31 – The Moment She Runs

31 – The Moment She Runs

Ellie’s POV

The air is thick with tension, so suffocating I can barely think.

Liam’s gaze is locked on mine, desperate and certain. Adrien, lounging in his chair, radiates absolute control, his smirk unreadable—but I see it in his eyes. He’s daring me.

And for a moment, I can’t move.

I want to say something. Anything. But the words stick in my throat. The weight of everything presses down on me, and I know—once I speak, there’s no taking it back.

Then—

A knock at the door.

It’s soft, hesitant, but in this silence, it might as well be a gunshot.

Adrien’s brow twitches in mild irritation, but he doesn’t turn away from me. He’s waiting. For my answer.

Another knock. Then the door cracks open.

“Sir, there’s a matter that requires your immediate attention.”

The secretary’s voice is careful, like she knows she’s walking into something dangerous.

Adrien’s smirk doesn’t waver, but I see the flicker of annoyance. A split second. A tiny, precious moment where his attention shifts.

My heart stammers in my chest.

This is it.

I act on instinct—spinning on my heel, I run.

Straight to Liam.

His eyes widen in shock, but there’s no hesitation in his body. The moment I reach him, his arms wrap around me, solid, protective.

Adrien’s chair scrapes against the marble floor. I hear it—the scrape of metal against stone, the sound of a beast being unleashed.

Lucien curses.

Adrien snarls my name.

But I don’t stop.

Because if I do—I’ll never leave.

Liam grips my hand tighter, his body tensing as he pulls me toward the door. Adrien is behind us now, moving, a force of pure fury.

I hear the heavy thud of his steps. Hear the shift in the air as he moves too fast, too powerful.

I squeeze Liam’s hand, terror clawing at my throat.

But then—

Lucien moves.

I don’t see exactly what he does, but I hear it—a sharp clash, a shift in motion behind us.

Liam doesn’t hesitate. He yanks the door open, pulling me with him into the dimly lit hallway.

We run.

Adrien’s POV

I knew she’d hesitate.

I knew she’d waver.

But I never expected her to run.

The second her body collides with Liam’s, something inside me snaps.

I push up from my chair, my vision tunneling. She’s mine.

Lucien moves at the same time, stepping between me and them, just long enough for them to make it to the door.

I see Liam’s grip tighten on her. See her panic, see her desperation.

And I hate it.

I hate that she looks at him the way I wanted her to look at me.

The door slams shut.

The sound echoes through the room like a gunshot.

Lucien exhales, shaking his head as he turns to me. “Well… that just happened.”

I don’t move.

I don’t breathe.

Because this isn’t over.

Not even close.

Ellie’s POV

We don’t stop.

Not when we hit the main hall. Not when the cold night air slams against my skin like a shockwave.

Liam’s grip on my wrist is firm but not painful, like he’s afraid to hold me too tight. Afraid I’ll slip away.

We reach his car, and he swings open the door. “Get in.”

My pulse pounds in my ears. My chest heaves as I hesitate for a single second—a heartbeat where my mind catches up to my body.

Did I really just do that?

Did I really just run from Adrien?

Everything feels unreal. The adrenaline. The cold air. The look in Liam’s eyes—relief, desperation, something deeper.

And then I hear it—

The distant slam of a door.

Adrien is coming.

My stomach flips, and I scramble into the car without another thought.

Liam doesn’t hesitate. He jumps into the driver’s seat, and the engine roars to life.

We peel out onto the road just as I see Adrien emerge from the building—dark, furious, a storm brewing behind his eyes.

His gaze meets mine through the glass.

And I swear, I feel it.

The promise.

The warning.

You can run, Ellie. But you can’t escape me.

\---------------------------

The city lights blur past us as Liam speeds down the highway, his grip tight on the wheel.

I can’t stop shaking. My breath comes in uneven gasps, my heart slamming against my ribs.

I did it.

I ran.

From Adrien. From the man who owned me.

I press a hand to my chest, trying to steady the storm inside me. But even as adrenaline pulses through my veins, I can’t shake it—that feeling.

That final look in Adrien’s eyes as I fled.

A promise. A warning.

He won’t let me go.

Liam’s voice breaks through the chaos in my head. “Ellie.”

I turn to him. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel. His jaw is clenched so tight it looks painful.

“You okay?” he asks, his voice softer now.

I nod, but it’s a lie. I don’t know what I am.

Liam exhales, like he’s been holding his breath this whole time. He glances at me, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t think you’d do it.”

I bite my lip. “Neither did I.”

His grip on the wheel tightens. “Then why did you?”

I open my mouth, but the words don’t come.

Why did I?

Because Liam was there? Because Adrien pushed too hard? Because deep down, I was waiting for someone to pull me out?

Or—

Because I was afraid of how much I was starting to want Adrien?

I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

Liam doesn’t push me for more. He just nods, eyes flicking back to the road.

We drive in silence for a while, the weight of everything pressing down on us.

Then, quietly, he asks, “Do you regret it?”

I inhale sharply. The question sinks into me like a stone.

Do I?

Do I regret running?

Or do I regret how it felt like tearing my own soul apart?

I look out the window, my chest tightening. “I don’t know.”

Liam doesn’t say anything, but I see his fingers flex on the wheel. Like my answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

Adrien’s POV

I stand at the entrance of the building, my fists clenched so tight my nails bite into my skin.

She ran.

She fucking ran.

With him.

The rage that simmers inside me is dark and dangerous, coiling tighter with every passing second.

Lucien exhales beside me. “What now?”

I don’t answer. I can’t.

Because I don’t know what I’ll do once I catch them.

And I will.

Lucien shifts, rubbing his jaw. “If you chase her down now, it’ll only make things worse.”

My head snaps toward him, murder flashing in my eyes.

Lucien doesn’t flinch. He never does. “She ran, Adrien. If you hunt her like an animal, she’ll never forgive you.”

Forgiveness?

I let out a low, humorless chuckle.

Forgiveness isn’t what I want.

I want her back.