Chapter 12

*At the club*

"You must be kidding me!" Noah’s voice cut through the heavy silence, sharp and unrelenting. His disbelief rippled through the room, thick enough to suffocate. His wide eyes bore into mine, scanning my face as if searching for some sign—some tiny flicker—that I was joking. That this was all some twisted prank I’d drop at any second.

But I wasn’t. And I wouldn’t.

I had told them everything. Every humiliating, gut-wrenching, pride-shattering detail. Now, they just stood there, staring at me like I’d confessed to willingly setting myself on fire.

Kyle exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers against his temples as if the pressure in his skull had suddenly doubled. "Wait… you’re telling us that everything that happened that night—everything—was just a setup? A piece inside Adrian’s bigger plan?"

I forced myself to nod. "Exactly."

Kyle let out a low scoff, his jaw working. "And instead of you screwing him over, he turned it around and fucked you?"

The words sliced through me, blunt but brutal, and my stomach twisted so hard I thought I’d be sick. Shame crawled up my spine, burning through me as the memory surfaced—uninvited, sharp-edged, impossible to suppress.

Reluctantly, I nodded.

Fuck… I’m a damn loser.

"And now, he’s blackmailing you with your own damn sex tape?" Kyle’s voice dropped an octave, quiet but no less lethal.

A fresh wave of heat crawled up my neck, burning the edges of my pride. I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t want to confirm it. But silence would be just as damning.

So, I nodded again.

"Shit." Jordan dragged a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. His sharp gaze snapped to mine, piercing through whatever defenses I had left, and I stiffened.

"And you’re his fucking wife now?" His voice was raw, tinged with something almost accusatory.

A lump settled in my throat, but I swallowed it down, forcing my shoulders to square. "As embarrassing as it is, yes."

Every attempt to act unfazed crumbled under Adrian’s shadow. He had wrecked me, torn away my dignity, and left me shackled in this nightmare with no way out.

"Major plot twist," Kyle muttered, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "Who the hell would’ve thought?"

Noah’s frown deepened, his concern standing out against the others’ frustration. "And your dad didn’t say a damn thing?"

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips before I could stop it. "That monster?" My teeth clenched. "He’d rather get rid of Evelyn’s pregnancy than pull out of the deal."

The room turned deathly silent.

Jordan leaned forward, his voice softer this time. "How’s Evelyn?"

His concern should’ve reassured me, but instead, it made the weight in my chest grow heavier. Out of all of them, Jordan cared the most about my sister. He always had.

"I can’t promise she’s safe," I admitted, the truth scraping against my throat like broken glass. "I need to get her away from my dad. As long as she’s in that house, I’ll never escape this hell of a marriage."

My father knew exactly how to control me. He held Evelyn over my head like a leash around my neck, tightening it whenever he pleased. The faster I got her out of his grasp, the sooner I could fight for my own freedom.

Jordan didn’t even hesitate. "She can stay with me."

It was the only real option I had.

"That’s our best bet," I murmured. "Unless someone has a better plan."

No one spoke.

I didn’t expect them to.

Jordan was the only one I trusted to keep Evelyn safe. Now, I just had to figure out how to get her out of that damn mansion without my father catching on.

She’s better off anywhere but in that man’s house.

Noah shifted closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "What about you?"

I blinked at him, my lips parting, but nothing came out.

"What happens to you now?"

The question landed like a punch to the gut.

What will happen to me?

I had no idea. I was stuck. Lost. Drowning in Adrian’s world with no clear way out.

"Get married, I guess." The words tasted bitter.

Their reactions were immediate.

"Get married?" The three of them spoke in unison, voices laced with pure shock.

I nodded, my chest tightening.

"That bastard is actually excited to see me in a wedding dress." My lips curled in disgust. "A gown, to be precise."

Kyle exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fuck, Mat, you really landed yourself in a mess."

I let out a dry laugh, the sound hollow. "Tell me something I don’t know."

Kyle narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious. "He doesn’t love you. So why does he want to marry you?"

I met his gaze, then shrugged, the answer settling in my stomach like a stone.

"To torture me," I said simply. "That’s what he lives for."

A part of me still couldn't make sense of Adrian’s true motives. Was this some twisted power play? A calculated maneuver to shatter what little resistance I had left? Or was it something even cruel—something I hadn’t yet seen coming?

Noah exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face, his expression caught between frustration and disbelief. “You two have been at each other’s throats for years, but I never thought it would come to this.”

Jordan, ever the strategist, studied me with a glint of something unreadable in his eyes before finally arching a brow. “If he’s playing a game, why don’t you play along?”

I blinked at him. “What?”

“Being his wife will give you power,” Jordan said matter-of-factly. “You’ll have access to things you don’t right now. You can protect your sister, make sure she has everything she needs. Use the position to your advantage.”

The logic was undeniable. Cold, sharp, and practical. The only silver lining in a deal that felt otherwise suffocating.

But every coin had a bad side.

“I could do that,” I admitted slowly. “But Adrian never gives power without demanding something in return.”

And I knew exactly what he wanted.

“He’ll expect to get into my bed,” I muttered, the weight of that truth pressing against my ribs. “He’s already made that clear.”

Kyle, who had been quiet until now, crossed his arms, his expression dark. “I’ve heard he’s not just involved in illegal dealings—he’s running them.”

That didn’t surprise me.

Kyle shook his head. “He’s not someone small. You need to be careful.”

I let out a hollow laugh, the sound brittle.

“A trapped mouse caught between a lion’s fangs doesn’t get to be careful,” I murmured. “It already knows its fate. Death.”

That was my reality.

I had stepped into Adrian’s world, thinking I could outmaneuver him, that I could hold my own against the devil himself. But now, the game has shifted. I was the one caught in his web, a pawn on his board, forced to move in ways I never intended.

But I wasn’t just a pawn.

I still had pieces to play.

Adrian might be the monster in this story, but I wasn’t defenseless. He thought he had me caged, but even the most well-guarded prisoner could find cracks in the walls.

One day, I will be free.

I just had to figure out how.