An Offer and a Hidden Threat

I stood frozen in shock, staring at Adrian as his words echoed in my mind. A private mansion. A place to live. Away from Julian, away from my mother's pressure, away from everything that was threatening to drown me.

"You have a separate house?" I finally managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Adrian nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's in the northern part of my territory. Fully staffed, completely private. I can't be there full-time due to my responsibilities here, but I'm there often enough for work."

My mind raced with questions. This wasn't just offering me a room in his house—this was an entirely separate property. The implications made my heart hammer against my ribs.

"Why would you..." I trailed off, unsure how to even phrase the question.

"You need a safe place," he said simply, as if offering someone a multi-million dollar residence was an everyday occurrence. "This would give you space from the main house. From Camille's... complications."