He Chose Her Over Us

---- Chapter 7 Gregory Velazquez POV: | rushed Adrianna to the hospital, my heart pounding with a mixture of terror and relief. | held her in my arms, her fragile weight a stark contrast to the solid, confident way Belen always carried herself. Adrianna was like a wounded bird; she needed me. Belen... Belen was strong. She could take care of herself. "I'm so sorry, Greg," Adrianna sobbed into my chest as the doctors examined her. "This is all my fault. Belen must hate me so much. Is she okay? Did she get hurt?" "Shh, it' s not your fault," | soothed, stroking her hair. "Belen is just...

being dramatic. She' s always been headstrong. A little scare like this will probably do her some good. Teach her not to play such dangerous games." The thought solidified in my mind, a comforting justification. Belen had orchestrated this. She had put us all in danger with her petty jealousy. She deserved to be frightened. It would temper her fiery spirit, make her more pliant, more like the wife | needed her to be. 1 Adrianna looked up at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears and something that looked like adoration. "You were so brave.

My hero." ---- She clung to me, and | felt a surge of pride. | had saved her. | had done the right thing. A part of my mind, a small, nagging voice that sounded a lot like my conscience, whispered Belen' s name. | saw the flash of blood on her hand, the look of utter betrayal in her eyes as | walked away. | pushed the image down. She was fine. She had to be. She was a Porter; they were survivors. She was probably already at the city hospital, being pampered by my medical team, indignantly planning a shopping spree as revenge. "Greg?" Adrianna' s voice pulled me back.

"You seem distracted." "Just thinking," | said, forcing a smile. "Don' t worry about me. And don' t worry about Belen. She just needs to blow off some steam. She' Il come around. She always does." | truly believed it. Belen loved me. She had waited for me, nursed me back to health. Her family' s company, for all its old -money prestige, was financially dependent on the continued success of my corporation. She wouldn' t leave me. She couldn't. | would give her a few days to cool off.

Then I' d buy her some ridiculously expensive piece of jewelry, something she could show off to her friends, and everything would go back to normal. She would forgive me. After all, what | was doing for Adrianna was a noble act, and Belen, for all her faults, had a good heart. ---- The doctors confirmed Adrianna and her baby were unharmed, just shaken. | settled her into the penthouse, making sure she had everything she needed. She was so grateful, so pliant, so unlike the sharp-edged, challenging woman Belen had become. It was easy being with Adrianna. It was peaceful.

But as the days passed, a cold knot of anxiety began to tighten in my stomach. Belen hadn' t called. She hadn't texted. She hadn't sent her lawyers after me. There was just... silence. An unnerving, absolute silence. My medical team confirmed she had never shown up at the city hospital. Her assistant, Clara, stonewalled my calls, coolly informing me that Mrs. Velazquez was on a personal leave of absence and was not to be disturbed. The silence was starting to feel less like a tantrum and more like a final judgment. The day of Adrianna' s welcome-back party arrived.

It was meant to be her grand re-introduction to society, a declaration that she was under my protection. But as | stood by her side, accepting congratulations from acquaintances, my mind was elsewhere. Every time the door opened, | expected to see Belen, a storm in her eyes, ready to reclaim her territory. But she never came. And as the night wore on, the knot of anxiety in my gut began to feel terrifyingly like regret. | had made a terrible mistake. But it was too late now. All | could do was wait for the storm ---- ees eee to break.