Chapter 2:The Dangerous Stranger

Noah’s heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Rain battered the car windows as the black vehicle sped through the dark streets.

Everything had happened too fast.

One moment he had been walking home.

The next, he was sitting beside a bleeding stranger who looked like he belonged in a crime movie.

And somehow…

That stranger had kidnapped him.

⸻

“What is wrong with you?!”

Noah finally exploded.

Adrian didn’t even look at him.

His hands remained steady on the steering wheel.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?!”

Noah stared at him in disbelief.

“You pulled me into your car!”

“You were in danger.”

“No, I wasn’t!”

Adrian finally glanced at him.

His dark eyes were cold.

Sharp.

Unreadable.

“You were.”

⸻

Noah opened his mouth to argue.

Then closed it again.

Because something about Adrian’s expression made him hesitate.

The man genuinely believed what he was saying.

⸻

“Who were those men?”

Noah asked.

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“You ask too many questions.”

“Because normal people don’t get chased through the city at midnight.”

Adrian almost smiled.

Almost.

⸻

The car fell silent.

Only the sound of rain filled the space between them.

Noah carefully looked at the man beside him.

Now that he wasn’t standing outside in the storm, he could see more details.

Adrian looked young.

Maybe late twenties.

Handsome.

Dangerously handsome.

The kind of handsome that belonged on magazine covers.

Except magazine models usually didn’t have blood on their sleeves.

⸻

Noah’s eyes drifted to the injury.

The white shirt beneath Adrian’s suit jacket was stained red.

A lot of red.

Too much red.

“You need a hospital.”

“No.”

“You could have internal bleeding.”

“No.”

“You could die.”

“No.”

Noah groaned.

“You are impossible.”

⸻

For the first time, Adrian actually smiled.

A small smile.

Gone almost instantly.

But Noah saw it.

And somehow it made the dangerous man seem human.

⸻

Twenty minutes later, the car finally stopped.

Noah looked out the window.

And froze.

⸻

A massive mansion stood before them.

Three stories.

Iron gates.

Private security.

Luxury cars parked outside.

The place looked less like a house and more like a palace.

⸻

“What is this?”

“My home.”

Noah blinked.

His home?

What kind of person lived somewhere like this?

⸻

Before Noah could ask another question, several men rushed outside.

All dressed in black.

All armed.

All looking terrified.

⸻

“Boss!”

A tall man hurried toward the car.

The moment he saw Adrian’s injury, his face went pale.

“What happened?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

The man looked ready to panic.

⸻

Noah quietly stepped out of the car.

Immediately every guard’s attention shifted toward him.

The atmosphere changed.

Dangerously.

⸻

“Who’s the kid?”

One guard asked.

“Noah.”

Adrian answered simply.

Nothing more.

Yet every single person instantly stopped asking questions.

⸻

Noah noticed.

And it made him nervous.

Very nervous.

Because people didn’t obey someone like that unless they were powerful.

Really powerful.

⸻

The tall man approached Noah.

He had dark hair and a scar running across his cheek.

Despite his intimidating appearance, his voice was polite.

“Thank you for helping him.”

“I didn’t really do anything.”

“You did.”

The man smiled slightly.

“My name is Luca.”

⸻

Noah nodded awkwardly.

Then pointed toward Adrian.

“Is he always this stubborn?”

Luca laughed.

Actually laughed.

A rare sound judging from everyone’s shocked expressions.

⸻

“You have no idea.”

⸻

Meanwhile, Adrian was watching Noah.

Quietly.

Carefully.

⸻

Most people reacted differently after meeting him.

They became afraid.

Nervous.

Desperate to impress him.

Or desperate to escape him.

⸻

Noah had done none of those things.

Instead, he argued.

Complained.

Scolded him about going to the hospital.

⸻

It was…

Interesting.

⸻

Very interesting.

⸻

Several minutes later, a doctor arrived.

Apparently private doctors made house calls here.

Which only made Noah more suspicious.

⸻

The doctor immediately began treating Adrian’s injury.

Luckily, the wound wasn’t life-threatening.

Just deep.

Painful.

But manageable.

⸻

“See?”

Adrian said afterward.

“I’m fine.”

Noah crossed his arms.

“You lost enough blood to fill a water bottle.”

“I’m alive.”

“Barely.”

⸻

Luca covered his mouth.

Trying not to laugh.

⸻

Nobody spoke to Adrian Knight this way.

Nobody.

⸻

Yet Adrian didn’t seem angry.

If anything…

He looked amused.

⸻

Eventually, Noah checked his phone.

His eyes widened.

It was almost 2 a.m.

⸻

“Oh no.”

“What?”

“I need to get home.”

Adrian frowned.

“It’s late.”

“I know.”

“My driver will take you.”

“No need.”

“It wasn’t a request.”

⸻

Noah stared.

“There it is.”

“There what is?”

“The rich-guy attitude.”

Luca nearly choked.

⸻

Adrian’s eyebrow lifted.

“Rich-guy attitude?”

“Yes.”

Noah pointed at him.

“You keep ordering people around.”

⸻

To everyone’s surprise…

Adrian laughed.

A real laugh.

Deep.

Warm.

Unexpected.

⸻

The room fell silent.

Because nobody had heard Adrian laugh like that in years.

⸻

Not even Luca.

⸻

Finally, Adrian looked at Noah.

Those dark eyes locked onto his.

And for a moment, something shifted.

Something neither of them understood.

⸻

“Take him home.”

Adrian instructed.

⸻

Noah grabbed his backpack.

“Good.”

Then he paused.

Turning back.

⸻

“Take care of yourself.”

The words slipped out naturally.

⸻

Adrian froze.

So did Luca.

So did everyone else.

⸻

Because nobody spoke to Adrian that way.

Nobody worried about him.

Nobody told him to take care of himself.

⸻

But Noah did.

Without hesitation.

Without fear.

Without expecting anything in return.

⸻

For the first time in a very long time…

Adrian felt something unfamiliar.

⸻

As Noah disappeared through the mansion doors, Adrian continued watching.

Long after he was gone.

⸻

Luca noticed immediately.

Of course he did.

⸻

“Boss.”

Adrian didn’t answer.

⸻

“You’re staring.”

Still no answer.

⸻

A slow smile appeared on Luca’s face.

One that usually meant trouble.

⸻

“Interesting.”

Adrian finally looked at him.

“What?”

Luca folded his arms.

Then grinned.

⸻

“I think you’ve just met someone you won’t be able to forget.”

⸻

For the first time that night…

Adrian didn’t deny it.

To Be Continued… ❤️🔥

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