EPISODE 15
ALTHEA
I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
But I did anyway.
And the moment I saw him, something in my chest eased—just slightly.
“Adrian?”
Dr. Adrian Cole stood a few steps away, dressed simply but neatly, his presence calm in a way that felt almost out of place in the tension-filled hallway.
His gaze softened when it landed on me.
“There you are.”
I let out a small breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“What are you doing here?”
He smiled faintly.
“That’s a very warm welcome.”
I shook my head, a small smile slipping through despite everything.
“I mean it. This is… unexpected.”
“I was invited,” he said calmly.
“Medical consultant for one of the guests. I didn’t know it was this event until I arrived.”
Of course.
That made sense.
“Still,” he added, his eyes briefly scanning my face, “you look like you needed a familiar face.”
My smile softened.
“Maybe I did.”
Behind me, I could feel it.
That shift.
That presence.
Elias.
Still there.
Still watching.
Adrian’s gaze flicked past me for a brief second, taking in the space behind me before returning to my face.
“Am I interrupting?” he asked gently.
“No,” I said quickly.
At the same time, behind me—
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
Of course.
Adrian didn’t react outwardly.
If anything, his expression remained composed, almost thoughtful.
“I see,” he said quietly.
I turned slightly, glancing at Elias.
His expression had changed.
Not calm.
Not controlled.
Something sharper.
Something darker.
“Adrian,” I said, gesturing lightly, “this is—”
“I know who he is,” Adrian interrupted gently, his tone still polite.
“Mr. Laurent.”
Elias’ jaw tightened.
“And you are?” Elias asked, his voice cool.
“Dr. Adrian Cole,” he replied, extending his hand calmly.
Elias looked at it for a second before shaking it.
Firm.
Brief.
Tense.
“Doctor,” Elias said.
“Elias,” Adrian returned evenly.
Silence.
Heavy.
Charged.
I shifted slightly, suddenly aware of how close we all were standing.
“This is… unexpected,” Elias said, his gaze flicking briefly to me before settling back on Adrian.
“I could say the same,” Adrian replied.
The tension thickened.
Noticeable now.
Undeniable.
“I didn’t know Althea had company,” Elias added.
“I didn’t know I needed permission,” I said calmly.
That landed.
Adrian’s lips twitched slightly, like he was holding back a reaction.
Elias’ eyes shifted to me.
Sharp.
“You don’t,” he said.
“But this is hardly the place—”
“For what?” I cut in.
“A conversation?”
“For distractions.”
I let out a quiet breath.
“Not everything is about you, Elias.”
That did it.
Something in his expression snapped—just slightly—but enough for me to notice.
Adrian stepped in gently, his tone calm but firm.
“I think I should take her back outside.”
I blinked.
“Adrian, I’m fine—”
“I know,” he said softly.
“But you don’t look fine.”
That— that did something.
Because he wasn’t forcing.
I want you to add something to it
He wasn’t demanding.
He was just… there.
And it made it harder to argue.
Elias noticed it too.
Of course he did.
His gaze darkened slightly.
“She’s not going anywhere,” he said.
I turned to him fully now.
“I decide where I go.”
Silence.
Then—
“Althea,” Adrian said softly.
Just my name.
Nothing else.
But the way he said it— calm steady grounding— made everything else fade for a second.
And that was the problem.
Because Elias saw it.
Felt it.
And this time— he didn’t hide his reaction.
I shifted slightly, stepping a fraction closer to Adrian, almost instinctively.
His presence wasn’t loud—it didn’t need to be—but it anchored me, made the chaos around us momentarily manageable.
Elias’ gaze narrowed.
That familiar sharpness returned, and I could feel it pressing against me, a silent warning.
His jaw tightened, a muscle flicking in irritation—or maybe something deeper.
“Althea,” he said again, his voice low, closer this time.
“Are you really going to stand there… letting him play protector?”
I looked at him, calm, though my pulse was speeding up.
“Protector? Adrian isn’t playing anything. And neither am I.”
Adrian’s hand hovered near my elbow, just enough to guide without restraining.
Gentle.
Patient.
