로그인Adrian’s POVThe second the words left my mouth, Elena went very still.She did not soften. She did not smile. She did not give me the satisfaction of looking impressed or touched or even remotely easy about it. She just sat there in that wine-red dress like she had stepped out of one of my most dangerous fantasies and decided to make me suffer for the privilege.I almost laughed.Actually, no. I did laugh, just not out loud.Because that was Elena for you. One second I was certain she was about to explode at me for the flowers, the note, the restaurant, the entire .Adrian Knight experience of the day, and the next she was sitting across from me with that calm, maddening expression that said she was absolutely not making this easy.And God, she looked incredible.I had noticed the second she walked in, of course I had. Impossible not to. The dress was fitted in all the right places, the deep color making her skin look even warmer, her hair styled in a way that looked effortless in t
Elena's POV Sunday mornings always had a way of feeling softer than the rest of the week, like the whole city had agreed to slow down for a few hours and pretend it wasn’t always racing toward something. I had been in that half-lazy, half-bored mood since I woke up, the kind that made coffee taste better and thoughts drift longer than they should. I had curled up on the sofa in a loose lounge set, one leg tucked under me, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, scrolling through nothing in particular while the sunlight poured through the windows and warmed the room in patches. I had briefly considered calling Lila and dragging her out somewhere for brunch or a walk, maybe even some random shopping trip just to kill time, but Lila was buried in work and had already sent me three different apologetic messages before nine in the morning. I had replied with a dramatic speech about betrayal, busyness, and the collapse of society, then gone right back to scrolling through my phone
Elena's pov A few days had passed since the wedding disaster, but the memory of it still sat somewhere heavy in my chest, refusing to leave completely. I had gone back to my routine, back to my work, back to pretending I was not thinking about the fact that Alex had embarrassed himself so publicly and that Adrian had stood beside me through all of it like it was the most natural thing in the world. That part bothered me more than I wanted to admit.Adrian had not done anything dramatic after that. No outrageous declarations. No pushing me into conversations I was not ready for. No possessive speeches meant to corner me into feeling something before I was ready. Instead, he had started doing something far more dangerous.He had become quiet.Not distant. Just steady.And somehow that was worse, because I had expected him to either disappear for a while or come at me with all the stubborn intensity he usually carried like a second skin. But he did neither. He simply kept showing up
Alex's POVMan, what the fuck just happened? My brain's still reeling from that absolute shitshow of a wedding my wedding, supposed to be the perfect day, turned into a public execution. One minute I'm shaking hands, grinning like an idiot while guests toast my future, and the next? Boom my fiancée's legs up around some random asshole on the big screen for everyone to see. Live. Raw. Her moans blasting louder than the jazz band. I can still hear them echoing in my head, that sick twist in my gut when I realized it wasn't a prank, wasn't a hack gone wrong it was real, and it was mine to deal with. How does a day start with rose petals and champagne and end with me calling off the whole thing in front of God and half the Hamptons? I stood there frozen at first, watching her nails dig into that guy's back, thinking this can't be happening, not to me, not today. But it did. And now? I'm just... numb. Driving aimlessly through the lot, tux still choking me, trying to piece together how
Elena's POV I squinted at first, figuring maybe it was a glitchy highlight reel or some pre-recorded toast gone wrong, but no it's crystal clear footage from the makeup room, live and unfiltered. The bride's got her legs wrapped tight around some sweaty random dude, going at it like the wedding vows were just elevator music in the background. Her moans are booming through the speakers now, nails raking down his back, full-on explicit sex unfolding for all three hundred guests to gawk at, no cuts, no mercy. Holy shit, my jaw legit drops open I can't even process it fast enough. No one knew a thing not me, not Adrian, nobody in this fancy-ass crowd had a clue this was coming. Alex turns to stone right there, his face draining every drop of color until he's ghost-white, eyes locked on the screen like it's personally stabbing him. The bride's family looks like they're about to puke their caviar right back up, hands over mouths, while his side starts boiling over with this pure, unfi
Elena's POVA few days later, I stood in front of my full-length mirror, fingers smoothing the sleek emerald gown over my hips, watching how the fabric hugged my curves just right, making me feel powerful, untouchable. I'd moved on from Alex honest to God, I had. Dated Adrian, let him drown out every last echo of my ex with those endless, intense nights where he'd whisper promises against my skin until I forgot my own damn name. But that betrayal? The way he'd cheated me without blinking? It lingered like a bruise that never quite healed. Deep down, under all the "I'm over it" bullshit I fed myself, I wanted him to taste it too the sharp sting of watching someone you once had slip through your fingers forever. And my stupid heart? It still carved Adrian's presence like a junkie needing a fix, aching for him to be close even when my head screamed to keep him at arm's length. He was telling the truth this time, I knew it somewhere in my bones. Probably always had been. But why make
Adrian's POV The elevator doors hissed shut behind us, sealing out Alex's pathetic snarls. And the echo of his heels scraping concrete as Marco hauled him off into the night. But that fucker's wild eyes and slimy desperation clung to my skull like tar. How dare he slink back into Elena's
Elena's POVA week slipped by in the penthouse like a dream woven from silk and sunlight, my body knitting itself back together day by day. Morning walks down the long gallery hallway with Adrian's arm steady around my waist, his quiet encouragement turning every step into a small victory. Aftern
Elena's POV Days melted into one another in that sterile hospital haze, filled with the steady beep of monitors and faint antiseptic smells. But bit by bit, strength started weaving its way back into my body like warm sunlight finally breaking through thick storm clouds. My liver enzymes st
Elena's POVSunlight poured through the penthouse windows like liquid gold, waking me tangled in sheets that still carried Adrian's scent. His arm draped heavy and possessive over my waist as he stirred beside me, pressing a lazy kiss to my shoulder that sent warm ripples through my skin. "Mornin