All Chapters of HIDDEN FLAMES: A Billionaire's Secret Love Game : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I should’ve known something was wrong the second Alexandra smiled at me.She and Elizabeth had summoned Adrian and me to the Whitmore estate for what they called a “family meeting.” I assumed it was another round of subtle jabs and polite insults disguised as advice.I had been to the Knight estate on several occasions but I still couldn't help being amazed every time I came. It looked like something pulled straight from an old black-and-white film. Grand, sprawling gardens stretched far beyond the eye could see, and the main house loomed in the distance—stone walls covered in ivy, tall glass windows that reflected the pale afternoon sun like mirrors. I could practically feel the weight of its history pressing down on me the moment I stepped through the gates.It was beautiful.And suffocating.“Thank you for coming,” Alexandra said, her voice clipped as always, though there was a thin veil of politeness stretched over her words today. She was

“Smile, Mia. You look like you’re being dragged to your own execution.”Adrian’s voice was soft, but the sharp edge beneath it made me glance up. His hand rested lightly against the curve of my back as we stepped out of the car, cameras flashing like miniature lightning strikes across the entrance of the Knight estate.I plastered on the kind of smile I’d perfected over the past few weeks—polite, distant, and just believable enough to pass.“I didn’t realize this was part of the deal,” I said under my breath, watching the swarm of photographers behind the velvet ropes.“It wasn’t supposed to be,” Adrian replied, voice tight as he guided me forward. “Alexandra must have invited the press.”Of course, she had.Tonight wasn’t just a party. It was a performance.The Knights’ private art auction—an exclusive, invitation-only affair that had more to do with power than paintings. It wasn’t about selling art. It was about influence. The right smile, the right conversation—carefully cultivated

I lingered outside the study door long after Alexandra’s voice faded into silence. The soft hum of conversation resumed, muffled now, like they knew I was still standing there.The weight of her last words pressed down on me, curling tightly around my chest.I can handle Adrian. It’s his wife I’m worried about.The hallway stretched ahead, dark and empty, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were following me as I made my way back to the bedroom.Adrian was still asleep when I returned, his arm sprawled across my side of the bed. I stood at the edge for a long moment, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest.His hair had fallen over his forehead, softening the sharp edges of his face. In sleep, Adrian looked almost vulnerable. Almost.I slipped beneath the covers carefully, but the moment my head hit the pillow, his arm instinctively pulled me closer.“Mia…” he mumbled sleepily, his voice heavy with exhaustion

"I'm leaving, Adrian."The words felt heavy as they left my mouth, like stones sinking to the bottom of a lake. I hadn’t planned to say them—not this morning, not with him standing so close, watching me like he already knew something was wrong. But once the words were out, I couldn’t take them back.Adrian’s gaze lifted from the papers on his desk, eyes narrowing slightly as if he hadn’t heard me right. "You’re what?"I folded my arms, holding onto the only thing keeping me upright—pride. "I’m going to see my family. I just need a few days away, that’s all."His pen stilled between his fingers. "Mia, if something happened—""Nothing happened," I interrupted, forcing a small smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. "I just… I haven’t seen them in a while. I thought it would be nice to check in."Lie.I could feel the weight of it pressing down on my chest. This wasn’t about missing my family. It wasn’t even about them.I was scared.The longer I stayed in this house, the more I felt the

Later that evening, the café hummed with a quiet stillness that only came at closing time. The last customer had left almost an hour ago, and now it was just me, Mom, and Patricia. Rain drizzled softly against the windows, casting ripples across the glass. The dim glow from the streetlights outside painted golden patterns over the tables.I wiped down the counter for the third time, dragging out the moment. I wasn’t quite ready to leave yet, even though I knew I had to.Patricia sat at one of the booths, scrolling through her phone with that half-distracted smirk she always wore when she knew something I hadn’t said aloud yet. She’d been watching me all evening, stealing little glances every time I passed by.Mom moved around behind the register, counting the day’s earnings with a calm efficiency, but even she kept stealing glances in my direction.The weight in the room was subtle, but it was there. Like everyone knew something was off, but no one wanted to say it out loud.I finally