Chapter 133: Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Three

Adrien’s Pov

I sat in my office, staring at the pictures of Serena on my desk. There was one in particular, which was her laughing while holding a cup of coffee. Every time I looked at it, I felt my heart beam in joy. She had this light about her that could make even the darkest day brighter.

I leaned back in my chair, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

“You have no idea how much I love you, do you?” I murmured quietly to the picture.

I was just glad that Serena was in my life, and that alone made everything worth it; the chaos, the endless responsibilities, even the danger that constantly followed me.

Just as I was about to return to my paperwork, my phone buzzed on the desk. I frowned when I saw the caller ID because it wasn’t a number I had saved, but I recognized the pattern immediately. It was one of them.

Slowly, I picked up the phone and placed it in my ear.

“It’s time,” a deep voice said on the other end.

I froze, my expression hardening. For a moment, I didn’t say anything. Then I let out a slow sigh.

“Understood,” I replied calmly before ending the call.

I stared at the phone for a moment, feeling the weight of what those two words meant. I had been waiting for weeks to hear that.

I rose from my chair, the leather creaking softly under the weight of my movement. My heart was beating calmly, but my mind was sharp, calculating every step that would follow from this moment onwards.

I walked over to the far corner of my office, to the small safe built into the wall behind a framed painting. Then I carefully lifted the frame aside and entered the code, then the metallic click echoed softly in the quiet room.

As the door swung open, my gaze fell upon a small black box sitting inside. It looked ordinary, but I knew better. The contents inside that box had caused bloodshed, betrayal, and chaos, even death.

I took a deep breath before reaching in and lifting the box carefully. It was light as usual. For something that had caused so much trouble, it felt fragile in my hand.

“You’ve been more trouble than you’re worth,” I muttered under my breath, sliding it into the inner pocket of my suit jacket.

Then I closed the safe, repositioned the painting, and straightened my tie. I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass reflection looking calm, composed, and unreadable and that's exactly how I wanted to portray myself.

Within minutes, I was out of the building. I didn't want to bother my driver, so I chose to drive myself.

As I drove, my mind wandered back to Serena again. I had wanted to call her earlier, just to hear her voice. Something about today felt heavier than usual, like a storm was coming, but I hope it was just me feeling that way.

“I’ll see you later, my love,” I whispered to myself, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Just a few more things to take care of.”

After about an hour of driving through the outskirts of the city, I reached the long, winding road that led up to a grand mansion. Its tall gates stood guarded, and as soon as I stopped in front of them, two men in dark suits approached.

“Good day, sir,” one of them greeted, his hand resting subtly near his gun holster. “State your business.”

“I’m here to see Mr. Dibakwane,” I said calmly. “Tell him Adrien Volkov is here.”

The man exchanged a quick glance with his partner before nodding. “One moment.”

He spoke into his earpiece, and after a few seconds, the gate slowly swung open.

“Proceed, sir,” the other guard said as he stepped aside.

I nodded and drove in, following the cobblestone path that led up to the mansion. It was even larger than I remembered with white marble walls, tall glass windows, and an intimidating calmness that made the atmosphere weird.

Parking my car near the front steps, I stepped out, straightened my jacket, and headed towards the entrance. The massive doors opened before I even reached them.

A maid stood there, her posture polite but nervous. “Good evening, Mr. Volkov,” she said softly. “Please, this way.”

I nodded and followed her through the grand hallway with my shoes echoing faintly against the polished floor. The mansion smelled faintly of cedar-wood and expensive cigars and paintings of powerful men lined the walls, which were a reminder of the legacy and influence of the Dibakwane family.

The maid then stopped in front of a tall, double-door study, and she knocked once before opening it.

“Mr. Dibakwane,” she announced softly. “Mr. Volkov is here.”

“Let him in,” he urged in a commanding voice.

I stepped in, and the maid quietly closed the door behind me.

The study was dimly lit, the only light coming from a large desk lamp and the flickering fireplace. Behind the desk was Mr. Dibakwane, who looked as calm and intimidating as ever.

“Adrien,” he greeted, standing and extending his hand. “It’s been a long time.”

“It has,” I replied, shaking his hand firmly. “You look well, Mr. Dibakwane.”

He chuckled lightly, gesturing for me to sit. “You too. Still as composed as ever.”

I took the seat across from him. “I try to be.”

“Coffee? Whiskey?” he offered.

“Water will do,” I said.

Then he poured me a glass himself as a gesture of respect before sitting back down.

“So,” he began, resting his elbows on the desk. “Do you have it?”

I hesitated for a brief second before reaching into my pocket and bringing out the small black box. Then I placed it carefully on the desk between us.

“There it is,” I said calmly with a slight smile.

Mr. Dibakwane’s gaze fixed on it, his expression unreadable.

“After all these years, it’s finally here.”

He reached forward but didn’t open it right away. “Was it difficult?”

I let out a small, humorless laugh.

“Difficult is an understatement. That thing almost cost me my life and the lives of the people I care about.”

He looked up at me, his eyes studying mine.

“Your woman?”

I nodded slowly. “She doesn’t know many details about it and I intend to keep it that way.”

“That’s wise,” he said softly. “The fewer people know about this, the better. You did the right thing by keeping her out of it.”

I smiled and leaned back in my chair, rubbing the back of my neck. “I hope so. But I’m not sure how much longer I can keep things hidden. She is smart and definitely would notice things.”

Mr. Dibakwane smiled faintly. “Then let’s make sure this ends before she has to find out anything.”

He opened the box slowly, revealing a faint glow that illuminated his face. His eyes widened slightly, a rare show of emotion from the stoic man.

“So it’s true,” he whispered. “It really exists.”

He closed the box again and looked up at me.

“You did well, Adrien. From here, we’ll take over. You have nothing else to worry about.”

I exhaled slowly, feeling a little relieved that I didn't have to carry the burden anymore.

“So this is it, then?”

He nodded once. “Yes. From now on, it’s in our hands.”

I looked at the closed box, the faint glow still seeping through the cracks, and for a moment, I wondered if handing it over was really the right choice.

But then, it had to be.