Maria.

"What are you still doing in my fiancé’s room by this hour, Rogue 456?" Vanessa’s voice sliced through the room, sharp and cold.

I froze.

Her glare locked onto me, dark and venomous, a look so heavy with accusation it felt like it could peel my skin apart. It wasn’t just anger, it was possession, authority, and warning all wrapped into one deadly stare. My throat tightened instantly, and I lowered my gaze, my heart pounding violently against my ribs.

Before I could form a response, Adrien moved.

"Vanessa, love," he called gently, already crossing the distance between them.

His tone softened instantly, like my presence had never mattered at all. He cupped her chin tenderly, tilting her face upward, and before she could speak again, his lips claimed hers. The kiss was deliberate, unhurried, meant to silence, to soothe, to erase every doubt forming in her mind.

I stood there, invisible.

The kiss lingered long enough for the tension to drain from her shoulders. When he finally pulled back, her breath was uneven, her earlier sharpness dulled, though not gone entirely.

"I actually came back to tell you," Vanessa said calmly, though her eyes flicked toward me for a split second, "that I won’t be in my room by morning. I’ll be staying at Aidan’s...just in case you want to come see me."

Adrien smiled faintly.

"Alright, love," he replied easily. "I’ll keep that in mind."

He leaned forward slowly, deliberately, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. It was soft, almost reverent, the kind of intimate gesture that spoke of familiarity and quiet affection rather than urgency. The sight of it made my chest constrict sharply, a sudden, painful tightening that stole the air from my lungs. I felt it deep inside, like something fragile had been squeezed too hard.

She responded without hesitation.

Her arms slid around him in a brief, natural hug, as though it was a motion she had performed countless times before. She rested her head against his chest, fitting there with unsettling ease, like that space had always been meant for her. Like she belonged there. Like she always would. The way he didn’t pull away, the way the moment lingered just a second longer than necessary, made my stomach twist.

And then she lifted her head.

Her eyes found mine.

The change was immediate.

The warmth that had softened her expression only moments ago vanished as though it had never existed. It drained from her face in an instant, leaving behind something cold and calculated. Her body stiffened slightly, her arms loosening from his as her gaze locked onto me with unnerving precision.

What replaced that warmth was unmistakable.

It wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t embarrassment.

It was a warning.

Sharp and silent, it cut straight through me without a single word being spoken. Her eyes held a clear, absolute message, one that didn’t need explaining. They told me to see what I had just witnessed. To understand it. To remember my place.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, my pulse roaring in my ears as the meaning settled heavily in my chest. Whatever had passed between them hadn’t ended with that kiss or that embrace.

And the warning in her eyes made it painfully clear, it wasn’t meant for me to interfere.....and I felt it settle deep in my bones. She didn’t need to say a word. Adrien was standing right there, his arms still around her, and yet the message was clear—know your place.

She pulled away, turned, and left the room without another glance.

The door closed softly behind her.

Only then did Adrien seem to remember that I still existed.

He turned slowly, his expression unreadable now, his earlier confidence faltering just enough to betray uncertainty. His eyes lingered on me longer than necessary, as though he were deciding what version of himself to wear next.

The silence stretched.

I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to move before he could speak.

"Alpha Adrien," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the chaos churning inside me. "Just like your fiancée said, I am not supposed to be in your room by this time."

I paused, then added, "I will take my leave."

Without waiting for permission, I turned and headed toward the door, my steps quick, desperate to escape the suffocating weight of the room, the bed, the memories of what I had witnessed.

I was almost there.

Almost free.

His arm shot out suddenly.

Strong fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulling me back with startling force. I gasped softly as he spun me around, my back pressing into the door, his body caging me in completely.

We were inches apart.

So close I could feel the heat radiating from him, smell his scent—dominant, familiar, overwhelming. My breath caught painfully in my chest as my eyes lifted to his.

His jaw was tight now.

"What do you think you’re doing?" he asked quietly, though the danger in his voice was unmistakable.

"I’m leaving," I whispered, my heart racing wildly. "That’s what I am supposed to have done, isn’t it?"

His grip tightened slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me I wasn’t the one in control.

"You don’t decide when you leave," he murmured, leaning in just enough for his words to brush my ear. "Not when I haven’t dismissed you."

Fear and frustration twisted together inside me.

"Why do you keep running, Maria?" he murmured, his voice low and rough, brushing against my ear as his hot breath spilled over my skin. "We aren’t done here."

The words sent a tremor through me.

I barely dared to breathe, my back pressed firmly against the door, his body blocking every possible escape. The nearness of him was suffocating, his scent, his warmth, his presence swallowing all the space around me until there was nothing left but him.

"Alpha Adrien," I said slowly, carefully, each word measured as though speaking too fast or too loud might shatter the fragile restraint holding the moment together. "Please... can you release me a bit."

My hands hovered uselessly at my sides. I didn’t push him. I didn’t struggle. I was too afraid that the slightest movement would provoke something I wasn’t prepared to face.

He didn’t answer.

Instead, his other hand lifted, fingers threading through my hair, brushing it back from my face with deliberate slowness. The touch was gentle, but it made my spine stiffen instantly. A chill raced through me, sharp and uncontrollable, and my breath hitched despite my efforts to remain still.

"You’re not going anywhere, Maria," he said quietly, but there was no softness in it now. "My order still stands."

His eyes held mine, dark and unwavering, as he leaned closer, his nose brushing against mine in a gesture that felt far too intimate, far too possessive. The closeness made my thoughts blur, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"The only place you’ll be tonight," he continued, voice steady and final, "is on my bed."

My body betrayed me.

A faint shudder ran through me, unbidden and humiliating, my knees weakening as his presence overwhelmed my senses. I hated myself for it, for reacting, for feeling anything at all when I should have been resisting, when I should have been angry.

His gaze flickered downward briefly, noticing.

"Be obedient, Maria," he murmured, his tone almost coaxing now, dangerously calm. "Be a good girl."

The words struck something deep inside me, something raw and trembling. I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms as I tried to anchor myself, to remind myself who I was, where I stood.

But before I could speak, before I could protest or plead again, his hand moved to the back of my head.

There was no warning.

No hesitation.

He pulled me forward, his lips crashing into mine with sudden force, stealing the breath from my lungs. The shock alone made my body go slack for a heartbeat, my mind blanking as the world narrowed to that single, overwhelming sensation.

I tried to resist.

I truly did.

But his grip was firm, unyielding, holding me in place as though escape had never been an option to begin with. My strength faltered quickly, my body responding despite my fear, despite the voice screaming in my head that this was wrong.

My knees weakened further, and if not for his arm braced against me, I would have collapsed entirely.

I hated that my heart raced.

Hated that my thoughts blurred.

Hated that I couldn’t find the will to push him away.

He held me there, unmoving, his presence consuming, his dominance unmistakable. I could feel the tension radiating from him, coiled and restless, as though he were barely holding himself back from something far worse.

And in that moment, trapped between his body and my own confusion, I realized resistance wasn’t just physical, it was emotional. And mine was slipping, piece by fragile piece.

I didn’t kiss him back.

But I didn’t pull away either.

All I could do was cling to the last shred of control I had left, even as my body trembled and my resolve weakened under the weight of his hold, knowing that whatever line I was trying to protect was already dangerously close to being crossed.