Non-intrusive.
“I’m not trying to—” he started.
“Every time you show up, every word you say, it’s like you think you own a piece of her space.”
Adrian didn’t flinch.
He just nodded once, quietly acknowledging Elias’ anger without meeting it with defensiveness.
“I’m here,” Adrian said softly, looking at me, “because she asked for a friend. A friend she trusts. Nothing more.”
I glanced at Elias, seeing the flash of surprise in his expression.
He hadn’t expected the words to land so firmly.
“Trust,” he repeated, his voice rough, and for a second it sounded almost like pain, like he’d been reminded of something he thought he’d buried.
I swallowed, heart thumping.
“Elias, this isn’t about you,” I said, stepping a fraction closer to Adrian.
“It’s about me. And right now, I need… some support. That’s all.”
Elias’ eyes darkened, but he didn’t move closer.
Instead, he stayed where he was, rigid, a wall of tension I could feel pressing into my skin.
Adrian’s gaze didn’t waver.
“I’ll step back if that’s what you want,” he said quietly.
“But I’ll stay close enough that you’re safe, Althea.”
The words were simple, almost mundane.
But the weight behind them… it was heavier than anything Elias had said all night.
“She’s not fragile,” Elias muttered, more to himself than to anyone else, but I heard it.
“I know,” Adrian said calmly, almost like an anchor thrown into stormy waters.
“But we all need a hand sometimes.”
The statement hung in the air, a quiet challenge and a truth I could feel in my chest.
Elias’ nostrils flared slightly, his jaw tight.
His hand twitched near the railing, but he didn’t move toward me.
I took a deep breath.
“Elias,” I said softly, turning my gaze to him.
“You’re not the only one who can care for someone. And neither am I yours to control.”
For a heartbeat, the world froze.
The ocean wind, the soft hum of the party inside, the distant laughter of guests—it all faded.
Elias stared at me.
And for the first time in months, I saw hesitation.
Vulnerability.
The shadow of something he didn’t want to admit.
Adrian’s hand brushed lightly against mine again—not a hold, just a reassurance.
I closed my eyes briefly, letting it anchor me.
When I opened them, Elias had shifted slightly, stepping back.
The tension didn’t leave entirely, but it had… loosened.
I was about to step forward, to move closer to Adrian, when suddenly—his hand was on mine.
Elias.
The contact was brief, firm, grounding—and utterly shocking.
My chest fluttered, my pulse spiking.
I froze, looking up at him, eyes wide.
It was the first time he had touched me in months.
Not in anger.
Not in frustration.
Not fleetingly in passing.
This was deliberate.
His dark blue eyes met mine, sharp, intense, and there was… something there I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Something raw, unspoken.
“I…” he started, voice low, rough around the edges, like he was struggling to find words he’d buried deep.
Before he could continue, before anything could settle between us, a flash of movement startled me.
Lucia.
In one swift motion, she snatched his hand from mine.
The sudden pull unbalanced me, my footing faltering.
I stumbled slightly, heart hammering in my chest.
“Watch it!” I muttered, panic flickering in my voice.
Adrian was already there.
Calm.
Steady.
Hands catching me before I fully tipped over, keeping me upright with ease.
Elias’ hand lingered in the air for a fraction of a second before he clenched it into a fist, jaw tight, eyes burning—not at me, not at Adrian, but at her.
Lucia’s smirk widened, clearly pleased with herself.
“Oops,” she said lightly, as if it were all some game.
Lucia’s smirk lingered just a second too long.
Like she was waiting for a reaction.
Like she expected one.
Elias didn’t give it to her.
Not immediately.
His gaze stayed on me.
Sharp.
Unmoving.
Burning.
“Careful,” Adrian said quietly beside me, his hands still steady at my sides before he slowly let go, making sure I was balanced before stepping back.
The contrast hit me instantly.
Elias—heat, tension, storm.
Adrian—control, calm, quiet grounding.
And standing between them felt like standing in the middle of something I wasn’t sure I could contain anymore.
“I said I was fine,” I murmured, more to steady myself than anything else.
“And you almost weren’t,” Adrian replied gently.
