11

The room stood still in silence until Eros finally broke it. 

“I’ve been in love with you since you were pregnant, Adriana,” he said.

Adriana froze at his words. Her breath hitched, and her lashes blinked rapidly as if trying to process what she’d just heard. Slowly, her brows pulled together in disbelief.

“W…what did you just say?” she asked, her voice uneven.

“I said I’ve been in love with you. Since Australia. Since the twins were still in your belly.” Eros emphasised, and for a moment, the room became silent again.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Adriana sprang up from the bed like she’d been burnt. Her back facing him, her hands gripped her head.

When she finally turned, her eyes were blazing.

“Are you completely out of your mind, Eros?” she hissed. 

“You think I’m stupid enough to fall for this? What do you take me for—one of those Australian sluts you used to parade around the house like trophies?” She continued, her voice cracking at the end from rage.

“Get out. Now!” 

She snapped, but Eros didn’t flinch. He remained seated for a few seconds longer, then slowly stood unshaken.

“Why are you so angry at a confession, Adriana?” He asked quietly, his eyes locked on hers. “Is it because I said the words aloud… or because you felt something too?”

“Don’t play that card with me,” Adriana retorted, her nostrils flaring.

“I’m not playing. But Adriana, can you stand there and tell me five years together didn’t mean anything? Not a spark? Not even once?” he asked, his voice still calm.

In that moment, Adriana’s fists curled. “Shut the hell up, Eros,” she spat, and continued.

“For five years, we lived under the same roof like strangers. You barely looked at me, barely spoke a word to me. And when you did, it was only for appearances. You filled the house with random women while watching me raise the kids all alone, Eros! Since then, you made it so clear you can never accept them as yours.”

Her voice cracked out again, but this time from something deeper. Something wounded.

“And now, out of nowhere, you decide to confess love? You want a reaction from me, Eros? You want a show? Well, sorry—I’m not giving it to you.” 

Eros stood quietly, absorbing every word. His chest rose and fell, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped forward slowly.

“I didn’t mean to get involved with those women, and—”

“Don’t call them ‘women. You treated them like disposable toys. Just like you’re trying to do with me, right?” Adriana snapped, cutting him off.

Her words got to him. He nodded once, his eyes lowering briefly. Then he looked at her again, with a look more serious than she’d ever seen.

“You left me no choice but to tell you the truth I’ve never told anyone—not even myself.”

Adriana stiffened at his words, unsure whether to brace for anger or something worse.

“I remember the day you walked into my study, holding up the ultrasound,” he began, his voice softening as he spoke.

“You were six months pregnant. You had this glow on your face—this joy. You were smiling so wide that I didn’t even notice the scan. I couldn’t stop looking at your smile. I don’t know why… but that moment stayed with me for months.”

Adriana stared at him, unmoved by his confession. But he continued anyway.

“I didn’t understand it then. I kept pushing it away. We had a plan to not feel, get attached, or anything related. So… I did what I always did when something scared me—I distracted myself and filled my life with meaningless women.” He continued in a lower voice and stepped closer to her.

“But it didn’t work, Riana, especially now. Being here with you, in California, away from those women, I realised the strange feelings never went away.”

As he spoke, Adriana’s breath caught in her throat, her hands dropping to her sides. For a moment, her walls trembled.

“You should say something. Anything,” he murmured, interrupting her thoughts.

Then, Adriana looked down and replied to him in a voice barely above a whisper. “I… I think I feel something too...” 

As she stuttered out the words, Eros froze. His lips parted, and the faintest smile curved the corners of his mouth.

But then Adriana lifted her head, and the smile on his lips disappeared.

“...but this can’t happen, Eros,” Adriana said quietly, the resolve in her eyes looking as firm as ever. 

“This isn’t real. You, me, the marriage—it was never meant to be more than a plan,” she added.

Her words made Eros step back, the distance between them growing again.

“Don’t you see?” Adriana continued. “After the revenge… you go back to your life. I continue mine with my kids, and we all move on, according to plan.”

“I don’t want to move on,” Eros said, almost to himself.

But Adriana turned away, her voice faltering. “It’s safer that way for the kids, Eros,” she said.

Eros stood just behind her, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he spoke.

“Maybe it’s not so bad getting a little lost in the middle of the plan, as long as we find each other before the end, don't you think?”

“I need rest,” Adriana said, ignoring his question, and pulled the blanket back up before climbing into her bed.

Eros nodded slowly, his eyes still on her, as she lay baking him.

“Goodnight… Riana.” He gently said, and then turned and walked out.

As Adriana lay staring at the ceiling, her heart pounded in her chest. Not because of what Eros feels for her, but because of what she does feel for him. 

