Chapter 2 The Man in the rain

Chapter Two: The Man in the Rain

The car rolled to a stop a few feet ahead, its headlights cutting through the downpour like twin blades. Elara's breath caught in her throat as the engine quieted. The world stilled, save for the rain hammering down on the roof of her dead car.

Her hand hovered over the door handle.

Please don't let it be Gerald. Please.

The driver's door of the approaching car opened slowly. A man stepped out, tall, in a dark coat that clung to his frame from the rain. She couldn't see his face through the shadows and storm, but his movements were calm. Unhurried. Deliberate.

He walked toward her, each step echoing with quiet confidence.

Elara debated locking her doors, but something stopped her. Curiosity, maybe. Or exhaustion.

He knocked once on her window. Not loud. Just enough.

She rolled it down an inch, her voice barely above a whisper. "Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same," the man replied, voice deep and smooth, almost cold.

His face came into view. Strong jaw. Sharp features. Eyes that seemed to see too much.

She blinked. Her heart dipped.

No. It couldn't be.

"You're Miss Williams," he said. Not a question. A fact.

She froze. "How do you know that?"

He didn't smile. "Because I came for you."

Her stomach twisted. "Gerald sent you?"

"No," the man replied. "Mr Wolfe did."

The name hit her like a slap. Her fingers gripped the edge of the window. "You're one of his people?"

"I am."

She swallowed. Her escape had lasted less than a night.

"Please," she said, voice cracking. "Don't take me back. Just... let me go."

He tilted his head slightly, studying her. Rain streamed down his coat, glistening like glass.

"You think he'd send someone to drag you back in chains?"

She didn't answer.

"Mr. Wolfe isn't like Mr Gerald. He doesn't force obedience."

She gave a bitter laugh. "Really? Because marrying a stranger doesn't feel like a choice.

Still, no reaction. The rain pressed around them like a curtain.

"You're cold," he said at last. "And your car's dead. You won't get far like this."

Elara hesitated. Her jaw trembled. Every part of her screamed to run, to bolt into the dark, even if she drowned in it.

But she was soaked. Shivering. And utterly alone.

He stepped back, opening his passenger door. "You can choose. Come with me now. Or wait here and hope Mr Gerald doesn't find you first."

She looked at the empty road behind her, then back at the stranger.

Finally, with stiff limbs, she opened her door and stepped out.

The interior of the black car was warm, too warm after the chill outside. She barely noticed the luxury,leather seats, soft lighting, the subtle scent of something expensive. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

The man started the engine. "Name's Cain. I drive for Mr. Wolfe."

"You always track runaways in the middle of a storm?"

He didn't glance her way. "Only the ones he personally asks about."

She stared at her lap, that single sentence wrapping around her like a vine.

He asked about me.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Back. But not to Mr Gerald."

"To him?"

"To his estate."

She turned to the window, watching raindrops chase each other across the glass. She didn't ask more. Not yet.

An hour later, the car pulled through towering gates and onto a long driveway lined with trees that shimmered under security lights. The estate that emerged looked like something out of another world. Grand. Silent. Intimidating.

She stepped out, her knees unsteady.

Cain led her up the marble steps, through massive double doors.

Warmth enveloped her immediately. The foyer was vast, the floors dark and gleaming, a chandelier dripping crystals from the ceiling. But it wasn't the house that made her pause.

It was him.

Adrian Wolfe stood near in front of the window overlooking the New York city ,his back to her.., dressed in a black shirt and slacks. His presence filled the room.

Her breath caught.

He looked like a Greek lone god. Just standing there in all his glory,tall and dark and brooding.He held a wine glass in his hand slipping slowly. He looked so dark and dangerous just standing there and she swallowed. And she knew ,just by looking at him– really looking at him– that all the rumors about Adrian Wolfe being cold and ruthless and using any means to get what he wants was true.

This was a man in control. A man used to command.

Slowly he turned to her,his eyes raked over her and she shivered. His eyes were so piercing . Though they had the most beautiful color. A forest green.

He looked like he'd been waiting.

And maybe he had.

Cain gave a slight bow. "She's here."

Adrian nodded, eyes never leaving her. He nodded .

Cain stepped away.

Elara stayed frozen.

Adrian walked closer, each step deliberate. "You ran."

She lifted her chin. "I had to try".

He stopped a few feet away."And yet here you are, in in front of me,despite your attempt to run. "Guess who's plan didn't go as planned".

Well it wasn't by choice,now was it?.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips.Everything is a choice, Elara. Even running. Even returning.

"You thought you could vanish, didn't you? That no one would come looking for you."

"No," she muttered. "I hoped no one would care enough to.

"Why'd you choose me?,She asked.

Because you're different. Quiet. Calculated. Not like the others they tried to offer me. I chose you."

"I'm not a choice. I'm a person."I get to make the decision in my life not you or Gerald.

She wrapped her arms around herself. "What do you want from me?"

He didn't answer right away. He simply watched her, as if seeing something beneath her skin.

Then, quietly, "To give you a life that doesn't hurt."

Her heart stuttered.

She didn't believe him.

He stepped closer, the air between them charged. His mouth tilted into something that wasn't quite a smile. I know you don't believe me and I don't expect you to and just so you know I've done my digging.I know everything about you, Elara. Where you go when you're upset. What you eat when you're anxious. Even the ex-boyfriend you never told your mother about. What was his name again? Caleb, right? The one who called you sunflower?"

Her lips parted. "You... did some digging without permission?. Don't you know that's rude?"

And so is running away 2 days before your wedding."

She opened her mouth, then shut it. Her pulse throbbed.

He arched a brow. "Don't test me, Elara. You won't like me angry."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning," he said, voice low. "The wedding is in two days. Whether you walk down that aisle with fire in your eyes or fear in your heart is up to you."

She blinked, caught off guard by the chill in his tone.

Just then, a man entered through a side hallway-tall, with a trimmed beard and a tailored suit,his sharp gaze sweeping the room before settling on Elara. He approached with calm precision, removing his gloves slowly as he neared her.

"Miss Williams," he greeted, his voice smooth and clipped. "It's... interesting to finally meet you. Though, I didn't wish to meet you like this-not in this position."

He offered a faint, polite smile.

Surprisingly, the knot in Elara's chest eased a little. There was no cruelty in his tone. No threat. Just quiet observation.

"I'm Julian Ashford," he added. "Legal advisor to Mr. Wolfe and his only friend."

Then, he turned toward Adrian and leaned in to whisper something into his ear. Whatever it was made Adrian's jaw tighten..Adrian's entire expression shifted.

The warmth in his gaze iced over. His jaw clenched. His hand curled slightly at his side.

Julian.

Elara watched the tension roll through him.

Adrian turned back to her. "You'll return to Gerald's estate for now. My driver will take you."

"What? You're sending me back?"

"Temporarily. Until the ceremony. Don't mistake it for mercy."

Her stomach dropped. "You can't be serious."You said I had a choice.

Cry about it to your daddy.Adrian scoffed.

What we have is a business transaction and nothing else,and it's done already.

He stepped even closer. "Don't even think about running, Elara. So behave. Or next time, it won't be Cain picking you up."

She opened her mouth to reply, but he was already turning away, speaking low to Julian.

And just like that, she was dismissed.

Now she was going back .Back to Gerald.