Chapter 6

“None of your business.”

I reached for my phone, but Adrian was faster. His hand snatched it out of mine with the speed of a predator.

“Give it back!” I lunged for it, but he caught my wrist, his grip tightening until I winced.

“Let go!”

“Tell me the truth. That ticket you booked—where are you running off to?” His dark eyes burned into me like gunmetal.

I raised my chin. “The Maldives. With a male escort. Satisfied?”

The silence that followed was brief and lethal. Adrian’s jaw flexed; his laugh was sharp and hollow.

“A male escort? Cute. I see I’ve been far too lenient with you.”

Dread surged through me. I turned to bolt, but he dragged me back, slamming me against the floor-to-ceiling glass wall of his office.

“Adrian!” Panic cut through my voice as his fingers slid down the back of my dress, tugging at the zipper with brutal precision. Cool air hit my skin. “You’ve lost your mind—this is your office—”

“So what?” His mouth brushed my ear, voice low, dangerous. “Not the first time.”

Pinned between him and the glass, my pulse raced like a trapped bird. The city stretched out beyond us, the skyline glittering. Anyone could look up and see silhouettes—my silhouette.

“Stop!” I gasped, fighting his hold, nails pressing into his arm.

But he wasn’t aiming for gentleness. He pressed harder, keeping me caged, his lips trailing heat down my neck. His dominance was suffocating, but laced with a brutal kind of desire.

“Adrian, someone will see us!”

“That’s the point,” he murmured against my skin, his breath scorching. “You provoke me, you take the punishment.”

His hands forced me to surrender inch by inch, stripping away the illusion of control I clung to. I fought not to make a sound, biting my lip until I tasted blood.

But he knew exactly how to break me. My body betrayed me, arching against the cold glass, nails scraping down in helpless resistance. The sound made my stomach twist in humiliation. Outside, people moved through the corridor—shadows, blurs. Did they see? Did they know?

Tears blurred my vision. My heart cracked with something sharper than fear. Why? Why was Elena treated like a jewel to be polished, protected… while I was nothing but a pawn to be disciplined, humiliated, used?

The answer was in his merciless grip, the heat of his mouth, the way he claimed me until I shattered. My strength drained away. When my knees buckled, he caught me easily, pulling the zipper back up with one swift motion.

“Relax,” Adrian whispered, softer now. “The glass is one-way. Soundproof. No one saw. No one heard.”

The sting of his words was worse than the act.

Crack!

My palm struck his cheek, sharp and furious. My voice trembled with rage, eyes brimming red.

“You’re a bastard, Adrian Moretti!”

I staggered toward the door, legs weak, pride in tatters. He didn’t stop me this time.

Thank God he didn’t push about the ticket. If he had, with his obsession for control, I knew he’d have gone even further.

Clutching my phone like a lifeline, I stepped onto the street, hoping to slip away unnoticed. But there she was—Elena—leaning casually against a sleek, cherry-red sports car, keys twirling around her manicured fingers.

“Look what Adrian got me,” she said, voice sweet but sharp, eyes glinting. “Limited edition. Only one in the world.”

My stomach churned.

“Want a ride, sis?” she purred, stepping closer, her perfume sharp and suffocating in the cold air.

I forced a humorless laugh. “No thanks. I can’t stand the smell of desperation.”

Her mask snapped. Sweetness twisted into venom. “You think words can save you? Soon enough, everyone will see the real you—worthless.”

I spat back, fury blazing. “Perfect. That family deserves someone just like you.”

Her eyes flared. She grabbed my arm. “Say that again—I dare you!”

A sudden screech of tires made us both jump. A car, out of control, skidded toward us, metal grinding against asphalt. Elena froze, a scream tearing from her throat. My heart lurched—I lunged instinctively—but everything slowed as chaos swallowed the street.

And then—I saw him. Adrian, sprinting across the asphalt, eyes wide with urgency. But not toward me.

His arms wrapped around Elena, yanking her out of the car’s path just in time. The car slammed down where I had been standing.

Pain exploded through me as I stumbled back, skidding across the pavement, scraped and bruised. My chest heaved. I barely breathed as the vehicle’s echoing crash faded.

Adrian held her close, his face taut with worry—for her alone. Not once did his gaze flick toward me.

And all I could do was watch, frozen in disbelief.

Elena’s lips curved into a victorious smile over his shoulder. She didn’t need words. Her expression said it all.

See? You’ve lost again.

A broken laugh slipped past my lips, tangled with tears and blood. The taste of iron and betrayal filled my mouth as the darkness closed in.

And then—I let go.