Chapter 46

Chapter 46


Adrian Collins

As soon as I leave the room, I slam the door harder than I should. My footsteps echo down the hallway while my mind spins like a hurricane. I don’t need many words to describe what I’m feeling—anger would be an understatement.

My churning stomach and boiling blood say it all. The smell that hit me the moment I walked in left no room for doubt: Leonardo slept with that guy…

I feel nauseated just remembering that bastard’s smug expression when he walked out of the bathroom. There’s no way it’s a coincidence. Leonardo doesn’t even bother to hide it. He doesn’t care to cover it up in front of me.

As if I were nothing. As if every moment we shared could be erased by a quick fuck in the office. He wants to test me. Provoke me.

But I’m not that easy to break. I take a deep breath and head toward the bathroom. I need a second to put my mask back on.

Once inside, I lean against the sink and clench my fists. The impact of my punch against the wall brings momentary relief. Physical pain is easier to bear than the pressure pounding inside my skull.

I bend over the sink. The water runs cold, but it doesn’t refresh me. I lift my face and look at my reflection. My blonde hair slightly disheveled, my jaw clenched. I take a deep breath and murmur to myself:

— Calm down, Adrian. Control yourself. You’ll ruin everything if you lose your head now. You’ll have him back. At the right time.

I smooth my hair with my fingers, put the neutral expression back on my face, but my gaze remains sharp. This job is nothing but a front. A well-crafted excuse. The perfect entry.

I made up a reason to get close again, and Leonardo accepted. That’s already progress. He let me back into his life. It’s a crack. Small, but real.

The problem? Gabriel. That smug bastard with calculating eyes and a mocking smile. And worst of all: I saw in his eyes the same intensity Leonardo once had for me. That’s dangerous. Very.

But I know how to play dirty too. And if I have to go low, so be it. Gabriel isn’t the saint he pretends to be. No one is. He must have a past, buried secrets, skeletons in his closet. Everyone does. You just have to dig in the right spot.

I think about following him. He said he was going downstairs to grab some coffee. Perfect. I can watch from a distance, listen in, gather information. Maybe someone knows him, maybe he came from another department or… Leonardo met him somewhere else.

A bar, a club, an app? Doesn’t matter. The point is: I need to know how it started, how this bond between them was formed. And from there, unravel it, sabotage it, destroy it.

I dry my hands and leave the bathroom, more focused. The anger is still there, but now it’s trapped under a layer of control. I need to be smart, not impulsive. I have one shot. Just one. And I can’t waste it on wounded pride.

Back on my way to the makeshift office, I walk past the corridor and spot Gabriel talking to the receptionist. He smiles, as if nothing is happening, as if he didn’t just walk out of the bed in the room I want back.

I pretend not to see him, but I study every move, every detail. The way he gestures, his posture, even the tone of his laughter.

I sit in the chair and open my laptop. I open a new tab and start researching discreetly. Full name. Social media. Work history. References. Mutual friends.

I want everything. Any clue or detail that might reveal his weak spot. Because, deep down, everyone has one. A flaw. And when I find his, Leonardo will see who truly deserves to be by his side.

He thinks he forgot me. That he can toss me aside and play with some random rookie. But Leonardo has always loved control — and who better than me to understand that?

I was the one who handled his darkness, his commands, his intensity. I was the only one who saw the darkest parts of him and stayed anyway. Gabriel just joined the game and already thinks he’s won.

Poor fool.

I bite the corner of my lip, the metallic taste of rage still present. It’s only a matter of time. His world will collapse… and I’ll be there, ready to pick up the pieces — or to watch it all fall and laugh.

Now, it’s time to wait, act precisely, and keep my presence subtle. Let Gabriel believe he’s in control, that he’s safe. It’ll make the fall even sweeter.

And Leonardo… oh, he’ll come back to me. Whether out of love, or pure exhaustion. Because in the end, it was always

me. And deep down, he knows that.

As soon as Gabriel crosses the reception and leaves the building, I wait ten seconds. Just enough so he doesn’t notice me right away. I walk slowly, hands in my pockets, eyes fixed on the reflections in store windows and parked cars. He turns left, heading to the corner café, and I slow my pace.

For a moment, he turns around.

I freeze behind a car, pretending to check my phone. My eyes stay on the dark glass of a window. The reflection shows him scanning the area, suspicious. One second. Two. Three. He sighs and keeps walking. Idiot. Thinks he’s safe.

I inch closer. When he enters the café, I stay outside watching through the glass. Gabriel approaches the counter, orders two cappuccinos, and waits.

The door opens again. A man enters. Dark-haired, neatly groomed, wearing expensive clothes. He stops next to Gabriel, and the smug smile vanishes instantly. The tension is palpable. They exchange a few words, and the conversation quickly escalates into an argument.

I can’t hear everything, but I read their lips, gestures, and the tone of their expressions. The two of them trade accusations. The other guy is insistent, Gabriel visibly annoyed.

— You don’t understand — I read Gabriel saying, his voice low but firm. — If you keep pushing this, you’ll end up messing with a man like Leonardo.

The other steps closer, nearly cornering him at the counter.

— I’m not giving up. Not now. You know that.

— Then I’ll tell your wife. Let’s see if you still have anything to fight for.

The man turns pale, and Gabriel smirks, grabs the two cappuccinos, and walks out. Doesn’t even look back. The guy remains there, frozen, staring at the door like he wants to blow it up.

And then, I smile.

Finally, a crack in perfect Gabriel’s armor. A secret. An enemy. A path.

I step into the café, my heart beating like a war drum. The man is still there, eyes lost in thought, but rage flaring from his nostrils.

I approach calmly, my tone polite.

— Excuse me…

He turns to me with a hardened expression.

— Yes? — his eyes scan my face, weighing intentions.

— I’d like to talk to you about Gabriel.

Suspicion rises. He crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow.

— And why exactly?

I let out a slow smile, dripping with purpose.

— Because I believe we could be great allies… in tearing Gabriel away from Leonardo. What do you say?

His eyes light up with somet hing dark. Rage gives way to interest. And then, he smiles.

A wicked smile. Almost as venomous as mine.