Chapter 115 Playing With Fire

Chapter 115 Playing With Fire
Ginnie

I stood by the window, peeking through the curtain.

Outside, the night had swallowed the mansion grounds in darkness, but the lights along the driveway cast enough glow for me to see the two men standing in front of the mansion.

Varkos and Adrian.

They were talking, but I couldn't hear a single word.

My fingers curled around the edge of the curtain as I leaned closer to the glass.

Adrian had always been very calculative, but this felt different.

Burning down the factory had been the first move.

And now Varkos had willingly accepted something from the very man who had secretly destroyed his family's livelihood.

What could Adrian possibly have offered him?

A few minutes later, Varkos turned and walked toward his car. My eyes remained fixed on him through the window until he opened the driver's door and climbed inside.

The engine roared to life.

The headlights swept across the driveway before the car disappeared through the gates.

I wonder what they were talking about?

Before I could figure out the answer, the front door swung open. My head snapped toward the sound.

Adrian walked into the sitting room. He had barely taken two steps when I stepped in front of him.

“What was that?”

He looked at me.

“What was what?”

“What offer did Varkos just accept from you?”

Adrain didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked past me and calmly loosened the cuff of his shirt.

“That's none of your business.”

A humourless laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Not because anything was funny.

I simply couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth.

“You cannot be serious.”

“I am.”

“So we're partners when it comes to revenge.” I shot back. “But suddenly I'm not allowed to know what you're doing?”

“Maybe you’re the one confusing what our relationship really is here.”

The words hit harder than I expected. For a moment, neither of us spoke.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the factory?”

Without another word, Adrain stepped closer until there was barely any space between us.

“Because I don't trust you.”

The moment the words left his mouth, something tightened painfully inside my chest.

“Adrain…” The words caught in my throat. “We've been married for five years.”

His expression remained cold.

“Just because I let you see a vulnerable side of me when I went through an episode that night doesn’t change anything between us.” His voice hardened. “This marriage was never about love in the first place, Ginnie. You better remember that.”

For some ridiculous reason, his words made something crack inside of me. I looked away before he could see the hurt spreading across my face.

I had expected him to remind me that our marriage was built on revenge.

So why did my heart feel like he had just rejected something I had never asked him to give me?

I took a slow breath before looking back at him.

“Maybe you're right.”

Without another word, I turned toward the stairs. I had barely taken two steps when his voice stopped me.

“Since you're so curious about what I'm planning…” He stepped closer. “I have a new mission for you.”

My brows pulled together.

“What mission?”

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“You're going to get close to Varkos.” He spoke quietly. “I want you to make him believe there's still a chance for the two of you.”

My entire body went still.

For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Adrian, that's insane.”

“No.” He looked directly into my eyes. “It's a simple strategy.”

“I can’t do that!”

The words echoed through the sitting room. Instinctively, I stepped backward, creating several feet between us.

“You of all people know that I’ve spent five years trying to forget Adrian." My voice broke. “You don't care what this will do to me?”

Adrian’s expression didn’t change. 

He simply walked toward me until I had to tilt my head to meet his eyes. Something in them sent a chill through my spine.

“This is revenge, Ginnie.” His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper. “And revenge has never been clean.”

My fingers curled at my sides.

“What if I don't want to do it?”

“You don't have a choice.”

His words carried a finality that left no room for argument. Before I could react, Adrian leaned closer until his lips almost brushed against my ear. 

“Have I made myself clear?”

For several seconds, I said nothing. Then I slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

He pulled back and turned away as if we had just finished discussing business.

I turned away too and started toward the stairs. A few steps later, I stopped and glanced back over my shoulder.

“I'll get close to Varkos.” My voice dropped to barely a whisper. “But I hope you understand something.”

His brows lifted slightly.

“What?”

“When I start getting close to Varkos…” A bitter smile touched my lips. “…I hope it doesn't create a problem between us.”

For the briefest moment, something flickered across Adrian's face. 

Possessiveness.

Jealousy.

Then it disappeared just as quickly.

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Before he could respond, I turned and walked away, each step heavier than the last. When I reached my bedroom, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it.

A shaky breath escaped my lips.

Five years of trying to bury the past.

And now I was being ordered to step directly into it again.

Only this time, I wouldn't be walking toward Varkos as the woman he remembered.

I would be walking toward him as his temptation.

As a woman determined to make him believe that the feelings between us had never truly disappeared.

And if I wasn't careful, I knew exactly what could happen.

Because the most dangerous part of this mission wasn't making Varkos fall for me again.

It was the possibility that I might fall for him all over again.

And somehow, the thought of that frightened me more than anything else.