Chapter 17 No Place to Hide
Evelyn's POV.
Dad turned to Adrian and started a conversation. He's trying to buy me time.
“How's work going, Mr. Adrian?” he said. “I heard your company is working on a new technology.”
Adrian raised his head and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
He looked at Dad and chuckled.
“I didn't know you were interested in new technologies.”
Dad also chuckled. “Oh, I am. You just never noticed. I don't talk about it often.”
They were bantering and talking. Adrian had a technological obsession so that conversation could go on for hours.
Mira and Dera were waiting at the far end of the patio to clear the plates or respond to orders if there's any.
The house was empty.
It was truly the perfect time to dig in.
I straightened my back on the chair and dropped the cutleries, making everyone's attention turn to me.
“I'll be back, I need to use the restroom,” I said with a broad smile that didn't reach my eyes.
I stood up immediately and walked past Adrian when his voice stopped me.
“Do you need someone to come with you?”
My heart skipped a beat.
I took a deep breath and fixed my face before I turned back to him with a smile.
“I'm fine, thank you” I said. I hastened my steps immediately and headed for the mansion.
The guards were outside. I still didn't know how many there were. All I knew was that the only person I could recognize was David.
I moved upstairs when I got to the mansion.
To my greatest surprise, Adrian's study was not locked. I could see the open door from the staircase.
I moved closer, scanning my environment before I walked inside.
Once inside, I stopped being cautious and moved around the room quickly, making the desk my main target.
Secrets.
Adrian’s study felt like him. Dark.
It had dark wood, sharp edges, everything placed with intention.
A wide desk sat at the center of the room, spotless.
Shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly arranged files and books on different subject matters.
Nothing was out of place.
Nothing looked accidental
All I needed to do was find something… any dirty secret about him, and Dad would handle the rest.
I searched through his desk but every file was work related… interviews, financial records, some newspapers and some technology invention projects.
There was nothing of interest on his desk.
I stood by the floor to ceiling window for a brief moment admiring the intricate structure of the compound before going back to my mission.
I checked the bookshelves, same thing. My hand scaled through books, eyes skimming every damn corner.
I moved away from the last bookshelf wanting to go somewhere else to search when I had a light bulb moment.
I scanned the room one more time from the centre of the room, and my eyes had caught something on the last shelf at the far end of the room.
I walked back to the shelf, slowly looking through trying to find the exact place I had seen the image in my head.
I found it.
A folder was hidden among the files on that shelf. Other folders were placed together but this was hidden differently. Suspiciously.
Slowly, I removed the folder, heading to the table, I brought the documents out.
There were only two documents in the folder. A marriage vow scribbled with a pen and a marriage certificate.
The certificate had Adrian's name on it but the name next to it was not mine.
My stomach churned.
So our marriage might not be his first?
Curiosity gnawed at me but I knew it wasn’t the time to be trying to figure that out.
I needed to find more things on him. The folder in my hands won't be enough to do anything.
I put the paper back into its place and returned the folder to where I had picked it up.
I stood at a spot and looked over at the study. There was nowhere I hadn't searched but I hadn't found anything suspicious except the marriage certificate.
I've heard about him and how protective he always is about his company and family affairs.
Even the media barely had his profile. The only things they knew about him were the obvious.
He owns a tech company, he's into business, he was the most eligible bachelor and he's a major shareholder in almost every company in this damn country.
“I’ll check his room,” I muttered to myself and moved out of the study, heading to his room.
His room was also open. His towel was placed carelessly on his bed but everything else was in place even though he had just gotten back from work.
Scratch that! I didn't come here for hygiene inspection!
I moved around the room quickly, wanting to start my search. I crouched down in front of his nightstand, about to open the drawer when I heard the doorknob twitching.
My eyes widened.
My throat suddenly went dry, and I gulped so hard.
I looked around for somewhere to hide but could find nowhere except his bathroom and his closet.
Do I hide there? I couldn't think.
I wasn't able to come up with something until the door opened, revealing Adrian.
He stood by the door with his hands crossed. His eyes were calm but mine were laced with terror.
My body trembled inwardly and my hands shook visibly.
There was no defending this.
Caught red-handed.
“I was wondering if the pages of my files flipped themselves,” he said calmly.
I was frozen in place.
He heard. He knew I was in his study? But how?
“And now, you are in my room?” The look on his face suddenly darkened, sending shivers down my whole body.
He moved closer, with deliberate steps. I was forced to move back until my back hit the closet door.
He pinned me to the wall, slammed his hands right beside my face on the closet door.
He looked into my eyes, I tried to maintain eye contact but my pupils kept constricting and instead, I stared right behind him, at my reflection in the mirror opposite me.
From where I stood, I saw a tiny red light blinking on the necklace he had given me.