HAPTER 013 ADRIANS POV Themorningsunfilteredthroughthecurtains,castingasoftglowoverthebedroom.Thesheets weretangledfromthenightbefore,butIbarelyacknowledgedthem.Lying onmy back,Istaredattheceiling,mythoughtscloudedwith disappointment.
Besideme,Dorasleptsoundly,herbreathingsteadyandundisturbed.Iturnedmyheadslightly,glancingather.Herbareshoulderspeekedoutfrombeneaththesilksheets,darkhairsprawledacrossthepillowsinsoftwaves.
LastnighthadbeennothinglikeIexpected.
Whad imaginedpassionsomething electrifying,somethingthatwouldmakemeforgeteverythingelse.Instead,themomenthadfelt…empty.
Noexcitement.Nosatisfaction.
Exhalingsharply,Irubbedmytempleandcarefullyslippedout of bed.Movingquietlysoasnotto wakeher,Iwalkedovertothesmallbarcartacrosstheroom.Withouthesitation,Ipouredmyselfaglassofwhiskey.TheamberliquidburnedasIdowneditinonego.
Whythehellwasthisthoughtstill lingeringin mymind? Isettheglassdownwith a quietclinkandleanedagainstthetable,grippingitsedgetightly.
EventhoughIhatedtoadmitit,everytimeIhadbeenwithOliviawhetherdrunkornotithadbeen…different.Itwasntjustabout sex.Therewassomethingelse,somethingIhadntrealizedwasmissinguntilnow.
Dorahadbeen afantasyforsolong.Thewomanwholingeredonthe edgesofmythoughts,theoneI believedcouldreplaceOliviaineveryway.Butlastnightproved otherwise.
CoulditbethatOliviawasbetterinbedthan Dora?OrwastheremoretoitthatIhaventrealizedyet? Mygazeflickered backto thebedwhereDorawasstillasleep,oblivioustomythoughts.Thewhiskeydidlittletoclear myhead,soIreachedformyphoneinstead.
Scrollingthroughmycontacts,myfingerhoveredoverafamiliarnameDan.Ipressedthedialandwaited.

Afterafewrings,adeepvoice answered.Agooddaytoyou,sir.
Dan,Isaid,my toneeven.How Successfullyunlocked!yourend? Everythingis proceeding asplanned,hereplied.Were inpositionatthemoment.
Good.Keepuptheworkand makesurenoonesuspectsanything.
1/3 CHAPTER013 Wellbecareful,sir,Danassuredme.
Iendedthecallwithout anotherword.
MyexpressionremainedunreadableasIfinishedmydrinkandwalkedtowardthestudy.Ihadalwaysbeenamanofcontrol,ensuringthateveryaspectofmylifewascalculated,planned,andexecutedflawlessly.Oliviathoughtshehadbrokenfree.
Shewasmistaken.
Insidemystudymyprivatespace,oneevenOlivianeverhadaccesstoIpulledopenadrawerandretrievedathickfile.
ThereweresomethingsIneededtohandlepersonally.
*** OLIVIASPOV Thewarmwaterdidlittletoeasethetension inmyshouldersasIstepped outoftheshower.Wrapping myselfinatowel,IwalkedintoasmallapartmentIhadgottenmyself,IglancedaroundatthespaceInowcalledhome.
1 ItwasnothinglikewhatIwasusedto.Thewallswerepeeling,thefurnitureoutdated,andtherewasnteven apropertelevisionset.AnyonewhoknewmyfamilyswealthwouldneverbelieveIwaslivinginaplacelikethis.
ButImanaged.Hopefully,it wasjusttemporary.

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Ineeded spacefromAdrian,frommyparents,fromthesuffocatingexpectationsthathadfollowedmeforsolong.
Julian hadofferedtogetmeaniceapartmentandhadeven insistedbutIrefused.Despitehimbeingaverygoodfriendto me I owe himalotoffavorsand didntwanttoincludethistothelist.
AsIpulledonanoversizedtshirt andpadded barefootintothekitchen,Ifriedsomeeggsandmadeacupofcoffee,mythoughtsrunningincircles.
Ineededtodosomething.
IfIwasgoingtotakecontrolofmylife,Ineededmoney.Icouldntrelyon myfamilysfortune,andIsureashellwasntgoingtotouchanythingthatbelongedtoAdrian.
ThethoughtofDorasentabittertastetothebackofmythroat.Thatwomanhadplayedadangerousgame,makingmelosemyunborn childoneIhadntknownexisteduntilhisdeath.
Butnow? NowI was… Takingabiteofmyfood,Iabsentlyglancedoutthewindowonlytofreeze.
Thatblacksedanwasstillthere.
Mygripontheforktightened.
2/3 CHAPTER013 Ihadnoticedthevehiclethe dayImovedin.Atfirst,Ibrusheditoffas acoincidence,buteverytime Ilookedoutside,itwasthere.Parkedjustacrossthestreetlikeitbelongedthere.
Atfirst,IconvincedmyselfIwasbeingparanoid.MaybeIwasimaginingthings.

Butthis? Thiswastoomuchtoignore.
MyheartpoundedasItookastepbackfromthe window.IneededtoconfirmifIwastrulybeingfollowed.
Grabbingmyphone,IquicklyopenedaridehailingappandbookedanUber.Ifthiscarwastailingme,itwouldfollowwhenIleft.
Fiveminuteslater,anotificationpoppedupmyride hadarrived.
Igrabbedmypurse,tookonelastlookoutside,andwalkedto thedoor.
ThemomentIsteppedout ofthebuilding,Iforcedmyselftoactnaturally.I didntglanceatthesedan,didnthesitate.IsimplywalkedtothewaitingUberandgotinside.
Thedriver,anoldermanwithgrayandhair, greetedmewithanod.Morning.Whereto? Igavehimarandomcaféaddressacrosstown.
Asthecarpulledaway,my pulsepoundedin myears.
Ididntlookbackimmediately.Iwaited,countingthesecondsinmyheadbeforefinallystealingaglance atthe sidemirror.
Mystomach twisted.
Theblacksedanhadpulledontothe road.Theywerefollowingme.Iturnedmygazeforward,gripping mypursetighter.
Whothehellwaswatching me? 口 Subscribed