Three days later, precisely at 4:15 p.m., the soft click of Adriana’s office door pulled her attention away from her computer screen. Her secretary stepped in gently, followed by two familiar figures who didn’t wait for an invitation.

“Moooommy!”

Adriana stood instantly, her chair rolling backward slightly as Hardin and Tessa ran into her open arms. She crouched and wrapped them tightly, their familiar scent and tiny bodies momentarily washing away the weight of business decisions.

“I’ve missed you two,” she whispered into their hair and kissed each of their heads before pulling back to examine their faces. 

“How was school today?” she asked.

“It was great, Mommy. Hardin made us a new friend. Her name is Zoe!” Tessa beamed. 

Adriana let out a small laugh. “He did?” she asked, looking at her face.

“She talks a lot,” Hardin grumbled as he walked over to the tiny desk nestled in the corner of Adriana’s glass office.

“She’s nice,” Tessa argued as she followed him, pulling out her notebooks.

Adriana smiled, soaking in the moment. “Alright, what should we order for our first little office treat?”

“Pizza!” Hardin announced without hesitation.

“Sandwich, please,” Tessa added sweetly.

With a smile, Adriana picked up her phone and carried the order out on it, before settling back in her leather seat.

Eight minutes later, her secretary stepped in quietly. “Ma’am, Mr. Migos is requesting to see you. He’s outside,” she said.

Adriana’s face hardened instantly. Her eyes flicked toward her office glass walls, and there he saw Antonio standing outside, looking calm and calculated.

She turned back to the secretary, her voice clipped. “Tell him to go see the manager. He’s not my priority.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the secretary nodded and stepped back out.

With the secretary still right outside, Adriana reached for her phone and dialled quickly. Eros picked up within seconds.

“Didn’t we agree to keep Antonio as far away from me as possible?” Adriana burst out, her voice laced with irritation.

“I told him to wait until tomorrow. I was going to talk to you about his project idea today. Seems he’s going rogue.” Eros replied evenly.

Adriana let out a quiet scoff. “This is what we get when we let the fox into the cathouse.”

She said, and hung up just as her secretary reappeared, looking mildly uncomfortable.

“He insists he can only discuss it with the CEO, ma’am,” said that secretary.

Adriana rolled her eyes and exhaled slowly. “Fine. Let him in.”

Moments later, Antonio walked in, in a classic tailored navy suit with gold cufflinks and an arrogant tilt to his chin, like he owned the company. He took one look at Hardin and Tessa, and his smile curled.

“No doubt about them, they must be yours. Your face stamped on both of them,” he said, upon reaching Adriana's table.

With Adriana’s arms folded tightly across her chest, she said, “If you had come here to talk about my kids, I suggest you turn around and walk out.”

Unbothered, Antonio eased himself into the guest chair across from her without being asked. “I am one of your shareholders, Adriana. I deserve a seat.” 

He said, but Adriana's jaw remained clenched.

“You might as well hear me out,” he added, upon noticing Adriana’s serious look.

“Then get to the point,” said Adriana.

But just as Antonio opened his mouth, the door opened again, and Eros walked in, looking all cool and composed.

“Finally,” Adriana exhaled in relief as her eyes met with him, her shoulders loosening slightly.

Eros walked up behind her, and brushed a soft kiss against her lips without breaking eye contact with Antonio.

“Hi, baby,” he said casually, resting a hand on her lower back.

In that instant, Antonio’s expression twisted, a flicker of fury flashing in his eyes. His jaw tensed, and his knuckles whitened around the armrest of the chair. He tried to play it cool, but the burning jealousy was impossible to miss.

“So…” Eros said, turning to face him. “What’s the delay, To-nio?” He added, and drew his name out like an insult.

But Antonio ignored him and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I’m proposing a project that could yield millions in profit if handled correctly,” he uttered, his gaze solely on Adriana.

“Then handle it with your team,” Adriana replied sharply, her expression stone-faced.

“Not quite that simple,” Antonio said with a smirk. “This one requires a partnership between me and the CEO. Just the two of us. A short business trip to seal the deal.”

As the words slipped from his tongue, Eros let out a low, mocking laugh, as if he were watching a bad joke unfold.

Adriana chuckled beside him. “So, let me get this straight. You think I’d ditch my husband and go away with you for a ‘short business trip’? Just so we can make a few more millions?”

Antonio's smirk widened. “Are you afraid something might… reignite between us? Like old times?” He said in a low voice and looked straight at her with dark eyes before continuing.

“Who knows? Maybe you'll end up screaming my name again while I rock you hard non—"

He was still talking, but before he could finish forming his sentence, Adriana’s hand raised in the air, and a cracking sound echoed off the glass walls.

Antonio's head snapped sideways from the force of her slap, and a red mark instantly bloomed across his cheek.