THE CHRISTMAS WE DIVORCED.

Sophia's POV "Is it possible to love someone so much that it hurts to breathe when they're near?" Though Adrian's voice was low, like a whisper, it cut across the room like a razor. Leaning against the penthouse's grand piano in the corner, he watched New York's skyline sparkle like a thousand shattered promises behind him. My heart thumping in my chest, I stopped. His comments amounted to a confession rather than an inquiry. a raw, personal revelation that I wasn't ready for—especially not following all that had transpired between us. ""Love?" I laughed, keeping my voice steady. "You're not allowed to discuss love, Adrian. Not according to what you did." His emerald-green eyes fixed squarely on me, uncompromising. And what should I have done, Sophia? Safeguard yourself. Try to be safe. Is it the crime I am guilty of? "Smart?" I kept going, my voice getting louder. "You call lying to me, excluding me, and controlling all aspects of my life to keep me safe? You wrecked us, Adrian; you did not protect me. Adrian moved from the piano and stepped in front of me, his tall figure throwing shadows over me. Like a sucker blow, the smell of his cologne—woodsy and addictive—hit me. Though my head shouted to keep tough, I hated that my body still reacted to him. "You don't understand," he murmured, his voice softer now, tinged with something that sounded perilously near to sorrow. "I carried out what I felt to be right. I made errors, sure, but every decision I took was for you." 'For me?' I jumped back to create distance between us. "Don't you dare project this on me, Adrian? You picked your power games, your secrets, your terrible empire above ours. His jaw locked, the stress coursed through his body. "Sophia, you would be dead if I hadn't done what I did. That it what you are looking for? I hid secrets since the truth would have directed attention onto your rear?" I fixed my gaze on him; the room whirled as his words sank over me like a stifling cloud. Dead Was he sincere or was this another one of his manipulative devices to skew the story? "You're unbelievable," I said, my voice quivering with a mix of rage and uncertainty. You expect me to believe that? He came closer once again, his hand raising as though to touch me, but halting just short. "It's the truth, not anything you have to believe about me of course. And today the same individuals I sought to shield you from are returning. Sophia, they are aimed for you. I urged you to remain here for this reason. Out there, it is not safe. Unspoken words and unresolved emotions crackled throughout the room, creating obvious tension. Although my heart wanted to trust him—that everything he did was out of love—my head shouted to escape. To guard against the man who had already shattered me once. "You had five years," I murmured, my voice almost audible. "Five years to let me know the truth; you said nothing." Why, Adrian? Now? Why bring this up just before we are signing the divorce paperwork? He raked a hand through his black hair, his every motion clearly frustrated. "Because there was no option for me. They left a note for Sophia. One should be warned. He went into his pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. I paused then grabbed it, my fingers touching his for the shortest of times. Between us, a spark—unwelcome but indisputable—started. Ignoring the flutter in my breast, I unfolded the paper and ran over the jaggedly handwritten sentences. Should you find it difficult to keep her in line, we will. My gut turned over, the weight of the danger laying like a stone in my chest. I raised my head to Adrian and searched his face for any hint of dishonesty. But all I sensed was actual, unvarnished dread. "What would they like?" My voice trembled as I asked. "They want control," he replied, his voice dark. "Control of my business, my possessions...and apparently my life. Sophia, you are my weakness. They know. They are so pursuing you after all. I chuckled bitterly, the sound hollow in the enormous hall echoing back. "Your weakest point? That's rich, Adrian. Should I be your weakness, you would not have let me walk away so readily." His hand sprang out, forcefully yet softly gripping my wrist. The touch shocked me, and I despised myself for the way my pulse accelerated. "Don't," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "Never consider it easy for me to let you go." Every second in the stillness that followed stretched into forever. I wanted to withdraw, demand explanations, but a part of me—the one that still remembered the way he used to hold me, the way he used to look at me—couldn't move. My voice cracking, I said, "I don't know if I can do this." "I doubt whether I could