The message played over and over in my head, filling me with a growing sense of unease. I glanced at my phone again, the words blurring as my heart raced. The thought of Adrian doing something behind my back seemed impossible, but the warning kept tugging at me.Sophia’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Hey, what’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”I forced a weak smile, trying to play it off, but I could feel the worry creeping into my expression. “I, um… I need to take care of something. Could you cover for me?”She looked at me, puzzled, but nodded. “Of course. Just… let me know if you need anything, okay?”“Thanks, Sophia,” I mumbled, grabbing my things and making my way out of the office. My steps felt heavy, and the whole walk to the curb felt like a dream. I flagged down a taxi, barely registering the driver’s question before giving him our address. The whole ride, my mind churned, bouncing between fear, confusion, and denial. Adrian couldn’t possibly be hiding somet
After I slapped Clara, she stumbled back, her face contorting in anger. She lunged toward me, but Adrian grabbed her arm, pushing her aside with a firm grip.I didn’t flinch. My anger was sharper than ever. I turned to Adrian, demanding answers. “So, is it true? Are you with her?”He looked at me, struggling for words, but finally spoke. “Yes, I was… in a relationship with her. But that was before. She’s my ex, not anything to me now.”It hurt, but I tried to keep my voice steady. “Then why is she here? In our bed? Practically on top of you and barely dressed?” My voice wavered despite my best efforts.He took a frustrated breath, shooting a glare at Clara. “I don’t know how she got here. She just showed up. She started… undressing, and I tried to get her out, but before I could push her away, you walked in.” His voice was defensive, but I could hear the frustration in it.Clara scoffed, crossing her arms with a sly smile. “If you really think Adrian cares about you, then you’re more
Adrian stood frozen in the room after Lana slammed the door behind her. He stared at the spot where she had just stood, the weight of her words still ringing in his ears. Why didn’t she believe me? The frustration bubbled up inside him, but there was no one to vent to except the woman still standing there. He turned to Clara, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his sides.Clara sat casually on the edge of the bed, her smirk only growing. She crossed her legs as though nothing had happened, as though she hadn’t just torn his world apart.“What the hell is wrong with you?” Adrian’s voice was sharp, shaking with anger.Clara tilted her head, feigning innocence. “What’s wrong with me? Adrian, darling, I think the real question is: What’s wrong with you? Running off and marrying someone else as if I don’t exist?”Adrian’s hands balled into fists. “Why did you do this, Clara? Why would you ruin my relationship? What do you even want?”Her smirk faded slightly, replaced by something darker.
Adrian immediately let go of Clara, who dropped to the floor, gasping for air. She clutched her throat dramatically, her face pale as though she had narrowly escaped death.Evelyn rushed into the room, her shock evident. Her sharp eyes darted between Adrian and Clara before she knelt down to help Clara up.“What on earth is going on here?” Evelyn demanded, her voice trembling with both anger and disbelief. She turned to Clara, her expression softening. “Clara? What… what are you doing here? When did you get back? Are you okay?”Clara leaned heavily on Evelyn’s arm, coughing softly for effect. Her voice came out weak and pitiful. “I just got back today, Mrs. Knight. I wanted to surprise Adrian, but…” She glanced at Adrian, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “He… he tried to strangle me. All because he’s married now.”Evelyn’s face darkened. She turned to Adrian, her tone sharp and accusatory. “Adrian Knight! What is wrong with you? Have you completely lost your mind? How could you
Lana's POVThe rain poured heavily as I trudged down the street, my thoughts drowning out the sound of raindrops hitting the pavement. My chest felt hollow, as if someone had carved out my heart and left an empty shell in its place. The pain was unbearable, but I kept moving, letting the rain soak me to the bone.Adrian’s betrayal replayed in my mind. Clara’s words haunted me: “He just wanted to get laid with you.”Was that really all it was? Had I been so naïve to think he cared about me? My lips trembled, and I clenched my fists, trying to hold back tears.I didn’t realize I had wandered into a small bar until I was already inside. The dim lights and the smell of alcohol hit me instantly, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t the kind of person who sought solace in a drink, but tonight was different. Tonight, I was a broken woman looking for an escape.I sat down at the counter and ordered a hot whiskey. As the bartender slid the glass toward me, I hesitated, staring at the amber liquid. Then
I stared at the bottom of my glass, watching the last few drops of whiskey swirl around. The bitter taste clung to my tongue, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the ache in my chest. I had lost track of how many glasses I’d had. All I knew was that the bar was almost empty now. Most of the patrons had left, leaving me alone with my misery.The bartender glanced at me as he wiped the counter, but he didn’t say anything. Maybe he’d seen enough broken people to know when to stay quiet.I swirled the drink in my hand and sighed. It wasn’t even about Adrian anymore—or at least that’s what I told myself. It was about the Knights. Jordan. Adrian. Clara. Every one of them had played me like a fool, and now here I was, drowning in self-pity in some dingy bar.The door creaked open, and I glanced up lazily. My stomach dropped when I saw who it was. Lewis.I recognized him instantly. He was one of the investors who had tried to invest in my father's company. but after his attitude I reported him
