Chapter 4

Silence hung heavily in the room as Adele’s gaze drifted past everything, landing on nothing in particular. How could she face Chase when she wasn’t the woman he wanted?

“Don’t be this heartless, Adele. Please… come with me to see your husband.” Zain ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched deep in the crease of his brow.

Adele glanced at Tyler, his jaw tight and eyes narrowed every inch the man who didn’t want her to leave. Still, her heart ached for Chase, pulling her forward despite his warning.

She rose slowly, hands instinctively cradling her belly, shielding the life within from the uncertainty that loomed around her.

“I will call you, Tyler… let me go see him.” Her voice cracked, and tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes.

Tyler only nodded stiffly. He couldn’t stop her, but a small part of him hoped she’d return disappointed, her heart heavier than before.

Zain shot ahead, taking long strides, while Adele followed behind, her steps measured and deliberate.

Zain's penthouse wasn’t far. Within minutes, Adele stood at the door while Zain fumbled with the keys, trying to unlock it quickly.

As soon as the door opened, the sharp smell of alcohol hit Adele. The air was stale. Zain rushed inside, his eyes widening as he spotted Chase lying unconscious on the floor.

Adele froze. What was wrong with him? And where was Hazel? Had he left her place and come here?

“Don’t just stand there! Come in and help me carry him up.” Zain’s jaw tightened with each word, his frustration visible in every tense muscle.

“Of course!” she said, hurrying forward. She grabbed Chase’s arm, and together they raised him onto the couch. Adele paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath to steady herself.

“I don’t understand why you two are suddenly acting like this. It’s exhausting.” He ran his hands through his hair, tugging at it in frustration.

Adele managed a small smile, thinking of how Zain cared so much for Chase.

“Do you know we’re getting a divorce?” she asked him, her expression carefully neutral.

“What are you talking about?” Zain asked, but Adele ignored him. She figured Chase wouldn’t want him to know the truth yet.

“You were always one of those people who said I wouldn’t last a month with Chase. You said he didn’t love me… that he’d leave me any moment and you even made a bet.”

“Chase would abandon Adele in at least two months of marriage”. 

“I did?” Zain asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

“I saw the video… the one where you lost the bet. You had to drink so you kept drinking, got drunk, and kept calling her name.” Adele paused, meeting his gaze.

Pain flickered across Zain’s eyes and lingered. He knew exactly who she meant by ‘her’ the one who had destroyed him.

“Where is she, Adele? Where the fuck is she?” He closed the distance and gripped her shoulders, his hold tightening with each passing second.

“And who showed you that video?”

“Stop! You’re hurting me, Zain… let me go,” she gasped, digging her fingers into his wrist to pry him away. Her voice was fragile, cracking like glass, and tears welled in her eyes.

Chase stirred, his brows knitting together as Adele’s muffled sobs reached his ears.

His eyes snapped open, initially unfocused, but they sharpened quickly, glowing with a dangerous clarity.

He pushed himself up roughly, alcohol heavy on his breath. His movements wavered, but the rising fury in his chest sobered him faster than any cold shock could.

When he saw Zain’s hand gripping her arm, something inside him snapped.

In a single, swift motion, Chase lunged forward, shoving Zain’s back with far more force than his drunken state should have permitted.

“How dare you lay your hands on my woman?” His voice was hoarse, thick with alcohol yet laced with lethal intent. His jaw was tight, veins standing out on his neck, eyes blazing with possessive fury.

“Your woman?” Zain scoffed. “Can’t you see she doesn’t care about you?” Adele struggled to pull away, instinctively placing her hands on her belly to make sure her baby was safe. Thankfully, she hadn’t been hurt.

Zain wasn’t usually like this. Yet something Adele has said triggered him. A name that had always managed to do so, even in her absence.

“What the fuck have you become, Chase? Even now… you still protect her. You’re getting soft, weak because of a woman,” Zain spat, venom dripping from every word.

Chase landed a final shove on Zain, then turned sharply, appearing in front of her within seconds.

His hands gripped her shoulders firmly almost too firmly, his gaze scanning her face, her arms, her body, making sure she wasn’t hurt.

“Are you okay?” he demanded, his voice low and sharp.

“Did he hurt you?” he pressed again, his breathing uneven, his gaze dark and consuming.

“Hazel… I’m so sorry he hurt you!” His lips trembled, eyes darting around as if his body was here, but his mind somewhere else entirely.

The name struck Adele like a punch, stealing the air from her lungs. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs, threatening to burst free.

“I’m not Hazel! I’m Adele… I’m Adele, Chase!” Her voice rose, cracking more with every word.

“I am so sorry Adele, I mistook you for someone else”. Chase's eyes widened. He tried to touch her but she flinched, irritation all over her eyes. She couldn't believe he mistook her for hazel.

And here she thought something different would happen. She was a fool for even dreaming that maybe Zain might be just right.

She stood abruptly, her breath catching with each sharp intake, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She fought to blink them back, refusing to let them fall.

This was a mistake! she thought, staring at Zain sprawled on the floor, looking even more miserable than she felt.

She stormed out of the building, her chest heaving, each breath sharp and uneven.

Adele wandered aimlessly until the streets blurred around her. Finally, she sank onto a nearby bench and pulled out her cracked phone, her hands trembling.

She dialed Tyler’s number with shaking fingers and he picked up but remained silent on the other end.

“He doesn’t love me”… tears pricked her eyes again. “Then why does he make it so hard to hate him? Why does he keep giving signals he doesn’t mean?”

“I’ve tried so hard to hate him… but I can’t. It’s not his fault that he doesn’t love me… yet every time I try, I only end up loving him more.” She shivered, her hands fidgeting with her collar as if to ground herself.

“Where are you, Adele? I can come get you,” 

“YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!” she shouted, her voice cracking. Tyler went silent once more.

Adele’s hands trembled around the phone. Her voice broke as she forced the words out.

“I’ve tried, I really have… to feel nothing. But I just… I can’t hate him.” Her voice cracked.

“I… I don’t understand,” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. 

“He’s a good person… kind, gentle… everything I can’t stop loving.” She buried her face in her hands, the phone pressed like a lifeline against her ear.

 “I wish I could hate him but I can’t. I just… can’t.”

Tyler’s throat tightened, a wave of jealousy gnawing at him. His fingers clenched the phone as if it could contain his emotions.

“Adele!” he finally called, his voice trembling with restraint.

“He doesn’t deserve you. You deserve someone who truly wants you… not someone who treats you like a second option.” He paused for a moment, letting his words hang.

“I… I love” he started, but Adele cut him off before he could finish.

“I’ve learned my lesson, Ty. That’s why I’ve decided… I’m coming with you to Canada.”

It was time to live for herself. She would raise her child with love, and Chase… Well, he would be happy with Hazel. It was the least she could do.

“Really?” Tyler asked, his voice soft, tinged with hope and disbelief.