As Harvey left, Adrian leaned back in his chair, his mind consumed with the threat messages. The thought of Elena being targeted like this unsettled him in ways he couldn’t quite explain. It was irrational, he knew. She was just a student, and it wasn’t his responsibility to get involved in her personal matters. But the way those words on the screen made him feel… it wasn’t something he could easily brush off.
He glanced at the messages again, his jaw tightening with each one. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just trying to scare her they were threatening her, and that was something he couldn’t ignore.
Adrian closed the phone and placed it down on his desk, his thoughts still racing. It wasn’t like him to get involved in something like this. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Elena was a silly and innocent than she appeared, and the idea of her being harassed like this didn’t sit right with him.
His fingers tapped the surface of the desk as he thought about what to do next. He had to make sure she was safe. Not because he owed her anything he didn’t know her well enough for that. But because he couldn’t stand the idea of anyone harming her.
For now, Adrian decided he would keep an eye on things. But as he leaned back, rubbing his temples, the morning’s events crept back into his mind. The image of those two boys-Andrew and Gabriel-hovering around Elena, ruffling her hair, carrying her bag, and holding her hand lingered longer than he cared to admit.
The way they acted wasn’t normal, not in the way friends should behave. At least, that’s what he told himself. Was it really true, what others whispered? Were those two her boyfriends? Adrian scoffed at the thought, but it didn’t stop the irritation bubbling under his skin. Something about it didn’t sit right with him, even though he couldn’t pinpoint why.
Shaking his head, he let out a frustrated sigh. Focus, Adrian. None of this matters. She’s just a student. And yet, his mind wasn’t at peace.
Glancing back at the phone Harvey had handed him, a flicker of guilt crossed his mind. It wasn’t right to check someone’s personal device, and he knew it. But the unanswered questions gnawed at him. What if there was something important, something that could give him more context about those disturbing messages?
Before he could stop himself, he reached for the phone and unlocked it. To his surprise, there was no passcode or fingerprint required. It opened easily, as if Elena had never thought twice about securing it.
The simplicity of her phone surprised him. No clutter, no unnecessary apps-just the basics. As he hesitated over the gallery icon, curiosity got the better of him, and he tapped it.
Empty. Except for a handful of photos. His brow furrowed as he scrolled through them. To his surprise, the only pictures in her gallery were of smiling Korean and Chinese actors, their polished looks almost cartoonishly perfect.
A chuckle escaped him, unbidden. “Of course,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head. The idea of her being a fan of those types amused him more than it should have. Yet, even as his lips curled into a small smile, a flicker of irritation remained. What about the others? Why weren’t there any photos of her friends? Or those two boys she seems so close to?
Setting the phone down for a moment, he tried to push the thoughts away. But curiosity was a relentless thing. His gaze shifted back to the screen. One more look won’t hurt.
He opened her WhatsApp. No password, no locked chats. Everything was easily accessible, which made him wonder how careful she really was.
There were only three groups listed: Family, University, and something called The Star Group. His brow arched at the last one. Star Group?
Clicking on it, he saw three names at the top: Andrew Harrington, Gabriel Kingsley, and Elena Harper.
He paused. The boys’ names in the same group as hers stirred something uncomfortable inside him. And then he saw the name they had given her in the group: Star.
His jaw tightened. Star? Really? He scrolled through their chat history, his eyes scanning the messages. Most of it was harmless playful banter, inside jokes, and Elena’s enthusiastic responses filled with cheerful emojis. She seemed lighthearted, almost carefree in her messages.
Her tone with them was different. Relaxed. Comfortable. She laughed at their jokes, teased them back, and used more smiley faces than he thought anyone could. Adrian’s grip on the phone tightened. He couldn’t explain why seeing her like this so open, so cheerful with them bothered him.
The irritation was back in full force now, his chest tight as he imagined their easy camaraderie. It was stupid to feel this way. They’re just her friends, he told himself. But deep down, the frustration refused to fade.
He tossed the phone onto his desk, leaning back with a heavy sigh. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. But an idea began forming in his mind.
Adrian reached for the phone again, this time navigating to her settings. He connected her GPS to his own phone, syncing it discreetly. If someone’s after her, I need to know where she is at all times. It’s for her safety, he reasoned, though the justification felt thin, even to himself.
Before closing the device, he saved his number in her contacts under “Professor Blackwood” and added her number to his phone.
A small, satisfied smirk played on his lips as he placed the phone back on the desk. “Now,” he murmured under his breath, “we’ll see what you’re really up to.”
For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, the thought brought him a sense of control he hadn’t felt all day.