All Chapters of Empire of Deception: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

*Adrian*I woke up before the sun and headed to the gym. When I entered, I was greeted by the familiar smell of disinfectant and sweat and the sounds of treadmills whirring and metal weights bouncing off of rubber mats. Exercising had been my first choice for stress relief since I started law school, and if I missed too many days in a row, my temper became unmanageable. Amelia's demeanor had me riled up, and I needed to unwind if I was going to survive working with her for the next few months.I took my time stretching, feeling the burn in each of my muscles. Once I was sure I could run without injuring myself, I got on the nearest treadmill and started slow. Every minute I ticked up the speed until I was sprinting, my heart racing and my lungs screaming for oxygen. I felt the exhaustion in my legs begin to set in as I pushed past my discomfort. My muscles ached with fatigue, yet I still didn’t stop until I reached the twenty-five minute mark.Sweat dripped down my back as I fini

*Amelia*So this is how Adrian lives? I thought as we pulled into the parking garage of the luxurious, high-rise apartment building. It was in the nicest area of downtown DC, and for some reason, I was surprised. It looked like something out of a movie set - lined with glass walls and dripping with opulence. Adrian parked his Rolls Royce, and we exited the car and began to grab our belongings from the trunk.Once my arms were full, I followed Adrian to the private elevator on the far side of the garage. Adrian held the elevator doors open with his foot and motioned for me to hurry up. He pulled out a keycard and slid it through the reader on the wall before pressing the button for the top floor.The air was thick with a strange electricity as we rode up in silence, and for some reason, I found myself thinking about what it would be like to have Adrian press me against the elevator wall. I was losing my God damn mind.The doors opened, and I stepped out into a luxurious foyer fi

*Amelia*I cursed my luck as I watched streams of rain pour down the window of Adrian's luxurious penthouse. It was a typical dreary Saturday morning, and with no job to escape to, I saw no way out of spending a full day trapped inside this lavish, yet suffocating, space.I got up from the sofa and walked towards the grand piano in the corner of the living room. It was one of the few things in this place that I enjoyed, and I decided to play a few notes to calm my nerves. As my fingers danced across the keys, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. But the peace was short-lived as I heard the front door open. Adrian must be back from whatever errand he was running.See, I was trapped here, he had deemed it unsafe for me to go out alone. But the ever infallible, invincible Adrian Chase could come and go as he pleased.I turned around to see Adrian walk in, his suit and hair drenched from the rain. A small part of me felt like celebrating the fact that his expensive ass suit was ru

*Adrian*It wasn’t easy, but we made our interaction better. She did everything right, and I felt like an idiot for it, but she fell into routines and peaceful conversations after a few more days.I stepped into the penthouse foyer, took off my gym shoes, and hung up my duffel bag. I could see Amelia in the kitchen stirring a steaming pot of her famous vegetable stew that filled the large space with its earthy aroma. I held back a smile as I walked towards her. This had been our routine for the past three weeks. Amelia always got home before I did, and she had dinner waiting for me when I walked through the door. Am I being domesticated? Ha.Anyone looking from the outside in would assume we were a regular couple and not two people who were forced to live together because we were working against one of the most powerful pharmaceutical companies in the world.It was alarming how quickly I felt like I became more tame due to a woman's presence. More specifically, Amelia. I’m not

*Amelia*"How have you been, Amelia?" Dr. Sullivan asked me once we were settled in my office.I sighed, and my shoulders sagged."It's been chaotic," I admitted. "I've spent so much time working that I'm not sure who I am outside of the courthouse."Dr. Sullivan gave me a sympathetic look and nodded his head in understanding."It's the same way in medicine. The good cases are easy, but the bad cases stick with you and change who you are," he said, patting my hand comfortingly. "But I have faith in you, Amelia. You're smart and courageous, and you have integrity that many in law lose. You'll come out ahead in the end"He then leaned forward, his blue eyes twinkling with excitement as he said, "Now, let me look over the medical notes for this suit you're working on. You said they're trying to say the accident at work wasn't responsible for the permanent nerve damage?"I nodded, and he began reviewing the notes. After a few minutes, he looked up at me with a frown."Did you say t