Zara expected silence.
What she got was Adrian Kole standing at the kitchen island of his penthouse, sleeves rolled up, wristwatch glinting under the warm lights, and actually cooking.
Her steps slowed.
"That's… surprising."
Adrian didn't look up at first. "What is?"
"You. Making food. Yourself."
"I said I'd fix dinner," he replied smoothly. "I don't lie, Zara."
Her stomach flipped at her own name on his tongue.
Deep. Calm. Somehow intimate.
Zara shifted, suddenly hyper-aware that she was still wearing the oversized shirt he had given her.
A man like him should not smell that good.
A penthouse should not feel that warm.
Her heart should not be fluttering this much.
He finally glanced at her — slow, deliberate.
"You look better," he said quietly. "Rest helped."
Heat crawled up her neck. "Thank you. For earlier."
His jaw flexed. "I don't like seeing you hurt."
There it was again — the strange softness beneath all that steel.
Dinner was simple but elegant — grilled chicken, sautéed vegetables, and pasta that tasted far too good for someone who claimed he rarely cooked.
Zara took a bite and froze.
"Adrian… this is amazing."
He leaned back in his chair, studying her reaction. "Good. Eat more."
Something in his tone made her pulse skip — a command wrapped as concern.
They ate in a comfortable silence until Adrian suddenly asked:
"Who did you call earlier?"
Her fork paused mid-air. "…A friend."
His expression shifted. Not angry. Not jealous. But something protective flickered in his eyes.
"A friend you trust?"
Zara swallowed. "Yes."
Adrian didn't press. Instead, he stood and moved behind her chair.
His fingers lightly brushed her shoulder — just enough to make her breath hitch.
"You're safe here, Zara."
Her heart thudded painfully.
"I know," she whispered.
He leaned down slightly… close enough that she felt his breath against her neck.
"Good."
And just as her pulse began spiraling, he straightened and said:
"Come. I'll show you the room you'll use tonight."
Her. Own. Room.
A part of her sagged in relief.
A darker part of he
r didn't know whether she wanted relief.
But she followed him anyway.