Elena sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers trembling as her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced toward the door, ensuring Adrian wasn’t nearby. She needed privacy, but little did she know, the guest room wasn’t as private as she thought.
Unbeknownst to Elena, Adrian had a small camera and microphone installed in the guest room. From his study, he could see her movements and hear her words through the live feed on his secondary laptop. While reviewing urgent documents on his desk, a smirk played on his lips as he overheard her hesitant tone.
The call connected, and Elena’s mother’s frantic voice echoed through the line. “Elena, my child, are you safe? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
Elena swallowed hard, her voice shaky. “I’m fine, Mom. I’m staying at a safe place for now.”
Her mother’s voice quivered with guilt and worry. “Safe? What do you mean? Did your father… Did something happen again?”
Elena hesitated, biting her lip. She didn’t want to worry her mother more than she already was. “I… I just needed to get away for a while. I couldn’t stay there anymore. You know why.”
In the study, Adrian leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes fixed on the screen. He could see the pain etched on Elena’s face and hear the strain in her voice. His smirk faded, replaced by a darker, more thoughtful expression.
“Elena,” her mother’s voice broke through the phone, “I told you to stay at the university. It’s not safe anywhere else. Your father… he’s been asking about you. He’s furious.”
Elena clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. “I’m not going back there, Mom. I can’t. He’s never going to change.”
Her mother’s sobs grew louder. “I know, sweetheart. I know. But what can we do? He holds all the power. He controls everything.”
Tears welled up in Elena’s eyes, and she brushed them away angrily. “Not anymore. I’m not going to let him ruin my life. I’ll figure something out, Mom. I just need more time.”
In the study, Adrian’s jaw tightened. He hated the sound of Elena’s tears. He hated the fear and helplessness in her voice. He wanted to step in, to do something, but for now, he stayed silent, listening.
“Elena,” her mother continued, her tone desperate, “where are you staying? Are you with someone? Is it safe?”
Elena hesitated, her gaze flickering toward the door again. “I’m with someone… a professor from the university. He… he came to check on me when I didn’t show up for classes.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed at her words. She spoke about him with such hesitance, as if unsure how much to reveal.
“A professor?” her mother asked, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and suspicion. “Why would a professor come looking for you?”
Elena exhaled heavily, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know, Mom. He just… he noticed something was wrong and didn’t let it go. He’s been helping me. He even brought me to his place so I wouldn’t have to go back to the dorms.”
Adrian leaned forward in his chair, his expression softening as he heard the gratitude in her voice. For all her guardedness, there was a hint of trust in the way she spoke about him.
“Elena,” her mother said cautiously, “are you sure you can trust him? Men… they’re not always what they seem.”
“I don’t have a choice, Mom,” Elena replied, her voice breaking. “He’s the only one who’s noticed that I’m struggling. He’s the only one who’s cared enough to actually help me.”
Her mother sighed, and the line went quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry, Elena,” she whispered. “I wish I could do more for you. I wish I could take you away from all of this.”
“It’s not your fault,” Elena said softly. “You’ve done everything you could. This isn’t on you.”
Adrian’s chest tightened at her words. He couldn’t imagine the kind of pain and pressure she was under, carrying so much responsibility on her shoulders.
“I’ll call you again soon,” Elena said, her voice steadier now. “Just… don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll figure it out.”
Before her mother could respond, the call ended. Elena lowered the phone to her lap, staring at it for a long moment.
In the study, Adrian closed the laptop with a sharp snap, his emotions swirling. He couldn’t sit back any longer.
Elena flinched when the door to the guest room opened, revealing Adrian standing there. His expression was unreadable, his eyes dark and intense.
“Who were you talking to?” he asked, his voice calm but with an edge that made her stomach twist.
She hesitated, clutching the phone tightly. “It was my mom,” she admitted quietly.
He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “What did she say?”
Elena looked away, her shoulders hunching. “It’s nothing. Just… family stuff.”
“Family stuff?” he repeated, his tone sharp. “Elena, I just heard you crying over the phone. That’s not ‘nothing.'”
Her head snapped up, her eyes wide. “You heard me?”
Adrian’s expression hardened, and he gestured toward the ceiling. “This house has cameras and microphones, Elena. I could hear everything from my study.”
Her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger. “You were spying on me?”
“I was protecting you,” he shot back. “And thank God I did, because now I know just how bad things are for you.”
Elena stood up, her fists clenched. “You had no right…”
“I had every right,” he interrupted, his voice rising. “You’re staying under my roof, Elena. And if you think for one second that I’m going to let you deal with this on your own, you’re wrong.”
Tears streamed down her face as she glared at him. “I don’t need your pity!”
“This isn’t pity,” he snapped, stepping closer until they were mere inches apart. “This is me caring about you. This is me refusing to stand by while you destroy yourself trying to handle everything alone.”
Elena’s resolve cracked, and she sank back onto the bed, her face buried in her hands. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.
Adrian crouched in front of her, his voice softening. “You let me help you. That’s what you do.”
She looked up at him, her tear-streaked face full of doubt. “Why do you even care? I’m just a student to you.”
He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You’re more than that, Elena. You’re someone who deserves to be cared for, to be protected. And I’m not going to let anyone hurt you-not even yourself.”
The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging between them. For the first time in a long time, Elena felt a flicker of hope.
But deep down, Adrian knew this was just the beginning. Her troubles weren’t over, and neither were his.