MasukAdrian's POV The cold shower did little to wash away the tension that had settled in my shoulders overnight. I dressed in a charcoal suit, silver cufflinks, black tie and made my way downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was already laid out in the dining room. I settled into my chair with the morning paper and coffee, immersing myself in silence. These moments of peace were rare, and I'd learned to savor them. They lasted exactly seven minutes. "You pervert!" I didn't look up from the financial section. Serena's voice echoed off the walls, laced with fury and something else—embarrassment, perhaps. I'd expected this the moment I'd had the maids carry her sleeping form from my study last night. "How dare you? What kind of sick—" I turned the page calmly, scanning the stock reports. Let her get it out of her system. She'd realize her mistake soon enough. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Her palms slammed against the table, shaking the coffee cups. I folded the newspa
Gabriel's voice kept replaying in my head as the car pulled away from the cemetery. It's about your father.Those four words had lodged themselves in my chest, living rent free.What could possibly be so urgent? Dad had been gone for months now. What could have changed?Mia sat beside me in tense silence, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She could probably sense my anxiety radiating off me in waves. I stared out the window, watching the city blur past, my mind spinning through possibilities. Had something happened to the estate? Was there a legal issue? Had someone contested the will?By the time we pulled up to Gabriel's office building, my nerves were frayed. "Miss Serena, should I wait here?" Mia asked."Yes, please. I don't know how long this will take."The receptionist greeted me with a professional smile. "Miss Serena, Mr. Gabriel is expecting you, but he's currently in a meeting. If you could wait in the lounge?"Of course he was. I glanced at my watch. Three o'clock. I h
Wake up, Serena. Wake up, or I'll increase your punishment. Adrian's voice echoed through my dreams, cold and commanding. I bolted upright, gasping for air, my heart hammering against my ribs. For a moment, I couldn't orient myself. The softness beneath me, the familiar scent of lavender on the sheets…I was in my bed. My bed? Confusion crashed over me like a wave. The last thing I remembered was sitting in that damned study, sitting on that uncomfortable chair across from Adrian's desk, fighting to keep my eyes open as exhaustion pulled at me. I'd been determined not to give in, not to show weakness. But apparently, I'd failed. I threw off the covers and froze. Silk pajamas. Powder blue silk pajamas that definitely weren't what I'd been wearing yesterday. My blood ran cold, then hot with fury. He wouldn't have. He couldn't have. I stumbled out of bed, my legs shaky with sleep and rage. The implications spun through my mind, each one more mortifying than the last. Had Adria
“Be good.”He patted my hair, his touch lingering longer than it should have.His fingers slid into mine, firm and unyielding. I was still too stunned to speak.“Just act normal, and you’ll be fine,” he murmured.When we stepped into the living room, every eye turned to us. The silence was thick and judgmental.“I’m sorry, dear. That dress must’ve been expensive.”The matriarch’s voice was coated in pity that didn’t feel genuine.I opened my mouth to respond, but Adrian’s grip on my hand tightened— a silent warning.“It’s nothing I can’t afford,” he said smoothly, flashing that effortless smile.He guided me to sit on the sofa opposite the woman I now knew was his mother. Her eyes were sharp, unfriendly, scanning me like I was a stain she couldn’t scrub out.“That’s your mother-in-law, dear. Catherine,” the matriarch introduced.“Good evening, Mother,” I said with a polite smile.She responded with a low, uninterested hum.“You’re very much welcome in this family, Serena,” she said fi
“So,how did you two meet?”The matriarch's voice broke the silence, drawing all the attention to herself.My head spun in pain. We hadn't rehearsed an answer for that question at all. I looked at Adrian with fearful eyes. If the matriarch found out about our transaction,she could kill me. “We met…”“Let her speak for herself.”Adrian tried to answer,but she cut him off.Fuck!I cursed within me.My smile didn't waver. “We met some months back during a business meeting.” “What meeting?”She asked.I gulped down in fear.In my absent mindedness, my hand jerked, knocking the bowl with a sharp clang. Hot broth spilled down the leather, searing against my skin, sticky and suffocating.“Ahh…sorry. I've got to change.”I mumbled an apology and pushed back from the table, nearly tripping over the chair in my rush for the stairs.Adrian's eyes followed me as I left,but he didn't say anything.I hurried up the stairs, walking straight into the restroom.I slammed the door shut and twisted t
My heart hammered in my chest as the low hum of the car outside filled the silence. My palms were sweaty and my eyes had lost focus.I didn't even have enough time to prepare for this. Adrian said I didn't really need to talk much as he'd handle most of the questions. All I needed to do was smile and laugh when necessary.The dress I was wearing only made matters worse. It was a body hugging green leather dress that Adrian had specifically chosen for me. It did fit my figure perfectly,but my body rejected it.The leather dress stuck to my skin. Sweat ran down my back, trapped under the tight fabric. Every move made the leather squeak, reminding me how little air could reach me. My hair clung to my neck, damp, and the room felt even warmer with each breath. I stood still, pretending I wasn’t melting inside the glossy prison he'd given me to wear.He moved closer to me and leaned in. “Smile,”I rolled my eyes.“And be nice.”The large doors opened and they walked in. Dressed in luxuriou







