LOGINChapter 34-EvelynI dragged myself up into a sitting position, my breathing uneven as I pulled the rumpled shirt down my thighs. My skin still tingled where Adrian’s hands had been—firm, possessive, punishing in a way that confused the hell out of me.And the embarrassing part?I liked it.I hated that I liked it. I hated that I let him touch me.I hated even more that he stopped before I could… finish.Now he stood by the window, shoulders broad under the dim cabin light, staring out into the darkness like he was trying to pull answers from the air itself.I swallowed and forced out, “Adrian… the necklace… what’s going on?”He didn’t turn. For a long moment, the silence stretched until it hurt.Then he let out a slow breath.“It wasn’t meant to be around your neck,” he said lowly, but I was able to hear.Now he just stared at the necklace pinched between his fingers like it was poison.My fingers instinctively lifted to my now empty neck, that I wondered how he managed to take it off
Chapter 33-EvelynI didn’t know if it was what he said about Paul that scared me the most or the way I was asked to go lie down on the bed.It wasn’t only the command. It was the look in his eyes, and the way his grip on my neck made my insides churn.The room seemed smaller than before. The walls looked closer. The air felt too thick to breathe. I didn’t look away from him—not when his eyes were pinned on me like he was waiting, measuring my next move more than he ever had.I was confused, terrified, and a total mess. I really needed to get away from him before things went south.I freed myself from his hold and moved away. I wasn't going to just dance to his tune—not when he’d been speaking in parables.“No, I won't,” I countered. “Not until you tell me what you meant by saying I was used by Paul.”At least… I needed to know what it meant. What all this meant before I went crazy.He took a slow step closer.“You see, baby… the more you keep defying me, the more your punishment keeps
Chapter 32-AdrianI was angry, but underneath it, there was fear. And worse than that — guilt. Because I’d promised myself I’d never drag her into the mess her husband created.Yet here she was. Running straight into it.The little reckless menace darting ahead of me really knew how to piss me off. The same mouth that drove me insane, the same body I’d sworn I would explore properly when I finally got my hands on her — and she was using both to run from me.Her long wavy hair flew behind her, the wind catching the strands.God, even from the back, she looked beautiful.And the longer I watched her run, the more something in me twisted.Because it wasn’t just her I was seeing.It was her.****“Liv, get back here!”No response. No slowing. She just kept sprinting deeper into the woods like she’d been born in them. I hated how fast she was — always had. And for the first time, I hated that she got that kind of stubbornness from me.I shouldn’t have let her read that stupid fantasy book.
Chapter 31-EvelynI’d never been this confused in my life.Everything around me felt like a maze with no exits — every path led me to the same two names.Paul. Adrian.Brothers, enemies, both tangled in my life like thorns under skin.And I was bleeding in between them.The phone trembled in my hand. The voice I’d just heard still echoed in my ears.‘Mi amor… come home. Please don’t trust Adrian. He’s not worth it. I’ll tell you everything when you come home.’That was Paul’s voice — his real one. I’d know it anywhere.But how?“He’s alive,” I breathed, more to myself than to Adrian. “He—he asked if I was okay.”Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Of course he did.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”He didn’t answer right away. His eyes were on me. “You shouldn’t have answered that call.”“I didn’t know it was him!” My voice cracked. “Adrian, he’s alive! Don’t you understand what that means?”“Oh, I understand perfectly,” he said, folding his arms—his veiny hands crossed against his chest like eve
Chapter 30-AdrianShe hadn’t said much since morning. Just a few polite answers, then silence again. It wasn’t the kind of silence that brought peace — it was the kind that made you feel you’d done something wrong and didn’t even know what. Evelyn sat out on the balcony, legs stretched out on the lounge chair, a book in her hand. The sun kissed her skin like it wanted to stay. Her hair spilled over the armrest, soft and messy, and her legs were crossed in a way that left too much bare skin showing. Even the sunlight seemed to appreciate the view. And me? I was losing my mind. I leaned on the doorway, watching her flip a page, her lips curling slightly — she was smiling at whatever she was reading. That smile wasn’t for me, and somehow, that was worse than a knife to the ribs. She didn’t even notice I was standing there. I pushed away from the wall and walked toward her. The wooden floor creaked under my weight, and when I reached her chair, I crouched down behind her, braci
Chapter 29-EvelynI didn't even know what to do. Neither of us moved.Adrian's gaze stayed on me, steady and unreasonable, while mine flickered anywhere else but his eyes.“Adrian,” I whispered again, my throat dry.“Hmm?” His voice was a low hum, dragging over my skin like silk.I swallowed, trying to form words that made sense. “Can you let go now?”He didn't even respond or make any attempts to free me from his strong grip around my waist.“We should… get up.” I tried again. He didn’t move. Instead, his hand slid up just slightly, his thumb tracing an absent-minded circle at my waist — slow, almost like he didn’t realize he was doing it.My nipples hardened beneath his shirt on me — and I was sure he could feel it against his chest.“Right,” he murmured, but made no attempt to move. “We should.”His breath fanned over my lips now. The space between us was thin, almost nonexistent. My mind screamed for distance, but my body—traitorous—stayed still.“Adrian,” I said again, weaker th







