So I stay silent, watching as Ivan leaves Adrian and I behind. Hearing two sets of footsteps move up the stairs. The door sounded shut behind them.
“I think we should be friends, Aurelia.”
Adrian’s voice comes fast—almost too fast—the second the heavy door snaps shut, and we both know Nikolai and Ivan are gone.
I roll my eyes so hard it hurts. “Don’t call me that.”
He smiles, lazy even with the clink of chains as he shifts. “Aw, come on. Why can the big, bad prince get away with it, but not me?”
“He’s not a prince,” I retort tightly. I don’t even know if I believe that, but I say it anyway. “And neither are you.”
Adrian just hums, leaning back against the wall. “Still touched a nerve. That’s interesting.”
I whip my gaze away, glaring at the floor, but the heat in my cheeks gives me away. I’m still reeling from what just happened. From him. From them, their power is undeniable, but it’s Nikolai whose presence weighs the most.
Enzo warned me. Over and over again. About how the Orlov heir wasn’t just a monster in a suit—he was worse. Ruthless. Charming. Persuasive. The kind of man who would make you feel the world belonged to you just so he could take it back piece by piece. The devil in disguise.
I hear Adrian stretch, the sound of metal dragging as his shackles scrape against the floor. “Hmph. Doesn’t matter, really. Names don’t stop anyone. But—” He tips his head, smirking at me like we’re conspirators instead of prisoners. “In the spirit of friendship, I’ll call you whatever you want.”
I hate that he’s become sort of likable, and I must truly be in bad company to see a caged criminal as likable, right? It’s notlike I haven’t been trying to turn him away. But maybe he has problems too. I mean, what kind of criminal tries to be friends with his obviously murderous, tied-to-a-post cellmate?
I don’t reply. I don’t know if I can even think straight right now.
I don’t think Ivan gave me more drugs, it’s almost as if my body is more alert now, more aware of the agony my muscles are in. Maybe he gave me some shot of adrenaline, some way for my body to kick the drugs from my system. My mind is suddenly swarmed with an overwhelming pain I can’t shake. I feel off balance, and the position I’ve been stuck in is causing my body to go numb.
I wiggle my fingers and even though they move, I feel nothing. I try to bend my knees, but I can’t get enough slack to move them. And suddenly, my strength falters and I begin to panic, tuning out the space around me.
I hear a mumble, and I assume it’s Adrian, but I can’t hear him anymore.
I thrust my body once, twice and again when my knee pops and the sting is sent through my body.
My breath grows heavy, but I can’t stop.
I need to get out. I need to get out. I need to get out.
Again, my body is thrust forward, trying to push out of the restraints.
I hear more mumbling, and I’m only forced to push harder. I can’t see anything anymore, only thoughts of Elijah pounding into a girl that isn’t me, Nikolai smirking down on me, knowing I’m pinned, Adrian knowing more information about me, pretending to be my friend.
It’s too much. I need to get out. I need to—
“AURELIA!”
Warm hands grab my face.
Adrian. He’s right there, eyes wide, breathing hard.
“Hey. Look at me.”
I can’t. Everything’s blurred. “I—I don’t—”
“Hey. Look at me, gorgeous.” His voice drops lower. Calmer. It works. I blink until his face sharpens again. His copper eyes catching the light, steady and too soft for someone like him.
My chest starts to slow. Air in, air out.
He wipes at my face.Tears. I didn’t even feel them.
“You’re okay,” he murmurs. “It’s a lot. I hate him for getting in your head. But I’ve got you, Ace.”
