C10 The first betrayal

The night was silent for a moment, but the stillness was suffocating. Amelia’s heart raced as she stayed pressed against Adrian, their breaths mingling, bodies close, each beat of his heart a protective drum against the chaos closing in.

Then came the sound—soft, deliberate footsteps moving closer from the shadows. Adrian stiffened, eyes darkening, every muscle tense.

“They’ve found us,” he muttered under his breath, voice low and dangerous.

Amelia’s stomach twisted. Found them? Her mind raced through every possible scenario—what could happen, what danger lurked just beyond the shadows.

Adrian’s hand slid from her waist to grip hers tightly. “Trust me. Stay behind me. No matter what.”

She nodded, unable to form words, her pulse hammering in her chest.

A door creaked. A figure stepped into the dim light—and Amelia gasped.

It was someone she had thought she could trust. Someone from Adrian’s inner circle.

“David?” Adrian growled. “What the hell are you doing here?”

David’s gaze flicked toward Amelia, expression unreadable. “I came to warn her… about you.”

Amelia froze. “About me? What are you talking about?”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed, jaw tightening. “Warn her? Or betray her?”

David didn’t answer. He only smiled faintly, a dangerous, knowing smile. “Let’s just say… not everyone in Adrian Blackwood’s world plays fair.”

Amelia’s chest tightened. Betrayal. She had known danger existed in Adrian’s life, but this close to him… she hadn’t expected someone so trusted to turn against them.

Adrian’s hands gripped her shoulders, strong and possessive. “Stay close. No matter what happens, don’t leave me.”

Her pulse leapt at his words. Don’t leave him? She wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Even as the threat before them loomed, even as fear gripped her, a fire ignited inside her—a need to face this storm together.

David stepped closer, voice low. “You think you can protect her, Adrian… but the walls are crumbling. Secrets you buried years ago are coming back, and not all of them are safe.”

Adrian’s gaze hardened, deadly. “I don’t care who comes at us. She stays with me. End of story.”

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. His words, his presence, his possessive protectiveness—they were overwhelming. And even amidst the betrayal and danger, she realized how impossible it was to resist him.

A sudden crash from the hallway snapped their attention. Someone else had joined the fray.

Adrian’s eyes darkened further, protective and feral. “Hold on,” he muttered, voice low. “This night isn’t over. Not by far.”

Amelia pressed closer, feeling the warmth of his chest, the strength in his arms, the intensity in his gaze. Her body ached with desire, fear, and something deeper she couldn’t name.

And as the shadows surged forward, one thing was certain: the first betrayal of the night had arrived.

And it would change everything.