Chapter 46 Chapter 46
Chapter 46 Chapter 46
I barely slept that night.
Not because of nightmares—those had become familiar—but because my mind refused to quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Daniel’s face at the gala. Not angry. Not apologetic.
Threatened.
That unsettled me more than rage ever could.
Morning light spilled through the curtains, soft and pale, but my chest felt tight as I sat up in bed. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then reality settled in—the penthouse, the silence, the weight of everything that had changed.
A knock sounded at the door.
“You’re awake,” Adrian’s voice came through, calm as ever.
“I think I stopped sleeping properly months ago,” I replied, standing.
He was already dressed when I opened the door—tailored shirt, sleeves rolled, watch secured at his wrist. Effortless control. Always.
“There’s something you need to see,” he said.
That single sentence set my nerves on edge.
We moved into his study, where his laptop was open, screen glowing. He gestured for me to sit.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Daniel made his move early,” Adrian said.
He turned the screen toward me.
My breath caught.
A headline stared back at me in bold letters:
CARTER ENTERPRISES’ CEO ACCUSED OF CORPORATE FRAUD — INSIDER SOURCE IMPLICATES EX-WIFE
My name followed shortly after.
I felt like the air had been knocked from my lungs.
“That’s not—” My voice cracked. “That’s a lie.”
“I know,” Adrian said evenly. “And so will anyone who looks closely.”
My fingers trembled as I scrolled. Anonymous sources. Half-truths twisted into poison. Old documents taken out of context.
“He’s trying to destroy what little credibility I have left,” I whispered.
“He’s trying to provoke you,” Adrian corrected.
I laughed softly, bitter. “Congratulations to him. It worked.”
Adrian leaned against the desk, eyes never leaving my face. “You’re not reacting the way he expects.”
“What does he expect?” I asked.
“Panic. A public statement. A breakdown.”
I exhaled slowly. “Then he doesn’t know me anymore.”
“No,” Adrian agreed. “He doesn’t.”
The silence that followed was heavy but grounding.
“There’s more,” Adrian said.
I looked up. “Of course there is.”
He slid a file toward me.
A name sat neatly typed on the first page.
LUCAS MORETTI
My chest tightened.
“That’s impossible,” I whispered.
“You recognize it,” Adrian noted.
“He was—” I swallowed. “He was someone I trusted. Before Daniel. Before everything.”
“And?” Adrian prompted.
“And he disappeared,” I said. “After taking credit for work I did. He ruined my career before Daniel even came into the picture.”
Adrian’s expression darkened. “He’s back in the city.”
My pulse spiked. “Why?”
“Because Daniel hired him.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“So this isn’t just revenge,” I said slowly. “It’s coordinated.”
“Yes.”
I pushed back from the desk, pacing. “They’re trying to isolate me. Make me look unstable. Unreliable.”
Adrian watched me carefully. “And?”
“And it almost worked,” I admitted. “For a second.”
He stepped closer. “But?”
“But I’m tired of being hunted,” I said, meeting his gaze. “If they want a war, they picked the wrong woman.”
Something flickered in his eyes.
Pride.
“We’ll respond strategically,” Adrian said. “Quietly.”
I nodded. “I trust you.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
His gaze sharpened, intense but unreadable. “That’s not something you give lightly.”
“I know,” I said. “That’s why it scares me.”
He didn’t look away.
“Good,” he said. “Fear means you’re aware.”
Later that afternoon, he insisted I leave the penthouse.
“Fresh air,” he said. “A normal moment.”
“Does anything about my life qualify as normal anymore?” I asked.
He almost smiled.
We walked through a quieter part of the city, no bodyguards in sight. I kept waiting for someone to recognize me, to point, to whisper—but no one did.
It felt strange.
Free.
“You don’t look like someone under attack,” Adrian said.
“I feel like someone pretending not to be,” I replied.
We stopped at a small café. Nothing extravagant. No headlines. Just coffee and sunlight.
“You chose this place?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because no one expects people like us to sit somewhere ordinary.”
I studied him. “People like us?”
“People who’ve been burned,” he said. “And survived.”
The words stayed with me as we sat across from each other.
“This isn’t part of the plan, is it?” I asked.
“No,” he said honestly. “But plans evolve.”
I hesitated, then asked quietly, “Do you ever regret getting involved with me?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“No,” he said finally. “But I’m aware of the cost.”
“And if it becomes too much?”
“Then we adapt,” he said. “I don’t walk away when things get complicated.”
My chest tightened at that.
As we stood to leave, my phone buzzed again.
This time, the name wasn’t unknown.
MANDY
I stared at the screen.
Adrian noticed. “You don’t have to answer.”
“I know,” I said. “But I want to.”
I stepped aside and accepted the call.
“Elena,” Mandy’s voice came through, syrupy and false. “I just wanted to check on you. Things have been… messy.”
“You don’t say,” I replied calmly.
“I saw the news,” she continued. “I can’t believe Daniel would drag you into this.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Then you don’t know him as well as you think.”
A pause.
“You’re not alone, you know,” she said. “If you need someone—”
“I already have someone,” I interrupted.
Silence.
Then, colder, “Be careful, Elena. You’re changing.”
I smiled faintly. “So are you.”
I ended the call and turned back to Adrian.
“She’s nervous,” he said.
“As she should be,” I replied.
We walked away together, side by side, not touching—but close enough that the space between us felt charged.
For the first time since everything shattered, I didn’t feel like I was running.
I felt like I was moving forward.
And somewhere deep down, I knew—
Whatever came next wouldn’t just test my strength.
It would test my heart.