What the Heart didn't Know のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

The morning light streamed in through the windows, soft and golden, but it wasn't warming at all. The house was eerily quiet, except for the gentle ticking of the wall clock and the faint noise of traffic outside. Amelia was in the kitchen, staring blankly at the kettle as it boiled on the stove. Her fingers shook as she clutched the edge of the counter. She hadn't really slept—just a few restless hours scattered with nightmares, Nora's soft whimpers, and her own racing thoughts. The photo in the envelope kept haunting her, along with the note. You think he can protect you? After she’d snapped at Adrian, he left without a word. She felt guilty, but her pride got in the way of saying sorry. She was slowly sinking under everything, and there was no one there to pull her back up.Adrian had no idea. Nobody did. She kept the fear buried deep, hidden behind her sharp words and perfectly put-together outfits. But it was getting harder to keep it all together.Nora’s laughter rang out from

Adrian was never one to trust easily. Especially not when it came to the past Amelia so carefully guarded like a vault sealed with concrete. But that morning, something in the air told him to stay alert. Maybe it was the way Amelia hesitated before leaving for her meeting, or how Nora as she was known legally clung to her side longer than usual, refusing to let go until Adrian promised he'd be right there the whole time.And he was.Nora sat on the floor of the living room with a set of coloring books, her little legs crossed and her tongue sticking out in focus. Adrian watched from the couch, flipping through an old architecture magazine, though he barely registered the pages."Wanna play a game, Nora?" He asked dropping the magazine. Adrian could barely concentrate on the magazine, his eyes kept darting to the little girl, who equally zoned off while drawing. She remained motionless. "Nora baby." Adrian called a little louder and she turned to look at him. "What did you say, uncl

It's been what? Three days since that night, and Amelia is dodging Adrian like he’s the plague. He doesn’t even mind, he’s used to her moving one step forward and ten steps back. This morning, he woke up earlier than usual and decided to hang out with a long-time friend, Justin. “So, you’ve ditched boxing, dating, and jumped straight into married life, huh?” Justin chuckled, downing a glass of alcohol. Adrian forced a smile, regretting he even opened his mouth, but the news was everywhere, after all. “Come on, man. Spill the beans! Have you cracked the ice queen yet?” Justin laughed, but to be honest, that was getting under Adrian’s skin. He just wanted to hang out, not discuss her. “Can we just drop it?” he muttered, taking a swig of his drink. “Ouuu, someone’s got secrets!” Adrian shot him a glare, the urge to punch Justin rising with every moment. “I think I’m going to head out; this was a mistake,” he grumbled, setting down his glass. “Oh come on, man, it was just a joke!”

Adrian wasn’t really accustomed to this kind of quiet. It wasn’t the heavy kind that felt like a warning; instead, it wrapped around the room like a cozy blanket. It was the first time Amelia had left him alone with Nora for more than an hour. She had to go meet her lawyers to finalize some stuff for the custody case, barely making eye contact as she handed him Nora’s lunch schedule and allergy notes.“She likes her crusts cut off,” Amelia had said flatly, steering clear of his gaze. “And broccoli? Absolutely not. Don’t let her convince you to give her candy.”He nodded, taking the paper from her, feeling that invisible barrier still looming between them after their last chat. He had offered to go with her, but as usual, she shot him down and stormed out after dropping off the instructions for feeding Nora.He was getting tired of this back and forth, but he got that she needed her space. Still, how long could he hold on? She was pulling away once more, and he couldn’t really blame he

Adrian's POVThe storm had blown over, but you could still feel its vibe hanging around.The fireplace still had a hint of woodsmoke in the air. The wine glasses were left untouched from the night before, half-filled and still warm to the touch. Adrian hadn’t really moved for hours. He was perched on the edge of the couch, one hand casually resting across his lap while the other was close to Amelia's head as she curled up beside him. He knew she hadn’t meant to doze off, especially not in his arms, but she did, and it felt right.Amelia hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He could sense the tension still hanging onto her even in her sleep. Her fingers would twitch every now and then, and her breathing was shallow and a bit uneasy. Not a word was exchanged after the kiss—not when she pulled away, and not when he quietly pulled her back so she wouldn’t have to be alone.He didn’t bother trying to analyze what had just happened. Some moments were just too raw for logic. It was all about the hea