The condo was quiet when I finally stepped inside, the soft hum of the air conditioner and the faint aroma of coffee welcoming me. My shoulders sagged in relief. For the first time all day, I could breathe.
I sank into the couch, kicking off my heels, and let my bag slide to the floor. The chaos of the office, Marcus's betrayal, the angry client calls—it all faded into a dull thrum at the edge of my mind.
Just as I reached for the remote, the door burst open.
"Jay! You will not believe what just happened!"
I froze. Of course. It was Adam.
He stepped in as if he owned the place, waving a coffee cup in one hand and a small, suspiciously wrapped package in the other. "I got this for you! And wait—don't ask questions yet!"
"Adam," I said slowly, raising an eyebrow, "how did you even get in?"
He grinned, utterly unconcerned. "Security guard bribed with a muffin. Totally legal, trust me. Probably."
I blinked at him. "You bribed a security guard… with a muffin?"
"Exactly. Bribery is an art form," he said proudly, placing the coffee on the table with exaggerated care. "And look! I come bearing caffeine and potential disaster."
I rolled my eyes, half laughing, half groaning. "You are ridiculous."
"Ridiculously awesome," he corrected, flopping onto the couch beside me. "And before you say anything, yes—I saw the chaos at work today. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the little fireworks."
I snorted. "Enjoy? I could feel my blood pressure spike through the roof."
He leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially, "Admit it—you love being the boss when everyone's scared of you."
I shot him a glare. "I don't need commentary from my uninvited life coach."
Adam laughed, clearly pleased with himself. "Uninvited? My dear Jay, you invited me in with that coffee order yesterday."
I groaned. "That was not an invitation for you to show up at my condo whenever you feel like it."
"Challenge accepted," he said, grinning.
I rolled my eyes again, but a tiny smile tugged at my lips. For a moment, the tension of the office melted away.
Then, as always, the voice in the back of my mind returned—Keifer's words from earlier, impossible to ignore: "You're mine. Everything about you is mine."
I pressed my palms to my face and let out a long sigh. Even here, safe in my condo, I couldn't escape him.
Adam, oblivious to my inner turmoil, nudged me with his elbow. "You okay? You're scowling like a storm cloud."
I peeked at him through my fingers. "I'm fine. Just… thinking."
"You think too much," he said with mock seriousness. "Come on, relax. Coffee. Muffin. Me. That's all you need."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "That's… dangerously close to being true."
Just as I was letting myself unwind, my phone buzzed. I ignored it at first, hoping it was nothing urgent. But the vibration persisted.
Adam picked it up before I could reach it. "Hm, interesting…" he muttered, scrolling. "Seems someone's still watching, even from afar."
I tensed, heart skipping. "Who?"
He looked at me with a smirk. "Let's just say… the mysterious man isn't done yet. He's still very interested in your work, apparently."
I groaned and leaned back into the couch. "Of course. Just what I needed—a shadow looming over my life."
Adam shrugged. "At least you've got me. And coffee. And muffins."
I shook my head, laughing despite myself. "Yeah… I suppose that's something."
For the first time that evening, I allowed myself to breathe, even if only a little. Chaos was far from over, Keifer's words still clawed at my thoughts, and the mysterious man was out there somewhere—but for now… Adam's ridiculous energy and my cup of coffee were enough.