All Chapters of HIDDEN FLAMES: A Billionaire's Secret Love Game : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The very next day, I found myself walking near Adrian’s family estate.I hadn’t planned on coming this way, but after hours of pacing around my parents' house, I needed an excuse to get out. My mom had been watching me like I might break at any second, and my dad kept dropping hints about "taking time to think things over."I didn’t need time. I needed clarity.The idea of bumping into Adrian was the last thing I wanted, but something pulled me here anyway. Maybe it was curiosity—or maybe I was just trying to prove to myself that I could be near his world without falling deeper into it.I slowed as I passed the estate’s iron gates. The path leading up to the house was lined with perfectly trimmed hedges, and even from the road, I could see the tall, white columns of the front porch.I was about to keep walking when the sound of footsteps caught my attention.“Mia?”I turned, heart sinking slightly as Adrian’s mother, Alexandra, stepped out from the side garden. She was dressed as impe

“Why do you care so much, Adrian?”The words slipped out before I could stop them, slicing through the tense silence in the living room like a sharp blade.Adrian froze mid-typing on his laptop, his fingers hovering over the keys. He didn’t look at me right away, but his jaw ticked—a telltale sign I’d struck a nerve.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said finally, his tone clipped.I leaned back against the couch, crossing my arms as I studied him. “Oh, come on. Don’t act like you haven’t been glaring at me for the past three days every time I so much as smile at someone else.”He exhaled sharply through his nose, shutting his laptop with a little too much force. “You’re imagining things, Mia.”“Am I?” I challenged, arching an eyebrow. “Because it seems like you have an awful lot of opinions about who I talk to and when.”Adrian’s dark eyes finally met mine, his gaze sharp and unreadable. For a moment, the air between us felt electric, charged with all the unspoken words we

It started with a wine cellar.Adrian’s mansion had more rooms than anyone could reasonably need, but the wine cellar was easily the most ridiculous. I mean, it looked like something out of a historical novel—floor-to-ceiling racks, each one stacked with bottles of wine that I was pretty sure no one actually drank. But tonight, when I realized we were out of sparkling water upstairs, I thought maybe I’d grab a bottle from the cellar. It was, after all, a massive house, and surely the wine wasn’t the only thing that needed keeping.The plan was simple: go down, grab the water, and leave. But once I stepped inside, the dim lighting was enough to make me second-guess everything. A creepy chill ran down my spine. I wasn’t a fan of dark, quiet spaces like this. Maybe I should’ve called Adrian for help, but honestly, I didn’t need him hovering over me like some overprotective shadow.I grabbed a flashlight from the nearby shelf because the cellar's lighting was about as bright as a dying ca

“I don’t know about you,” Adrian said, his voice warm and teasing as he leaned against the kitchen counter, “but I think we need to set some ground rules.”“Ground rules?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Is this your way of saying you’re already regretting this?”His lips curved into a smirk, but there was no mistaking the softness in his gaze. “No, Mia. I’m saying if we’re going to do this—really do this—I don’t want to screw it up.”I set my mug down and turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. “Okay, Mr. Rule Maker. Let’s hear it. What are these so-called ground rules?”Adrian pushed off the counter and took a step closer, his presence commanding as always. But this time, there was a gentleness to his movements, a vulnerability that made my heart skip a beat. “Rule number one,” he began, his voice low and serious. “We don’t keep secrets. If something’s bothering you, you tell me. No more guessing games.”I raised an eyebrow, leaning again

Adrian didn’t know what hit him when I proposed a spontaneous road trip.“A road trip?” he repeated, his brow furrowed as he glanced at the neatly packed duffel bags sitting by the door. “Mia, you’re aware we’re not teenagers anymore, right?”“Exactly why we should do it!” I said, looping my arm through his and giving him my best puppy-dog eyes. “It’s not like we have meetings to attend or deadlines to meet this weekend. Think of it as a mini getaway. Just you, me, and the open road.”He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe with a skeptical expression. “And let me guess—you already have an itinerary planned out?”“Of course,” I said, holding up my phone. “I mapped out all the best stops. Scenic views, quirky diners, maybe even a haunted inn.”“A haunted inn?” His brow shot up. “Why does it feel like I’m walking into one of your chaotic schemes again?”“Because you are,” I replied cheerfully, grabbing his hand. “Now come on, Mr. Grumpy. Live a little.”He sighed, pinching th