with brutal force. My head hit the metal with a sickening thud, my sight darkening as a wave of pain shot through my skull.

“Adrian, stop!” I cried, but the words barely made it out before he was on me again, his hand wrapping around my throat, squeezing just enough to make it harder to breathe. “You can't run from me. Do you understand?”

I gasped, panic surging as his grip tightened around my neck. My heart pounded in my chest, fear clawing at me as I realized how serious this was. Adrian wasn’t just angry—he was going to hurt me, really hurt me.

Before I could react, he slammed me harder against the car, using his body to pin me there, his other hand sliding roughly beneath my shirt, his fingers digging into my skin. “You think you can just ignore me?” he hissed, his voice low and full of venom. “I’ll show you what happens when you try to leave me.”

Tears burned my eyes as I struggled to fight him off, but he was stronger, his weight pressing me into the cold metal. His hand moved lower, yanking at the waistband of my jeans as he pinned my wrists above my head, his breath hot against my skin.

“Please, stop. I don't want this, please!” I begged, my voice shaking with terror. “Not here—someone will see!”

But that only made him angrier. His fingers dug harder into my skin, bruising me, as his grip tightened around my throat again. “Let them see. You’re mine. No one’s going to stop me.”

I kicked out, trying to push him off, but it was no use. His hand moved roughly, trying to force my jeans down as he pressed himself harder against me.He leaned in, his breath ragged and furious, whispering in my ear, "You're fucking mine."His lips traced along my jaw and his teeth grazed my neck possessively.He leaned in, his breath ragged and furious, whispering in my ear, “You’re fucking mine.” His lips traced a slow path along my jaw, lingering with a dark intent. His teeth grazed my neck, a possessive bite that sent a shiver down my spine. I twisted away, desperate to shove him back, my pulse racing as I struggled. But his grip only tightened, holding me firm. I clawed at his shoulders, each attempt to break free colliding with his unyielding determination, yet it was useless.

Just when I thought there was no way out, I heard footsteps—fast, heavy footsteps—and then a voice, sharp and furious.

“GET OFF HER!”

Everything happened in a blur. Adrian was ripped off me with brutal force, his body slammed against the car with a sickening thud. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, tears streaming down my face as I looked up to see my brothers—Elijah, Maxim, Ethan, and Lorenzo—standing at the edge of the driveway. Their faces were a mix of shock and pure rage.

“Stay with her!” Maxim ordered, his eyes never leaving Adrian as he stalked forward.

Ethan dropped to his knees beside me, his hands trembling as he gently touched my arm. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice shaking with emotion.

I nodded, but the tears wouldn’t stop. My whole body was trembling, and my head was spinning from everything that had just happened. Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth, my lip split open, but all I could feel was the weight of fear still pressing down on me.

Meanwhile, Elijah, Maxim, and Lorenzo descended on Adrian like a storm. Maxim was the first to reach him, his fist slamming into Adrian’s jaw with a brutal crack that sent blood spraying from his mouth. “You motherfucker!” Maxim snarled, grabbing Adrian by the collar and throwing him against the side of the car.

Adrian spat blood onto the pavement, but he didn’t have time to react before Lorenzo kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him stumbling. “You think you can fucking touch her?” Lorenzo shouted, his face twisted with fury.

Elijah didn’t say a word as he grabbed Adrian by the shirt and slammed him against the car again, his fist connecting with Adrian’s stomach in a sickening blow. Adrian gasped for breath, but there was still a sick, twisted smile on his bloodied lips.

“She’s mine,” Adrian coughed, his voice low and mocking. “You can hit me all you want, but she’ll always come back to me.”

“Not anymore you fucker,” Maxim growled, punching him in the face again. Adrian’s head snapped back, more blood pouring from his nose. “You’re done. If I ever see you near her again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Adrian laughed, a broken, bloody sound as he struggled to his feet, staggering toward his car. “You don’t get it, do you?” he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. “You can beat me down, but I’m not going anywhere. She fucking belongs to me. And when I come back… you’ll all pay.”

Elijah’s fist tightened, his knuckles white, but he didn’t hit him again. Instead, he stepped back, his jaw clenched. “Get out of here,” he growled, his voice shaking with fury. “Now.”

Adrian spat blood on the ground, giving me one last, twisted smile before he climbed into his car. The engine roared to life, and with a screech of tires, he sped off, leaving nothing behind but blood and violence.

Ethan was still beside me, his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him as I shook uncontrollably. “It’s okay,” he whispered, though his voice was trembling too. “You’re safe now.”

Maxim and Lorenzo knelt down beside me, their faces still flushed with rage. “He’s never coming near you again,” Maxim said, his voice rough with emotion. “I swear.”

Elijah stood a few feet away, staring at the spot where adrian had parked his car, his fists still clenched, his chest heaving with anger. “If he tries anything again, he’s fucking dead.”

I nodded weakly, but inside, I knew it wasn’t over. Adrian’s words echoed in my mind, a lingering threat that hung over all of us.

This wasn’t the end. He wasn’t finished.

As Adrian’s footsteps faded down the driveway, I sat there on the cold ground, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. Every inch of me ached, the bruises throbbing with each shallow breath. I didn’t have the strength to get up—I was barely holding myself together.

Lorenzo knelt beside me first, his face softening as he took in my bruised face, the cuts, the raw exhaustion in my eyes. “Hey,” he said gently, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s over. You’re safe now.”

I nodded weakly, the adrenaline starting to fade, replaced by a bone-deep ache. “I’m… I’m fine,” I tried to say, but my voice cracked, and a wave of dizziness swept over me.

Maxim and Elijah stepped closer, concern etched across their faces as they crouched down beside me. Elijah wrapped his jacket around my shoulders, his hand resting lightly on my back. “You don’t have to say anything,” he whispered. “We’ve got you.”

I gave a small, shaky nod, and Maxim gently took my hands, helping me up. But as soon as I tried to stand, my vision blurred, and the world around me swayed. I barely registered Lorenzo’s voice calling my name, or the way Elijah’s hands gripped my shoulders as I stumbled. Everything went hazy, and I felt myself slipping into darkness, the pain too much to bear.

The last thing I heard was Ethan’s voice, sharp and panicked. “She’s fainting—hold her!”