N Y X
“Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again.”
"Some ice cream for your thoughts," Adrian said, extending a cone towards me with that unnervingly charming smile.
I took the ice cream with a forced smile of my own. "Thanks, but I need to put Andrew to sleep first." My stomach churned, a sense of dread gnawing at me like a festering wound. Something wasn’t right. Levi felt it too. His instincts were screaming at him, and now, so were mine. Logic be damned, sometimes the gut knows what the mind refuses to see.
As I walked towards Andrew’s room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was unraveling, the threads of our carefully woven plans being pulled apart by an unseen hand. Levi had pulled off a nearly impossible task—hacking into Octavio's tightly secured laptop and retrieving files that should have been locked away forever. I had done my part too, sneaking into Zayn’s office and temporarily misappropriating files related to Roman and the psychopath obsessed with me. We had enough information to realize that Levi’s gut feeling wasn’t just paranoia. But it was too late. The trap had already been set.
Adrian’s voice interrupted my spiraling thoughts. "Let me escort you to his room," he offered, his smile never wavering, though something in his eyes flickered that I didn't bother to decipher.
I returned his smile, "You’ve been helping me a lot lately. Thank you for that. You need to sit down for a while. I’ll be back," I replied, hoping to keep him at bay a little longer.
After putting Andrew to sleep, I turned on every baby monitor, and locked the door behind me. Trust was a luxury I couldn’t afford anymore. There were too many new faces in the mansion, too many unknowns. Zayn had stationed his men inside and outside the mansion, but even that didn’t make me feel safe.
"Hey," a voice whispered behind me, making me jump. Levi stood there, his face pale as usual but eyes wide with something close to fear.
"You scared me!" I hissed, trying to steady my racing heart. Levi didn’t laugh this time. His eyes were too focused, too intense.
"I need to talk to you about something," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. There was something in his tone that sent a shiver down my spine.
He led me to his room, locking the door behind us. "Don’t you think there are too many people here?" he asked, his voice tense.
I nodded slowly, the feeling of dread deepening. "Yes, that’s been bothering me. Zayn has never let this many people into the mansion, no matter the situation."
Levi’s eyes darted around the room, as if checking for hidden threats. "Should we talk to Adrian?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Do you trust him?" I countered, my mind racing to connect the dots that were starting to appear.
Levi hesitated, his breath coming in uneven gasps. "Not that much. He’s too clever. Zayn once told me, 'Never trust someone too clever. They’ll stab you in the back with a poisonous dagger that has no cure.'"
A chill ran down my spine as his words sank in. "You’re having a bad feeling about all this, don't you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
He nodded, his eyes haunted. "Let’s go to Ace’s room," I suggested, my voice trembling slightly.
"I was thinking the same thing. It’s the safest room, and we’ll be close to Andrew if by chance something happens."
We left Levi’s room quietly, trying to stay unnoticed. As we turned a corner, I spotted Adrian pacing in the hallway. The moment he saw us, his smile reappeared.
"Is everything alright?" Adrian asked, his voice smooth, too smooth, like oil on water.
I forced a smile, but it felt like a mask slipping off. "Just checking on Andrew. You know how it is."
Adrian chuckled, but the sound was hollow, devoid of any warmth. "Of course. A mother’s instinct is always right."
A mother's instinct
I didn't know why but his is words were like knives, cutting through the thin veil of security I had wrapped around myself. Something was terribly wrong, and I could feel it in the way Adrian’s eyes lingered on me, as if he were assessing every move I made.
Levi spoke up, his voice tight with tension. "We were just discussing the number of people in the mansion. It’s unusual, isn’t it?"
Adrian’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Security reasons, I’m sure. Zayn’s just being cautious, especially with everything going on."
Levi and I exchanged a glance, the unease between us growing into something more sinister. "Maybe we should all stay together until Zayn gets back," Levi suggested, his tone careful.
Adrian’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something dark and dangerous. "That sounds like a great idea. Safety in numbers, right?"
My heart pounded in my chest as I forced myself to stay calm. "Yes, safety in numbers."
Adrian stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that made my skin crawl. "But you know, sometimes the biggest threat is the one standing right beside you."
The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in as the reality of our situation began to sink in. "What are you saying, Adrian?" I asked, my voice shaking.
He laughed, a low, chilling sound that sent a wave of terror through me. "Oh, Nyx, don’t play dumb. You two have been piecing it together, haven’t you? That nagging feeling in your gut? It’s not paranoia. It’s your survival instinct screaming at you."
Levi’s eyes widened as the truth dawned on him, horror etched into every line of his face. "The gifts… the letters… that wedding dress… it was you, wasn’t it?"
Adrian’s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight. "Very good, Levi. Took you long enough to figure it out."
A cold wave of realization washed over me. The creepy, unsettling gifts, the blood-stained letters that had haunted me, the wedding dress that had appeared out of nowhere—it had all been Adrian. My stomach churned as the full horror of the situation settled over me like a suffocating blanket.
"What do you want, Adrian?" Levi demanded, stepping in front of me protectively.
Adrian’s eyes darkened, his grin turning into something feral. "What I’ve always wanted, Nyx. And Levi, you die."
Before I could react, Adrian lunged at Levi, slamming him into the wall with a sickening thud. The force of the impact sent a shockwave of terror through me, my breath catching in my throat. Levi tried to fight back, but Adrian was like a man possessed, his strength fueled by a madness I hadn’t seen before.
In a flash, Adrian grabbed a heavy metal candlestick from a nearby table, raising it high to strike Levi. Without thinking, I hurled myself between them, the brutal blow meant for Levi crashing down on me instead. The searing pain exploded through my shoulder, sending me reeling as I barely managed to stay on my feet. The taste of blood filled my mouth as I bit down hard to keep from screaming, my vision swimming.