Lana’s POVI felt Lewis’s grip tighten on my arm, his nails digging into my skin as he held me in place. My head was spinning, my body trembling from exhaustion and fear. Adrian’s sudden appearance had given me a sliver of hope, but Lewis wasn’t backing down.“You think you can just waltz in here and play hero?” Lewis sneered at Adrian, his voice dripping with drunken arrogance. “Stay out of this, or I’ll kill you.”Adrian didn’t flinch. He stood tall, his eyes fixed on Lewis like a predator sizing up its prey. “This is your last warning. Let her go,” he said, his tone low and dangerous.Lewis laughed, a cruel sound that sent chills down my spine. “Over my dead body.”In an instant, Adrian moved. It was so fast, I barely saw it happen. One moment, he was standing there, calm and collected; the next, his fist came down like a hammer, slamming into Lewis’s face. The sickening crunch echoed in the narrow alley.Lewis staggered back, releasing me as he crumpled to the ground. Blood poured
The morning light seeping through the curtains made my head pound even more. My entire body ached, and as I blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision, I realized I wasn’t in my apartment. The bed was too large, the sheets too soft, and the faint scent of Adrian’s cologne lingered in the air.I turned my head and found him sitting beside me, his face etched with worry. “You’re awake,” he said, his voice soft.I groaned and tried to sit up. “What happened?”“You fainted last night,” he replied. “I brought you here. Lana, I—”I held up a hand to stop him. “Save it, Adrian. I don’t want to hear it.” My voice was sharper than I intended, but the hurt from last night still burned inside me.“Lana, I didn’t do anything with Clara,” he began, leaning closer. “She came to my office uninvited. Whatever you saw—”“I saw enough!” I snapped, cutting him off. My heart ached, but I refused to let him see just how much it hurt. “Why do you even care? Isn’t this what you wanted? To get between my legs
I stared at the divorce papers on the table, the words blurring as tears pooled in my eyes. My hand trembled as I held the pen, my mind screaming for me to stop, to question Adrian one last time. But I knew it wouldn’t matter. His cold, detached expression was all the answer I’d ever get.“Sign it,” Adrian said, his voice sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.I searched his face for something—anything—that would tell me this was a cruel joke. But he avoided my gaze, his eyes fixed on the floor. That small, cowardly act only broke me further. I clutched the pen tighter, my nails digging into my palm as I forced myself to write my name. Each stroke felt like a dagger slicing through my soul.Clara laughed, the sound grating on my already raw nerves. “Finally,” she sneered. “Now you can stop pretending you’re something you’re not, Lana. The pity act was getting old.”I wanted to scream at her, to claw at that smug smile on her face, but the words wouldn’t come. My throat burne
Lana's POVI woke up feeling like the weight of the world was pressing down on my chest. My eyes opened slowly, but everything around me felt too heavy to process. The exhaustion from the past few days had soaked into my bones, leaving me drained, both physically and emotionally. I tried to sit up, but the tightness in my chest made it impossible to focus. Every thought was a reminder of how wrong everything had gone.I forced myself to get out of bed, my legs shaky beneath me. The house was quieter than usual, almost as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. When I stepped into the living room, I saw Evelyn sitting on the couch. Her face was pale and drawn, looking sickly, as usual. She was sitting there, hands clasped tightly together, looking as if she might collapse at any moment. It was the same act she had been pulling for days now, and honestly, it was starting to make me sick.Clara was standing next to her, arms crossed, that smug expression still plas
Adrian stormed out of the guest room where Clara had been lurking, his chest heaving as his thoughts spiraled. The moment Lana’s tear-streaked face flashed in his mind, his fist slammed into the nearest wall with enough force to send a jarring pain up his arm. He barely noticed it. The physical pain was nothing compared to the ache gnawing at his heart.“What have I done?” he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with regret. Every word he had hurled at Lana replayed in his head like a cruel echo. Her hurt, her tears—it was all his doing.Clara approached him cautiously, her expression soft and calculated. She placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe him. “Adrian, don’t do this to yourself,” she said sweetly.Her touch ignited a fire in him, but not the kind she wanted. Adrian shrugged her hand off with a venomous glare. “Don’t you dare,” he snapped. “Don’t you even think for a second that I’m doing this for you. I’ll never be with you, Clara.”Clara blinked, startled by h