That softness again.
That quiet way he said things like they mattered.
Elias exhaled sharply.
“Are you done?” he asked, his voice low, directed at Lucia—but his eyes still on me.
Lucia tilted her head, completely unbothered.
“I was just helping. She looked like she was about to fall.”
“I wasn’t,” I said calmly.
Her smile widened slightly.
“Of course you weren’t.”
The sarcasm was subtle.
But it was there.
Adrian didn’t react.
Elias did.
His jaw tightened.
“You’ve done enough,” he said, his tone colder now.
Lucia’s gaze flicked to him, then back to me, calculating.
“Have I?”
Silence stretched.
Uncomfortable.
Thick.
Then—
“Althea,” Adrian said again, softer this time.
I turned slightly toward him.
“You don’t have to stay here,” he added.
“Not if you don’t want to.”
Simple.
No pressure.
Just an option.
And somehow, that made it harder than any demand.
Elias’ eyes darkened immediately.
“Walk away again.”
That hit.
Exactly where it shouldn’t.
I looked at him fully now.
“Not everything is about leaving, Elias.”
“Isn’t it?” he shot back.
“Because that seems to be your solution to everything.”
Adrian’s expression shifted slightly—not aggressive, not defensive—but aware.
Watching.
Measuring.
“This isn’t the place,” he said calmly.
“Not for this conversation.”
Elias let out a short, humorless laugh.
“And you get to decide that?”
“No,” Adrian replied evenly.
“She does.”
That— that shifted something.
Because for the first time, it wasn’t about control.
It was about me.
Elias’ gaze snapped back to mine.
Waiting.
Challenging.
Daring.
And suddenly, it felt like whatever I did next would mean more than just this moment.
It would mean something… permanent.
Lucia watched it all unfold, quiet now, her eyes sharp with interest.
Waiting to see which way this would go.
I exhaled slowly.
Then stepped back.
Not fully toward Adrian.
Not toward Elias either.
Just— back.
Creating space.
“I’m not doing this,” I said quietly.
Elias stilled.
“Doing what?”
“This,” I gestured lightly between all of us.
“Whatever this is.”
His jaw tightened.
“You think I do?”
“I think you’re making it harder than it needs to be.”
“And you’re making it too easy to walk away.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Neither is disappearing.”
The words landed.
Heavy.
Familiar.
Dangerous.
Adrian stepped slightly forward again—not interrupting, just present.
“We should go.”
I hesitated.
Just for a second.
And Elias saw it.
Of course he did.
“Go,” he said, his voice quieter now.
“That’s what you’re good at, right?”
Something in my chest tightened.
But this time—
I didn’t react immediately.
Didn’t snap.
Didn’t defend.
I just looked at him.
Really looked at him.
And for a moment—
I saw it.
Not anger.
Not control.
Something else.
Something closer to… fear.
“I’m not running,” I said softly.
“Then stay,” he replied instantly.
Adrian’s presence beside me remained steady.
Unmoving.
Unpressured.
And somehow, that made the choice heavier.
Because one side pulled.
The other… allowed.
Lucia’s voice broke the silence again, smooth and deliberate.
“This is getting exhausting,” she said lightly.
“Elias, we should go.”
He didn’t move.
Didn’t even look at her.
His eyes stayed on me.
Waiting.
I swallowed.
Then turned slightly.
Not fully.
Not completely.
Just enough.
“Adrian,” I said quietly.
His gaze met mine immediately.
“Yeah?”
“I… think I need that air you mentioned.”
His expression softened.
“Okay.”
Simple.
No questions.
No pressure.
And that— that made it easier.
Elias went completely still.
I felt it.
Didn’t need to look.
Lucia smiled.
Satisfied again.
Adrian stepped aside slightly, giving me space to move first instead of leading.
Respect.
Always respect.
I walked past them.
Slowly.
Aware of every step.
Aware of every second.
And as I passed Elias— just for a moment—
I felt it.
That pull again.
Stronger.
Sharper.
More dangerous than before.
But I didn’t stop.
Didn’t turn.
And this time— he didn’t follow.