The rain had softened overnight into a steady drizzle, tapping softly against the windows of Isabel's dorm room like fingers tracing secrets across glass. Morning light crept in, pale and tired, but neither she nor Jude stirred immediately. The air was thick with the weight of last night's confrontation. Isabel sat up slowly, the events replaying like a silent film in her mind—Daniel's threatening words, Adrian's clenched jaw, her heart racing from more than fear.
She touched the side of her neck gently. A faint bruise had begun to form where Daniel had grabbed her. Jude noticed.
"You're not going to class like that," Jude said firmly, handing her a scarf. "He doesn't get to touch you and walk away like nothing happened."
Isabel nodded, fingers trembling slightly as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. "He's spiraling, Jude. And I... I can't keep pretending I'm okay."
"Then stop pretending," Jude said, his voice softening. "Let's stop hiding."
Isabel looked at him, eyes wide. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... everything. The bruise. Daniel. And Adrian."
Isabel's breath caught. "Adrian... he's already risking so much. His job. His reputation. His family—"
"Exactly," Jude interrupted. "And what are you risking, Isa? Your peace? Your safety? This isn't just a fling anymore. This is real, and the world will find out soon enough."
---
Across campus, Adrian sat at the edge of his mahogany desk, the morning newspaper crumpled in his hand. An anonymous article had made it into the student blog—rumors of a professor dating a student. No names, but enough clues to stir speculation.
His father, Maxwell Cole, had already called. "This isn't how Cole men handle scandals," he had said coldly. "Cut ties, or I'll cut you off."
Adrian stared at the phone even after the call ended, his temples pounding. For the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he was ready to choose between love and legacy.
Just then, Vanessa barged into his office. "I know you saw it."
"I did."
"You think it was Daniel?" she asked.
Adrian looked grim. "It has his fingerprints all over it."
Vanessa scoffed. "He's a pest. He's unraveling. I'll handle him if you won't."
"No," Adrian said, his voice tight. "We handle things differently. No more fire for fire."
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if he lays another finger on her, I'll bury him myself."
---
Later that afternoon, Isabel sat beneath the giant oak tree outside the library—where she first spoke to Adrian weeks ago. The memory seemed like a dream now. She waited with her hands folded in her lap, nerves gnawing at her gut. When Adrian arrived, his trench coat damp from the rain, her chest tightened.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said gently, but his eyes betrayed his need to see her.
"I couldn't not come," Isabel replied. "I needed to know you're okay."
"I'm not," Adrian admitted. "I can't protect you from all of this anymore."
"You're not supposed to protect me from everything," she said. "You're just supposed to... stand with me."
The silence between them cracked open with emotion. Adrian reached out, cupping her cheek. "My father is threatening to ruin me, Isabel."
"Let him try," she whispered. "He can't ruin what we have."
He kissed her then, right there under the drizzle, slow and soft, like it was the only truth left in the world.
---
Back in the art district of the city, Vanessa stood in the loft apartment she shared in secret with Zara. Tension clung to the walls.
"You're being reckless, Ness," Zara said, brushing charcoal from her hands. "If anyone finds out... your family will destroy me."
Vanessa turned, lips tight. "I'm tired of hiding. I'm tired of pretending I'm someone I'm not."
"You think it'll get easier once it's out?" Zara said. "Your family will chew you up."
"Let them try," Vanessa snapped. "You think I care what they think after what they've done to Adrian?"
Zara sighed, looking away. "I love you, Ness. But I won't be collateral damage."
Those words hung in the air. Vanessa felt her chest cave slightly. It wasn't just about her anymore—it was about what she was asking Zara to endure. Was love enough?
---
That night, Isabel and Adrian met again—this time at the secluded guest house owned by Adrian's family. The place was tucked away near the woods, warm with firelight and silence.
Isabel traced her fingers along the wooden beam of the window. "Do you ever wish you were someone else?"
"Every day I'm not with you," Adrian replied, pulling her close. "But when I am... I don't wish for anything else."
The tension broke with a kiss that deepened by the second. His hands found her waist, hers tangled in his hair. The scarf fell away.
He saw the bruise.
"Daniel did this?" His voice was low and dangerous.
She nodded. "He's losing control."
Adrian gently kissed the mark. "He won't touch you again. I swear it."
Their clothes fell away like discarded fears, and their bodies moved in rhythm with the crackling fireplace. It was a moment raw and unfiltered—love, pain, need, all tangled together in a way only they could understand. He touched her like she was something precious and broken, and she held him like he was the only thing keeping her steady.
"I love you," she whispered between gasps.
Adrian paused, his forehead pressed against hers. "Say it again."
"I love you," she said, firmer this time.
He smiled—soft, real. "Then nothing else matters."
---
Outside, across the estate, someone watched from the shadows.
Daniel.
He clenched his fists, his breathing erratic. His eyes burned with betrayal and obsession. "You made me the villain, Isabel," he muttered to himself. "But this story's not over."
To be continued....