Adrian did not blink. Did not speak. He sat in silence, his gaze locked on Lucian as if he hadn’t heard a single word of the taunting.Lucian’s smirk faltered. He shifted uncomfortably under that still, cutting stare. Adrian wasn’t fighting back, wasn’t even acknowledging his defiance. It was as though his insults were dust carried on the air, weightless, meaningless.Why would he exchange words with a common criminal?If not that he would do anything for Clara he would not be here.“Do you even hear me?” Lucian barked, voice cracking. He slammed his chained fists against the table again, the clang echoing through the small room. “I said, why should I help you?”Adrian’s expression didn’t change. He leaned back slowly, his composure so absolute it was suffocating."Do you have the information I need or not?" Adrian finally said.Lucian’s sneer trembled, then finally cracked. He dropped his gaze, exhaled, and muttered:“…I know who has it.”Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he rema

The room echoed with the sound of a grown man sobbing like a child, the clink of chains punctuating every broken breath.Adrian was his only hope for salvation, he was sure that those goons were already counting down five minutes for him to return so that they could continue from where they stopped.Adrian stood at the door, his back turned against Adrian.His hand never wavered on the handle.Lucian’s sobs broke into hiccups of desperation, his chains rattling as he lost the last shreds of pride clinging to him. His legs buckled, and with a metallic crash, he fell to his knees.The sound echoed through the chamber.“Please…” His forehead touched the filthy floor, shoulders trembling, voice breaking under the weight of humiliation. “Please, Adrian… just give me a second chance.”The silence stretched, suffocating.At last, Adrian turned.His shadow fell across the broken figure at his feet. He looked down on Lucian, eyes carved in stone, expression harder than the prison walls themsel