After a while, Valeria's tears slowed. Her body was still trembling, but she gathered enough strength to whisper, her voice breaking, "Adrian… leave me. It's… hard to breathe."
Adrian blinked, as if waking from a trance, his mind snapping back from the thoughts that consumed him. He loosened his grip just enough for her to look up at him, but his eyes burned with intensity.
"So," he asked quietly, his words deliberate, "do you agree with me or not?"
Valeria, already terrified, swallowed hard. The fear in her chest was heavier than the tears she had shed. She nodded quickly, her voice barely audible.
"Yes…"
A slow smile spread across Adrian's face, sharp and satisfied. "Good," he said simply.
He finally let go of her, though not completely—his hand brushed against her arm as if to remind her she couldn't escape. Then, with surprising calmness, he walked her toward her car, almost gentlemanly in his movements.
Valeria didn't say a word. She slipped into the car, her heart still pounding, her mind torn between disbelief and fear. As the car pulled away, Adrian stood under the cold night air, that same unsettling smile lingering on his face.
To him, her fearful "yes" was all he needed.
The next morning, Valeria sat at her desk, her eyes glued to her notebook though she wasn't really reading. She hadn't slept well—Adrian's voice, his grip, his smile—all of it replayed in her head like a nightmare she couldn't shake off.
Just as she was trying to steady her thoughts, a chair scraped against the floor. Adrian slid into the seat next to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Valeria stiffened but kept her gaze forward. She didn't say a word.
"Morning," Adrian said casually, leaning back in his chair. His tone was light, almost cheerful—completely at odds with the menace from the night before.
Her fingers clenched around her pen. She forced herself to nod slightly, not trusting her voice.
Adrian studied her silence with amusement. "What? Not happy to see me?" he teased softly, his lips curling into a half-smile.
Valeria bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to answer. She could feel his eyes on her, sharp and unwavering, as if daring her to look back at him.
To the rest of the class, it looked like the school's infamous Adrian Vitale had simply chosen a new deskmate. But to Valeria, it felt like a shadow she couldn't escape had seated itself beside her.
From that day on, Adrian made sure Valeria was always at his side. He dragged her everywhere he went—whether it was skipping class, hanging around the back of the gym, or loitering near the old parking lot where he and his "crew" usually gathered.
At first, Valeria resisted, shocked by his audacity. But soon, she realized her protests didn't matter. Adrian wasn't asking—he was deciding.
What unsettled her even more was that among his followers were her own friends. The same people who once laughed with her in the cafeteria now trailed behind Adrian, nodding at his words, treating him with respect and fear. They didn't question it—and in turn, they didn't question why Valeria was always with him.
On the surface, nothing seemed wrong. To the teachers, Valeria was still a bright student, a star athlete. To her classmates, she was still the same admired Caruso girl—just one who had grown close to Adrian Vitale.
But inside, everything was changing.
The more time Valeria spent near Adrian, the more she understood the depth of his grip over people. The more she learned, the more she feared.
It wasn't just obsession. Adrian was building an empire, even here in the halls of their school. And she, against her will, had been placed right in the center of it.
It was a normal afternoon. The bell had just rung, and the hallway buzzed with chatter as students hurried to their classes. Valeria walked beside Adrian, silent as always, when a loud thud echoed behind them.
A younger student had dropped his books. He scrambled to pick them up, but in his rush, bumped into Adrian's shoulder.
The boy froze. Everyone knew what that mistake meant.
Adrian turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. The hallway quieted as whispers spread. His gang, including Valeria's friends, circled closer.
"Did you just shove me?" Adrian's voice was calm, almost too calm.
"N-no, I… it was an accident," the boy stammered, clutching his books.
Adrian smirked, glancing at his crew. "An accident, huh? You calling me blind then? Saying I can't tell the difference?"
The boy shook his head violently. "No! I swear, I didn't mean—"
Before he could finish, Adrian kicked the stack of books out of his hands, pages scattering across the floor. The boy flinched, dropping to his knees to gather them.
Valeria's chest tightened. She wanted to step forward, to stop it, but her feet wouldn't move.
Adrian crouched down beside the boy, gripping his chin and forcing him to look up. "Next time you even breathe near me, you'll regret it. Got it?"
The boy nodded furiously, tears in his eyes.
Adrian released him, standing tall with a satisfied grin as his followers laughed. Then he turned back to Valeria, as if nothing had happened. "Come on," he said casually, draping an arm around her shoulders. "We'll be late."
Valeria followed, her hands trembling at her sides. Every day with Adrian showed her more of the darkness she was trapped in—and how impossible escape was becoming.
The final bell rang, and students poured out of the classrooms. Valeria gathered her things quickly, hoping to slip away unnoticed, but Adrian was already waiting by the gate.
"I'll drop you home," he said smoothly, his tone leaving little room for refusal.
Before Valeria could answer, another voice cut through the air.
"You don't need to bother yourself, Adrian."
Leo appeared, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. He stepped between them, resting a protective hand on Valeria's shoulder.
"Valeria, let's go," he said firmly, taking her hand and steering her toward the car.
Adrian didn't move. He just smiled—slow, unsettling, amused.
"Goodbye then," he said softly, watching them leave.
But as he turned and walked toward his own car, his mind was already shifting gears.
Leo Caruso.
The older brother, the one always watching, always ready to interfere. If he could bend Valeria's friends to his will, why not her brother too? Having Leo on his side wouldn't just silence opposition—it would bind Valeria even tighter to him.
As the city lights blurred past the window, Adrian's smile widened. He wasn't angry. No, he was intrigued. The game had only just begun.