Adrian’s words hit me like a truck. I stared at him, disbelief written all over my face. “Divorce?” I managed to choke out. “Why?”He crossed his arms, his expression cold and unreadable. “Because this marriage was a mistake,” he said flatly. “We should never have been together.”I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. “What are you talking about? We’ve been through so much. Why are you saying this now?”“I don’t love you, Lana,” he said, his tone sharp and emotionless. “I never did. I only went along with this because my mother arranged it while I was in a coma. And let’s not forget, we needed an heir.”I staggered back, my heart pounding. “You’re saying you used me?”Adrian’s gaze didn’t falter. “It’s not about that. Now that I’m awake and healthy, there’s no need for this charade. I can have a child with someone I actually care about.”“Is it because of Clara?” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.He didn’t answer.“Adrian,” I pleaded, my voice trembling. “I
I sat across from Sophia in the small break room, my hands gripping a cup of lukewarm coffee. My thoughts were all over the place, the events of the morning replaying in my mind on an endless loop. Evelyn’s words, Clara’s smug smile, Adrian’s silence—everything felt like a knife twisting in my chest.“So, what happened?” Sophia asked, leaning forward, her face full of concern.I hesitated, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Evelyn wants Adrian to divorce me,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “She even said Clara should stay in the house with us.”Sophia’s jaw dropped. “What?” Her voice rose, and I flinched. “That woman has some nerve! And Clara? Don’t even get me started on her.” She crossed her arms, fuming. “If I were there, I’d have dragged her out of that house by her hair.”Despite everything, I managed a small smile. “Thanks, Sophia. But it’s not that simple.”“Why not?” she demanded. “Lana, you’re his wife. You have every right to fight for your place in that ho
I couldn’t believe what was happening. My fists were clenched as I faced my mother. “Why are you doing this, Mother? Why are you trying to destroy my marriage?” My voice was steady, but the anger bubbling beneath was hard to contain.Evelyn sat calmly, her gaze icy. “Destroy your marriage?” she repeated mockingly. “Adrian, this isn’t a marriage. It’s a business arrangement. You’re the one forgetting that.”I felt my jaw tighten. “I haven’t forgotten anything. You were the one who insisted I marry Lana. And now you want me to throw her away like she’s nothing?”“Yes!” Evelyn snapped, standing. “Because I never intended for her to stay! She served her purpose, and now you can move on. Clara is who you belong with.”Clara was sitting off to the side, her arms crossed, watching with a satisfied smirk. That only made my blood boil more. “Clara? Clara has no place here. I want her out of this house!” I pointed toward the door. “And for the last time, I’m not divorcing Lana!”Evelyn’s face h
I couldn’t breathe. Evelyn’s words echoed in my mind, over and over, like a cruel melody I couldn’t escape. “You will divorce Lana.” The way she said it, so cold and final, as if I were nothing more than an obstacle. I felt the ground beneath me give way. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces, and I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down my cheeks.Adrian took a step toward me. “Lana, please—”“Don’t!” I snapped, backing away from him. The anguish in his eyes mirrored my own, but I couldn’t trust it. Not now. Not after hearing what I just heard.“Lana, it’s not what you think,” he tried again, his voice desperate.I shook my head furiously, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak. “Not what I think? I just heard your mother tell you to divorce me, Adrian! And you just stood there. You didn’t fight for me. You let her say it like I’m nothing!”“That’s not true—”“Stop lying!” I screamed, my voice breaking. The pain was too much to bear. I couldn’t stand to be in that hous
Adrian's POVThe moment Lana stormed off, I turned to my mother, my blood boiling. "What the hell is this, Mother?" I demanded, my voice sharp. "You know I’m married! You were the one who insisted I marry Lana, so why are you doing this now? Why are you making things worse?"my mother leaned back in her chair, completely unfazed by my outburst. She picked up her teacup and took a leisurely sip before finally meeting my gaze. “Exactly, Adrian. I arranged this marriage, and I can decide who stays in this house. Don’t forget, it’s a contract marriage.”Her words hit me like a slap. “Contract marriage?” I repeated, stunned. “Are you serious right now? Lana is my wife, not some pawn in your games!”Evelyn sighed, setting her teacup down delicately as if we weren’t in the middle of a life-altering conversation. “Adrian, let’s not be dramatic. Lana doesn’t even have a ring. The marriage was never meant to be permanent. I only arranged it because I thought you were going to die in that coma,
The morning light seeping through the curtains made my head pound even more. My entire body ached, and as I blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision, I realized I wasn’t in my apartment. The bed was too large, the sheets too soft, and the faint scent of Adrian’s cologne lingered in the air.I turned my head and found him sitting beside me, his face etched with worry. “You’re awake,” he said, his voice soft.I groaned and tried to sit up. “What happened?”“You fainted last night,” he replied. “I brought you here. Lana, I—”I held up a hand to stop him. “Save it, Adrian. I don’t want to hear it.” My voice was sharper than I intended, but the hurt from last night still burned inside me.“Lana, I didn’t do anything with Clara,” he began, leaning closer. “She came to my office uninvited. Whatever you saw—”“I saw enough!” I snapped, cutting him off. My heart ached, but I refused to let him see just how much it hurt. “Why do you even care? Isn’t this what you wanted? To get between my legs