Chapter 143

Chapter 143
Kelly  

I sat across from Adrian in the hotel room, my hands folded together as I tried to gather my thoughts. The room was quiet, save for the light hum of the air conditioner, but my mind was anything but…here.

We had decided to meet here, away from the house, away from the kids. I didn’t want Harper or Aiden waking up in the middle of the night and overhearing things that weren’t meant for her ears.  

Adrian sat back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest, watching me carefully. He hadn’t said much since we checked in, just studied me like he knew something big was coming.  

I swallowed, gripping my fingers tighter. “I found something.”  

His brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”  

I took a slow breath. “About Susan. About Mrs. Kim. About… my past.”  

Adrian leaned forward slightly, his gaze locked onto mine. 

“I’m listening.”  

So I told him everything. 

I started with the DNA test, watching his expression shift as I explained the results. How Susan and I were sisters. Not just sisters, the real actual twins. 

Adrian blinked, his jaw tightening. He didn’t interrupt, just let me keep going.  

I told him about the photos Susan found, the suspicions about Mrs. Kim, the way Susan’s adoptive parents acted like they were hiding something. How it seemed like someone had gone to great lengths to separate us and bury the truth.  

When I was done, silence stretched between us.  

Adrian exhaled slowly, running a hand over his face.

“Twins,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Jesus, Kelly.”  

I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah. That’s how I felt too.”  

He shook his head slightly, like he was trying to piece things together. Then, something showed in his eyes, a realization.  

His voice was quieter when he spoke again. 

“That’s why Kate didn’t feel guilty.”  

I frowned. “What?”  

He looked at me then, his gaze sharp. 

“That’s why she didn’t feel guilty when she slept with Anderson. Because how could a twin do that to her own half?” His voice was laced with disbelief. “Not just sisters….but twins. Identical. It’s like…” He hesitated, then scoffed. “It’s like she saw you as a mirror instead of a person.”  

His words hit me harder than I expected. A mirror? Was that how Kate had seen me all these years? Just a reflection of herself, something to break, distort, step over?  

A lump formed in my throat, and I looked away. 

“I don’t know,” I murmured. “Maybe.”  

Adrian let out a breath, rubbing his jaw. “Damn.”  

I stared at the floor, my heart pounding in my chest. Saying it out loud made it feel too real. To be honest, I wasn’t ready for this. Because I didn’t know where I fit in this story anymore.  

Adrian must have sensed the shift in my mood because the next thing I knew, he was moving closer, his voice softer.  

“Kelly.”  

I didn’t look up. I didn’t want him to see the exhaustion in my eyes, the uncertainty weighing on my chest.  

He sighed. “Talk to me.”  

I shook my head. “I don’t know what else to say.”  

“Then don’t say anything. Just let me in.”  

His words made something snap inside me.  

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze, and suddenly, I didn’t care about holding back. 

“I’m tired of everything, Adrian.” My voice cracked, and I hated it, but I kept going. “I don’t even know who I am anymore. Everything I thought I knew about my past is a lie. My…..Mrs. Kim is hiding something, and I don’t know why. And Kate…” I swallowed hard. “Kate was supposed to be my sister, and she….”  

I broke off, shaking my head.  

Adrian didn’t speak right away, but his hand reached out, fingers brushing lightly against mine. Just a small touch. Barely there. But it comforted me.  

He let me breathe for a second before he spoke. 

“You’re still Kelly, I don’t care what anybody says.”  

I let out a shaky laugh. “Am I?”  

“Yes.” His voice was steady, sure. “You’re still the same woman I fell in love with. You’re still the same woman who fights for the people she loves. The same woman who never gives up, even when the world keeps throwing shit at her.”  

I looked at him then, really looked at him, and something about the way he was so sure of me made my throat tighten. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.  

Adrian exhaled, then reached out again, this time cupping my face gently. His thumb brushed along my cheekbone, wiping away a tear I hadn’t even realized had fallen.  

“You don’t have to figure everything out tonight,” he murmured.  

Something inside me broke. I didn’t realize I was shaking until his arms wrapped around me, pulling me against his chest.

I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch. “Then what do I do?”  

His voice was lower now, softer. “Just be here.”  

When I opened my eyes again, he was closer. Close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes, the way they softened when he looked at me.  

Close enough that I could feel his breath against my skin.  He didn’t rush. He just held me there, waiting. I don’t know who moved first. Maybe it was him, maybe it was me. But the second his lips brushed against mine, the kiss depended. It was slow yet desperate.

Adrian groaned into the kiss, gripping my waist and pulling me onto his laps. My legs straddled him without hesitation, like my body had been waiting for this moment my entire life. 

He tasted like wine, like something I could get drunk on, and God, I wanted more. His hands roamed, possessive but careful, fingers tracing the curve of my back before gripping my hips, holding me exactly where he wanted me.

I gasped against his lips as his teeth grazed my bottom lip, his hands sliding under my shirt, skin against skin. His lips trailed down my jaw, hungry and demanding, finding that spot on my neck that made me arch against him.

“Adrian,” I breathed, my fingers tangling in his hair, touching just enough to make him growl low in his throat.

“Should I stop?” he murmured against my skin, his voice hoarse.

I shook my head, and he continued. His shirt hit the floor, then mine. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. Just us, giving in to what we had both been too afraid to reach for before.

Adrian’s lips worshiped every inch of me, mapping out places he already knew and places he was discovering for the first time. 

I gasped as his hands slid lower, gripping my thighs, pulling me closer, deeper..There was no space left between us.

I could feel every inch of him……..

“Are you sure?” he asked, his breath ragged against my skin.

I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I answered by kissing him relentlessly, letting my body speak the words my lips couldn’t. 

He groaned, flipping us over, pressing me into the mattress, his weight settling over me. And then…..nothing else mattered.