Levi’s voice pierced through the haze of agony, hoarse and desperate. "Nyx, no!"
Adrian towered over me, his eyes blazing with twisted satisfaction. "You just couldn’t stay out of it, could you?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom, as I struggled to remain conscious, my body trembling from the force of the impact.
I pushed myself up, my body screaming in protest. "Leave him alone, Adrian. This is between you and me."
Adrian laughed, the sound echoing off the walls, cold and merciless. "Oh, I know. And I’m going to make sure you pay for every single time you defy me."
His men began to pour into the room, taking down Zayn’s guards with a brutal efficiency that made my blood run cold. I watched in horror as Zayn’s men were cut down, their bodies crumpling to the floor like discarded dolls. We were outnumbered, outmatched, and Adrian knew it.
"Take the boy," Adrian ordered, his voice a deadly calm that chilled me to the core.
Andrew.
The realization hit me like a freight train. "No!" I screamed, pushing through the searing pain in my shoulder as I scrambled to my feet. I threw myself in front of the doorway, my arms outstretched, my body a trembling shield. "You can’t have him!"
Adrian’s eyes locked onto mine, the calm façade slipping to reveal something darker, more sinister. "Move, Nyx," he hissed, stepping closer, the air thick with menace. "You’re only making this harder for yourself."
But I stood firm, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. The thought of Andrew—innocent, defenseless Andrew—being dragged into this nightmare fueled my desperation. I would not let him touch that child. My child. I might not be the one who gave him birth but I love him as my own child. I would never let them touch him. Never.
Adrian’s expression twisted with impatience, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Step aside, Nyx, or you’ll regret it."
But I didn’t flinch. "Over my dead body," I spat, my voice raw with defiance. I could feel the cold sweat trickling down my back, the adrenaline burning through the pain. I knew I was no match for Adrian’s strength, but I couldn’t back down. Not now. Not ever.
Adrian’s eyes gleamed with a sickening triumph, his smile stretching into something monstrous. "Then make me a better offer."
Before I could process his words, Levi surged forward, his voice cracking with desperation. "Don’t listen to him, Nyx! Don’t—"
But he never finished. Adrian’s men grabbed Levi, yanking him back with brutal force. One of them pressed a gun against Levi’s head, the cold metal gleaming in the dim light. My heart seized in my chest, the sight of that weapon so close to him turning my blood to ice.
"Nyx!" Levi's voice was strangled, his eyes wide with fear and panic as he struggled against the iron grip of Adrian’s men. "Don’t do it! Please—"
I couldn’t take it anymore. The terror, the pain, the sight of Levi’s life hanging by a thread—it was too much. My entire body trembled, the weight of the decision crushing me from all sides. Adrian’s gaze never wavered, his sickening smile widening as he sensed my resolve crumbling.
"Stop!" I cried, my voice breaking as I saw the terror in Levi’s eyes. I couldn’t let him die, not like this, not because of me. "Please, just… stop.”
My mind raced, searching for anything, anything that could buy us more time. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat hammering against my ribs. "If you leave Andrew and Levi alone, I’ll go with you. No resistance, no tricks. Just let them go."
Adrian’s smile widened, his eyes flashing with something that made my blood run cold. "How noble of you, Nyx. But what guarantee do I have that you’ll keep your word?"
"You don’t," I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze, my voice steady despite the terror gnawing at me. "But if you harm them, I’ll make sure you regret it. Every second of your miserable life." Each word was like a blade carving into my soul.
Adrian’s smile twisted into something darker, something that made my skin crawl. He glanced at Levi, his satisfaction evident in the way he relished the power he held over us. "That’s more like it," he said, nodding to his men to lower the gun but not release Levi.
I felt the last of my strength drain away, replaced by a cold, numbing dread as Adrian’s victory closed in around me. There was no escape now. I was trapped, and the only way to save the people I loved was to surrender to the monster before me.
As the room pulsed with tension, I forced myself to breathe, to think clearly through the storm raging inside me. I couldn’t leave until I was certain Levi and Andrew were safe.
"I need to see them leave," I demanded, my voice trembling yet resolute. "Make sure they’re unharmed and out of your reach. Only then will I go with you."
Adrian’s eyes narrowed, but he gestured for his men to comply. My heart pounded as I watched them drag Levi, still struggling, to the mansion’s front hall. I followed, refusing to let him out of my sight until he was beyond Adrian’s grasp. Andrew was brought out next, still peacefully asleep, unaware of the horror unfolding around him. I waited until I saw them both placed in a car, Levi cradling Andrew protectively, his eyes never leaving mine.
My body felt like it was made of lead as I turned back to Adrian. "They’re safe now," I whispered, more to myself than to him, clinging to the one small victory I had managed to secure. The moment I saw Adrian leaving the mansion and their vehicle disappear down the road, I took a shaky breath and met Adrian’s gaze, the finality of the situation settling over me like a shroud. "Now, you can take me.”
I turned to Levi, who was still struggling to catch his breath. "I’ll be fine," I whispered, trying to convince myself as much as him.
Levi grabbed my hand, his eyes filled with fear. "Nyx, don’t do this."
I squeezed his hand, trying to impart some of my strength. "I have to. Protect yourself. Protect Andrew. Keep him safe."
Adrian’s patience was wearing thin. "Time to go, Nyx.”
As we walked out of the mansion, I made sure to watch every one of Adrian’s men leave the property. They were out. Levi and Andrew were safe—for now.
But as I stepped into the utterly dangerous darkness with Adrian, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a nightmare I might never wake up from.
Where are you Zayn?