Chapter 154

Magnus Hale

I feel something soft brush against my cheek. A slow, almost reverent caress, followed by a voice whispering near my ear.

"Love… I need you to wake up."

I open my eyes slowly, blinking until Adrian's image comes into focus in front of me. His face is far too close, his gaze shimmering with excitement.

"What is it, Adrian?" I ask, my voice husky with sleep.

He smiles, running his thumb over my lips.

"I need you to get up and get dressed. Your present just arrived… faster than I expected."

I stare at him, confused, trying to make sense of it.

"My present?" I knit my brows. "Can't you give it to me later? I'm dead tired."

He pouts like a spoiled child and kisses my chin.

"Please, love." His voice sounds far too sweet—the kind of sweetness that hides something. "I need you to come with me. I can't bring it here. I promise you're going to love it."

I sigh, still suspicious. Adrian smiles, and there is something dangerous in that smile. I rub my face, trying to wake up for good.

"Fine… Grab my uniform—" I don't even finish the sentence.

He is already holding out the uniform, folded perfectly, as if he’s been waiting for me for hours.

I shake my head, not understanding where all this energy comes from, and get up. My backside doesn't hurt as much as it did this morning, which is a relief. I start getting dressed, and when I’m finished, he takes my hand firmly, intertwining our fingers.

"Let’s go." He simply pulls me down the hallway.

The touch of his hand is hot and possessive. He grips it so hard it feels like he wants to chain me there, and it starts making me uneasy.

I look at him and see that wide, satisfied grin… and in his eyes, that familiar perversity that always heralds something dangerous.

What kind of fucking present is this?

I recognize the path and feel my stomach tighten.

"Are we going to the warden's office?" I ask.

"It’s near his office," he answers without looking at me.

We pass the warden's door and stop in front of another one right next to it. He lets go of my hand reluctantly, and I notice in his gaze just how much he didn't want to do that.

"Wait here, my love." He opens the door and goes inside.

I let out a sigh, crossing my arms.

I rub my face, finally pushing away the last remains of sleep. My mind, now fully awake, insists on returning to the conversation I had with Adrian this morning. He told me about his past… and it affected me more than it should have.

How could his own mother believe he was a monster? He was just a quiet, reserved child. She was the one who transformed him, or at least accelerated the process. Beating him, suffocating him, trying to kill him. It’s as if she molded the shadow he carries today.

And from the way he spoke, it seems I’m the only one capable of making him feel anything. The only one who pulls him out of the void.

Hell.

I am completely screwed.

Why did I have to be the "love at first sight" of a kid this sick, this crazy?

It’s clear Adrian doesn't want to change. There is no cure, no redemption. Like he said himself, this is his true self—and I either accept it… or I get crushed by this obsession.

He talks all the time about wanting to pamper me, to love me. And looking at everything he went through, maybe it’s fair. Maybe he deserves to be loved too, despite everything.

Damn, what am I saying? I don't even know how to love someone.

But I can't deny it: his presence doesn't bother me anymore. On the contrary… I like his kisses. They’re good—addictive, even.

I'm not ready for anything beyond that yet. Or maybe I'm just making excuses, delaying the inevitable.

Enough, Magnus. Stop running.

Just make a decision and be a man, for fuck's sake.

I, Magnus Hale, accept fucking Adrian. There. No more going in circles, no more overthinking this shit.

I stand there, alone in the hallway, until the doorknob turns again, snapping me out of my thoughts. The door opens, but it’s not Adrian who appears.

An older man emerges, and for an instant, I’m stunned by the resemblance. He has the same face shape and the same sharp eyes, but his hair is light brown, and his aura is… far too arrogant.

He looks me up and down, a satisfied smile on his lips.

"So you are the man my son is in love with." His voice is deep and drawling. "Your present is inside. It was difficult to bring him here, but I managed as quickly as possible… just to please my son."

With every word, the discomfort grows inside me.

"And I received a fine reward by being called 'Dad,'" he adds proudly, as if it were some grand achievement.

I look him up and down, studying the man in front of me.

So this is the doting father Adrian mentioned.

Perfect. Two lunatics in the same family.

He takes a few steps toward me, extending his hand with a confident smile.

"I am Thomas Kael, Adrian's father. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my son-in-law."

My eyes go wide, surprised.

"Son-in-law?" I repeat, the word piercing through me like a cold blade.

I look at his hand, not having the courage to return the greeting. Before I can decide, the door suddenly swings open. Adrian steps out, and his gaze immediately lands on my hand suspended in the air. Without hesitation, he grabs it, pulling it away from Thomas's.

"Father, please, don't touch my love." His voice is sharp and possessive.

Thomas simply agrees, as if he’s already used to his own son's coldness. He doesn't even seem bothered; he accepts the order without resistance, which makes me even more uncomfortable.

My eyes shift to the warden, standing near the door. He is so nervous I can see his hands shaking, unable to hide the fear he feels.

"Love." Adrian's voice calls me back, and when I look at him, I find one of those macabre smiles plastered on his lips.

The kind of smile that makes the air feel heavy.

"You may enter. Your present awaits you."

I look at him suspiciously, but his eyes shine with that addictive madness I’ve already learned to recognize. I exhale slowly, resigned, and walk toward the door.

I take the first step inside.

And as soon as my eyes adjust to the room, I freeze.