CHAPTER 5

"Adrian!"

Liam stood in the doorway, his chest heaving, his tie undone, his hair disheveled. He looked completely unhinged. The polished, arrogant executive was gone, replaced by a desperate, furious boy who had just lost his kingdom.

Security was right behind him, looking apologetic. "Mr. Vance, I'm sorry, he slipped past the front desk and ran up the stairs—"

"Leave us," Adrian said, not even raising his voice. But the quiet authority in his tone made the security guards instantly nod and retreat, closing the glass doors behind them.

Liam marched into the room, his eyes wild as they landed on me. I instinctively shrank back into the sofa, but Adrian’s hands on my waist held me firm, anchoring me.

"You can't do this!" Liam yelled, pointing a shaking finger at his older brother. "You can't fire me! Dad is on the board! He'll have your head! And for what? For her?" He gestured wildly at me, his lip curling in disgust. "She's playing you, Adrian! She's a manipulative, greedy cow! She faked the pregnancy to trap me, and now she's throwing herself at you to secure the CEO!"

The sheer audacity of the lie made my blood boil. The fear that had paralyzed me all morning suddenly evaporated, replaced by a fierce, protective anger. Not just for myself, but for the baby growing inside me.

"Shut up, Liam," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. I stood up, stepping out from behind Adrian’s protective hold. I walked right up to my ex-boyfriend, looking him dead in the eye. "I didn't fake it. I took the test this morning. And I didn't throw myself at your brother. He threw me a lifeline when you decided to drown me."

Liam laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Oh, please. You think he actually wants you? Look at you, Chloe! You're huge! He's just using you to get back at me. The second he gets bored of your fat ass, he'll toss you aside just like I was going to."

*Smack.*

The sound of the slap echoed through the massive office like a gunshot.

Adrian had moved so fast I hadn't even seen him. He stood between Liam and me, his hand still raised from where he had just struck my ex across the face. Liam stumbled backward, clutching his cheek, his eyes wide with shock.

"If you ever use that word to describe her again," Adrian said, his voice so low and lethal it vibrated in the floorboards, "I will break your jaw. Do you understand me?"

Liam was trembling now, the reality of his situation finally crashing down on him. He wasn't the golden boy anymore. He was nothing.

"Get out," Adrian commanded. "If you are not off the premises in three minutes, I will have you arrested for trespassing."

Liam looked at me, his eyes filled with a toxic mix of hatred and regret. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he just turned and fled, the glass doors rattling in their frames as he slammed them behind him.

Silence descended on the office once more.

I let out a shaky breath, my knees suddenly feeling like jelly. Adrian turned to me, his expression instantly softening. He reached out, gently cupping my face, his thumb stroking my cheekbone.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," he murmured. "I should have had security tackle him the moment he entered the building."

"It's okay," I whispered, leaning into his touch. The warmth of his hand was intoxicating. "He's gone."

"He's gone," Adrian agreed. His eyes dropped to my stomach, his gaze intense and fiercely protective. "But you're not going home to an empty apartment. Not after today. Not with him out there, knowing where you live."

My heart skipped a beat. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you're moving into my penthouse," Adrian stated matter-of-factly, as if he were discussing a quarterly report. "I have a guest suite on the same floor as my master bedroom. It has its own bathroom and a walk-in closet. You will be safe there. I will have your things moved from your apartment by the end of the day."

"Adrian, I can't just move in with you!" I protested, though my heart was doing frantic little flips at the idea. "We barely know each other! You're my boss, and you're Liam's brother. It's... it's forbidden. It's crazy."

Adrian stepped closer, eliminating the space between us. He reached out, his large hands sliding down to rest possessively on the swell of my hips, pulling my body flush against his. The hard, solid wall of his chest pressed against my soft curves, and a jolt of pure, liquid heat pooled low in my belly.

"Let it be crazy," he whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear, sending shivers cascading down my spine. "Let them talk. I don't care about forbidden, Chloe. I care about keeping you safe. I care about taking care of you. And I care about the baby."

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his gray eyes burning with a dark, obsessive promise. "You and that baby belong to me now. And I take very good care of what is mine."

Before I could respond, before I could process the fact that the CEO of the company had just claimed me and my unborn child, my phone buzzed violently in my pocket.

I pulled it out, my hands shaking. It was a text message from an unknown number.

i know you think you've won, Chloe. But Adrian can't protect you from everything. Check your email. You have exactly one hour before the whole world sees what you really are.

My blood turned to ice. I looked up at Adrian, my eyes wide with panic.

"What is it?" he asked, his instincts instantly flaring, his hands tightening on my hips.

I swallowed hard, looking from the phone to the man who had just promised to protect me.