~EmiliaThe sound of the front door closing again pulled me out of my thoughts. My first reaction was panic. I shoved the crumpled marriage certificate under my pillow like it was some illegal thing I had no business holding.His footsteps echoed faintly in the hallway. They were slow but steady, the kind that made you uncertain if they meant danger or not. My heart beat faster anyway.Then my door opened.Adrian stepped in.For a moment, I just stared. It felt strange seeing him in my room like this. He hadn’t done that in so long — not since the early days when we still made an effort to talk. Lately, it had been like we were living in the same house but on different planets.But now… he smiled.It wasn’t wide, not even big enough to show teeth, but it was a smile. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed that until just then.He came closer and sat down at the edge of my bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, making me slide slightly toward him.I pushed myself up to sit, pulling
~ EmiliaThe second I heard Ariana’s voice at the door, my stomach dropped like I had been caught stealing.She stood there, framed in the dim light of the hallway, her eyes glinting with something sharp.“Oh… Ariana, you scared me,” I blurted out before I could even think. My voice cracked a little, and I hated how guilty it sounded.Her arms crossed slowly. “I thought I heard a voice,” she said, each word soft but edged.“A voice?” I repeated, forcing a small laugh that came out thin and awkward. It sounded more like a cough than anything close to real amusement.“Yes… from upstairs. Then I came down here and—”Her eyes swept the room, moving over the shelves, the desk, the floor. They lingered just a fraction too long on the stack of papers I had been going through.“You’re in Adrian’s study.”I swallowed hard, my tongue suddenly dry. My hands, resting at my sides, were tingling from holding them too still.“I… couldn’t sleep. Came down for water. Then I thought I heard something i
~EmiliaI shut my eyes tightly, hoping it would make me fall asleep. Hoping it would make me forget the pain sitting heavy in my chest. But my thoughts wouldn’t stop running. Every memory, every unanswered question felt like a thorn pressing deeper into me.The darkness began to feel thicker, heavier, almost breathing around me. I reached for the lamp and flicked it on, the light making the shadows in the corners look sharper.I got out of bed and began pacing, arms folded tight across my chest. My toes curled against the cool floor. The clock ticked, each sound stretching into the silence.“There must be a clue somewhere,” I whispered to myself.And I knew where to look.Adrian’s study.He never let me in there. Ever. The only person allowed was Ariana, and that was only to clean. She never stayed long. She never said what was inside.I opened the bedroom door slowly, careful not to wake him. My ears strained to hear any change in his breathing. Silence. I moved like the air itself c
~EmiliaDeep down in me, I knew I couldn't handle Adrian's business crash.I knew I couldn't let him know the truth either.Now, I am torn between protecting the man I love and hiding the truth.Just then, the door opened loudly, interrupting my thoughts.I froze, my hands still, my heart caught halfway between a beat.For a moment, I held my breath.There he was.Adrian.His steps were slow and heavy, his shirt partly untucked, hair scattered like he'd been running his fingers through it too many times. He wasn’t drunk, but the smell of alcohol clung to him like a bad perfume—sharp, bitter, and uninviting.I watched as he landed heavily on the bed, making it creak under his weight.“When did you start drinking, Adrian?” I asked, barely above a whisper.He didn’t answer, just let out a tired sigh as his body sunk deeper into the mattress.“I’m talking to you,” I said again, louder this time. But my voice betrayed me—it quivered, soft, carrying a tiny hint of fear.He snorted, turning
~Emilia“What do you mean by that, Max?” Adrian barked into his phone the moment we stepped inside the house.I froze.There was something different in his voice—something that made my stomach twist. He wasn’t just angry. He was afraid.His hands were shaking. I could hear the tremble in his breath. “Adrian?” I whispered, reaching out.But he didn’t even glance at me. He ended the call, grabbed his jacket, and stormed out without a word.That was three days ago.And he hasn’t come back.***I sat on the edge of our bed, elbows on my knees, palms pressed against my cheeks.The air in the room felt heavy, like something was sitting on my chest.The ticking clock on the wall echoed louder with each second, matching the rise of my heartbeat.I had called him over twenty times. I had sent countless messages.Nothing.Whoever was threatening me had something to do with Adrian’s company crashing too. I was sure of it now.I stared at the window, watching the leaves outside dance in the wind
~EmiliaFor a few minutes, I felt tension in the atmosphere.It was thick—like the kind that presses against your chest and steals your breath without warning. I sat still, my hands curled into themselves on my lap, and I could hear the ticking of the wall clock even though it wasn’t loud. My eyes kept drifting to Adrian’s face, searching for clues, anything—his brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed, and his gaze distant.“Nothing at all,” he finally said, smiling and breaking the silence that had felt like it would last forever.I let out a big sigh of relief, my shoulders dropping with the exhale.Then he reached out gently and took my hand again. His fingers were warm,steady—as he slid the diamond ring slowly down my finger. The coolness of the metal made me shiver slightly, but it wasn’t unpleasant. My heart fluttered in my chest.“Now you look more like a wife,” he said, his voice low and smooth.“Wow,” I breathed, my eyes wide as I admired the sparkle of the ring on my h