Chapter 61 Chapter 62
Adele
“Wait… you two are twins?” I asked, my eyes moving back and forth between them in disbelief.
They looked exactly the same. Same height, same build. Even their eye color was identical. If they weren’t standing side by side, I would have sworn they were the same person.
The other man chuckled softly. “Of course we are twins, honey,” he said easily, flashing me a charming smile.
I swallowed and forced a polite smile of my own. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr…” I paused deliberately, hoping he would fill in the blank.
He stepped closer and stretched out his hand.
I hesitated for half a second before taking it. “Rowan,” he said warmly. “It’s nice to meet you again, Adele.”
My brows pulled together in confusion. “Again?” I repeated, pulling my hand back slightly. “I’m sorry, have we met before?”
Before he could answer, Rafe cleared his throat sharply. The sound was cold and deliberate. “That’s enough,” Rafe said flatly. “Come in. Let’s have our meeting.”
The way he glared at his brother made it clear this wasn’t just about work. I nodded quickly, uncomfortable, and turned toward Rowan. “It was nice meeting you, Rowan,” I said politely, already stepping toward the door.
Rowan moved at the same time, but Rafe stepped in front of him, blocking his path without hesitation. “This is a business meeting between me and her,” Rafe snapped. “You have no reason to be here.”
Rowan raised both hands in mock surrender, clearly unbothered. “Alright, alright. Relax.”
Then he looked straight at me and smiled again. “So, Adele, can I have your number? Or better yet, I could pick you up after work.”
Rafe lost it. “Get the fuck out of here, Rowan,” he yelled.
My heart jumped, and I shook my head immediately. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said quickly. “And besides, I don’t work here.”
I turned to Rafe, eager to remove myself from the tension between them. “I’ll wait for you in your office,” I said, then walked inside without looking back.
Whatever was going on between those two, I wanted no part of it.
I stepped fully into the office and walked over to the chair in front of his desk. I was just about to sit down when I heard the door close behind me. The sound made me turn around.
Both of them were standing near the door, facing each other, their bodies stiff and their eyes locked in a heated glare. The air between them felt thick, heavy with something unspoken.
Yeah… I definitely came at the wrong time. I quietly picked up my bag and stood up. “I think it’s best if I leave you both to sort out whatever issues you have,” I said calmly. “We can reschedule this meeting for another time.”
“That’s fine,” Rafe said quickly. “I’ll call you."
He stepped aside to let me pass, but Rowan didn’t move an inch. He stood there like a wall, blocking the doorway completely. I stopped short and looked at him, confused.
“Whatever issues we are resolving,” Rowan said slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, “have everything to do with you.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Rowan tilted his head slightly, then looked at Rafe with a sharp smile. “Should I spill the tea,” he asked mockingly, “or will you do the honors?” Rafe’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as he glared back at his brother.
“What honors?” I asked, my confusion growing into irritation.
Neither of them answered. They just stood there, staring each other down like I wasn’t even in the room. “For fuck’s sake,” I snapped, my patience finally breaking. “Are you two going to talk, or should I just leave?”
Rowan exhaled slowly, then looked straight at me. “I was the man you were supposed to fall in love with,” he said calmly. Then he reached out and tapped Rafe’s chest. “Not him.”
I squinted at him, my heart skipping in confusion. “What?” I asked softly, my mind struggling to process his words.
Nothing about this was making sense anymore.
“I met you first,” Rowan said quietly. “Over five years ago, the biker race.” My brows furrowed as I tried to search my memory, but nothing came up.
“You came with your friend Amelia,” he continued. “You were drunk that night. Really drunk.” He gave a small, sad smile. “You kept talking about how you had just left your fiancé at the altar after finding out he was cheating on you.”
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t remember any of that.”
“I know,” he said gently. “You wouldn’t. You were wasted.” I swallowed and stayed silent as he went on. “You said you were thirsty, so I went to get you water. By the time I came back, you were gone.” His jaw tightened slightly. “I searched for you everywhere, but I couldn’t find you.”
He took a breath before continuing. “Five years later, you showed up again at another race with your friend. I saw you immediately. I wanted to come to you, but I didn’t.” He looked down briefly. “You didn’t remember me, and you were flirting with a few guys. I didn’t want to confuse you or make things awkward.”
He glanced at Rafe for a moment before looking back at me. “Then there was Maxwell’s accident. Everything became chaotic. The next time you came around, I got an emergency call and had to leave the country.” His voice hardened slightly. “I didn’t want to lose you again, so I asked Rafe to help me talk to you on my behalf. I told him to hold things down for me until I got back.”
My chest tightened as I slowly turned toward Rafe. His eyes were filled with fear and something else I couldn’t quite name. Guilt, regret and panic.
“Well,” I said quietly, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm, “your brother approached me and never once mentioned you. Not even that he had a twin.”
Rafe opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“So tell me,” I continued, my hurt finally spilling over, “is that why you’ve been so on and off with me? You never really intended to go out with me, did you?” My throat burned. “Did you just see this as a way to take advantage of me?”
My knees suddenly felt weak, like they could no longer hold my weight. I moved quickly and dropped into the nearest chair before I collapsed.
“So… this was a game to you?” I asked quietly, my voice trembling. “You were playing with me?”
Rafe opened his mouth to speak, but Rowan cut in before he could say a word. “He never planned on dating you,” Rowan said coldly.
“Jenna is still very much in his life. They spent last night together.”
The words hit me like a slap. “I couldn’t stand watching him treat you like this,” Rowan continued. “Especially when I was the one who actually liked you. I was the one who wanted you.”
Tears spilled down my face before I could stop them. My chest hurt so badly it felt like it was caving in. While I thought everything was real, while I thought someone finally cared, he was just taking advantage of me.
“That night at the restaurant,” he said quietly.
“That was me. I was the one having dinner with you when your ex showed up. I was also the one you kissed before that call interrupted us.”
My eyes widened in shock.Every detail he mentioned was right. Every single one. He wasn’t lying, but how could I not tell the difference.
“So you both played me?” I screamed, standing up suddenly. “You toyed with my emotions and took advantage of me?” My hands were shaking. “What if I had slept with you that night?” I yelled at Rowan.
Then I turned to Rafe, my chest heaving. “And you would have slept with me too?” My voice cracked. “So I would have ended up sleeping with two brothers without even knowing?”
The room felt like it was spinning. I grabbed my bag with trembling hands. “You both deserve to rot in hell,” I said through clenched teeth as I walked toward them. “I never want to see either of you ever again.”
“I know I was wrong,” Rafe said desperately, stepping toward me. “But I can explain—”
He reached for my hands. I slapped his hands away hard. “Don’t touch me,” I snapped. “Shove your explanation up your ass.”
I turned toward the door. “Gerald will take over from here. I’m done.”
I walked out of his office without looking back.
“Please, listen to me,” Rafe begged, following me into the hallway. “You need to hear me out.”
I ignored him, walking as fast as I could toward the elevator. My vision was blurry with tears, my heart shattered into pieces.
The elevator doors opened and I stepped inside. As they began to close, I looked straight at him and said, “Fuck you.”
Then the doors shut.
Author's note: Rafe Or Raymond