LOGINChapter 123ADRIAI heard it by accident.That was the honest version. I was in the hallway outside the library because I had been going to the kitchen, and the library door was slightly open, not open enough for someone to see inside and vice versa but open enough for sounds to pass through easily without being muffled by the walls and his voice came out before I had time to not hear it.He sounded serious on the phone, not the kind of register he used when talking to his friends but the ones reserved for people ior things he was not happy about.I stopped walking."The security team can handle it," he said. "That's what I'm paying them for To do their goddamn jobs." A pause. "I don't care what they're asking for. Handle it through the team." Another pause, shorter as he hesitated before continuing. "And do not tell my wife." I stood in the hallway. Do not tell my wife. I stood there for another second. Maybe two. Then I turned around and walked to the sitting room and sat down and
Chapter 122ADRIAThe moment that nearly broke it came at nine forty pm, it had been luck which had been fueling the past few hours because this game I was playing was very risky and I knew that it would get me any moment soon. I had lived with Damien for 18 months, regardless of the fact that he had been a shitty husband for the majority of them, he was very good at recognizing people, even from a distance. Once he had caught me from the groundfloor while I was on the 13th floor of a rival company building, the CEO had set me up, and I could remember the look he had on his face when he called me and told me where he was and I had five minutes to get to his location or suffer the consequences.And here he was merely two feet away, and I was praying this wig and fake freckles doesn't give it away.Meanwhile someone—a man two seats from Damien—had been circling the Castellan Enterprises situation for twenty minutes with the persistence of someone who had a specific point to make and was
Chapter 121ARIAHe had no reason to recognize me. He had never seen Miss Andy. The wig, the contacts, the foundation, the dress—the entire configuration was different from anything he had seen, and people who had no reason to look for something rarely found it.And yet.He looked at me with the particular quality of expression that I had been seeing on his face for a week—the assessing quality, the running-something quality. Not recognition. Something that lived next to recognition without being it. The thing that happened when a brain registered a pattern it couldn't place.Like a word on the tip of the tongue.I sat down."Miss Andy," Darius said, to the table, "is the personal representative of Adriana Salvadore. She's been managing the preliminary discussions for the Kane Industries partnership.""A pleasure," said someone to my left."Likewise," said someone to my right.Damien said: "Welcome."His voice was ex
Chapter 120ARIAHe looked at me for one more moment. Then he leaned forward and pressed his hand briefly to my forehead in the way you checked someone for fever, which was a gesture I had not expected and which did something completely inconvenient to my chest."No fever," he said."I told you," I said."Rest," he said."I will," I said.He went to get ready for the dinner.I went to my room and texted Elijah.**Me:** He's confirmed. Back by eleven. I need to be out of the venue by ten fifteen at the absolute latest.**Elijah:** cameras are covered. I have three angles on the venue interior and two on the entrance.**Me:** Sophia is on standby?**Sophia:** I am literally sitting in a car outside your house right now. hi.**Me:** Why are you outside the house**Sophia:** in case you needed someone to bring Miss Andy things without going through the front door**Me:** How did you get here without Damien seeing
Chapter 119ADRIAChapter 119ADRIAThe library had become my workspace by accident.It was the smallest room in the house with a door that closed properly, which made it useful. It had shelves on three walls and a desk that had probably been decorative before I started using it, and it smelled like paper and the particular stillness of a room that was used for thinking rather than performing.I was at the desk with my laptop when Damien came in."File," he said, by way of explanation. "Top shelf, green cover.""Second section from the left," I said, without looking up. I had catalogued the shelves in the first week I'd started using the room. Old habit.He crossed to the shelves.The room was small. This had not been a problem before because we had generally not been in the room at the same time. But today we were in the room at the same time, and the desk was positioned close to the shelving, and he was reaching past me for the sec
Chapter 117ADRIAThe excuse I gave Damien was a friend.Not a specific friend—I kept it vague in the way that vague things were harder to accidentally contradict. A woman I'd known before the marriage, someone I'd lost touch with and had recently reconnected with, who wanted lunch. The kind of explanation that was ordinary enough to not invite questions and personal enough that pressing on it would feel like an intrusion.He didn't press."What time will you be back?" he said. He was at his desk. The question was asked over his shoulder, his attention still on the screen."Two," I said. "Maybe three.""I'll have Yusuf drive you.""I'm fine to drive," I said. "The ankle is better.""It's been six days since a sprain—""It's been six days and the physiotherapy has gone well and I have been walking without issue for two days," I said. "I'm fine to drive."He turned from the screen to look at me.The looking. It ha
Chapter 39KIERAN"It wasn't luck." I'd studied that video frame by frame. The way Adriana had caught Adina's wrist, the precise twist that had led to the dislocation—that wasn't luck. That was training. "She knew exactly what she was doing.""Come on, Kieran. The woman can barely look people in th
Chapter 30ADRIAN"Breaking and entering. Assault. And suspected involvement in a kidnapping case that was being investigated at the same time."The world tilted."What kidnapping case? They were 8 at that time" I whispered." I know, I am not saying they did the kidnapping, more like they were in
Chapter 11: Old FriendsADRIAThe irony was so sharp it could cut. My husband was desperately trying to secure a meeting with me, not knowing he slept next to me every night. Well, one night recently. Usually, I slept alone in my marital bed, another piece of furniture in his collection."Perfect,"
Chapter 8DAMIENNothing. The house was empty, silent, mocking me with its vacancy.I checked the garage—her Mercedes was there, untouched. I checked the bedroom—the bed was made, her things were in their usual places. I even checked the guest room where she sometimes retreated when I made it clear