trust you once more, Adrian." "You don't have to trust me," he whispered, his hold on my wrist ever so gently tightening. "Just keep here." let me guard you. " Shield me from what?" Pulling my hand free, I asked "From them, or from you?" . The room rang with breaking glass before he could respond. Whipped around, my heart sprang to my throat as a brick smashed through the window, fragments all over the spotless floor. Not far from it was a note. Adrian was already moving; his keen reflexes kicked in as he snatched the brick and tore the letter free. His eyes flew across the paper, his face deepening with every word. "What has it said?" I asked, my voice faltering. He gazed up at me, his emerald eyes blazing with a force that made my spine tremble. "Leave her, or she dies.'" My breath seized as the weight of the words came at me like a goods train. The penthouse lights flickering sent the room black before I could register the threat. A chilly blast of wind tore across the broken glass, and somewhere in the shadows a phone started to ring—a sound like a death knell. Calm yet lethal, Adrian's words sliced over the night. "They've found us." Before Adrian was already walking, his steps were methodical and intentional as he took the phone from the counter. I hardly had time to respond. Though I could see the tempest building behind his eyes, his face was engraved on stone. In the terrible hush that had enveloped the apartment, the ringing felt deafening. His body stiffened as he listened, he pushed the phone to his ear silently. I watched him, breathing slowly and every nerve in my body on edge. Not good whatever he was hearing. At last, his voice low and menacing, "you're making a mistake." "If you consider for one second— On the other end, a warped voice sliced him off. Although I could not hear what they were saying, the result was instantaneous. Adrian's jaw closed and his hold on the phone tightened so tightly I felt it may split in half. "Don't you dare touch her," he said, his voice as cutting as a knife. "You'll come to regret it. I declare to God—" The stillness that followed was stifling. The phone cut off suddenly. Adrian gently dropped the phone, his hand shaking just barely. "What were their remarks?" I insisted, just above a whisper. "Ask Adrian, what did they say?" He turned to face me, his face a mask of just restrained wrath. "They're closer than I thought," he said with a tense voice. "They have been observing our work. They are aware you are here. I stepped back involuntarily as a shudder raced down my spine. Looking at us? Even more importantly, what is that? How could they—" The sound of strong footfall came from the hall outside the penthouse door before I could finish. My heart halted when Adrian's darkened look turned to the door. "Stay behind me," he commanded, his voice devoid of any margin for debate. Before the door shook violently, as though someone on the other side was trying to knock it down, I hardly had time to register his words. My pulse surged, terror wriggling at my chest. "adrian—" I started, but he turned away with a stinging glance. His voice was like steel, he said, "They're here." From a side table's concealed drawer, he reached for a sleek black gun and precisely checked the clip. "Stay close to me no matter what happens". Once more the door shivered, the sound echoing over the loft. My eyes flew to the broken glass, the frigid breeze sweeping the space like a portent of catastrophe. What if they, Adrian,—" The door exploded open, splinters shooting in every direction, deafening me. A gathering of dark people entered the room wearing masks to hide their faces. Adrian moved in front of me, his weapon lifted and his posture exuding dominance. "You've made a big mistake coming here," he continued, his voice icy and lethal. "Leave now; I might let you walk out alive." One of the invaders laughed darkly, and the sound made me shudder. The guy continued, his voice warped by the mask, "You're not in control anymore, Blackwell." We came to see her. Every eye in the room turned toward me, and my blood became cold. Adrian stiffened, his hold on the revolver tightening. "You'll have to go through me first," he warned, his tone a lethal promise. Once again laughing, the man raised a hand to indicate his team. "That was the intention." The lights flickered once more and the room was totally black before I could yell. My own strained breathing and the slight shuffle of feet approaching was all I could hear. Adrian! I yelled, reaching out haplessly for him, but my hand just touched the air. Then a voice, icy and mocking, sliced over the night. "Tick tock, Sophia," says How long can he keep you safe? The globe suddenly erupted in anarchy.