All Chapters of Hidden Obsession : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The week had been a dream and a nightmare all at once. Adrian could almost trick himself into believing he was simply dating Evan—going on walks, grabbing takeout, sitting side by side in quiet spaces where conversation was optional. For the first time in weeks, he’d been able to laugh without flinching, to sit without feeling the walls close in.But the cracks were there, waiting beneath the surface. And on Monday, they began to show.---It started in the office. Adrian was standing by the copier, half-focused on the machine as it spat out reports, when a coworker approached. Mark, from finance—tall, friendly, always quick with a joke.“Hey, Adrian. You got plans tonight? A few of us are grabbing drinks at that new bar on 5th. You should come.”Adrian smiled faintly. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. I’ve got—”“Got what?” The voice was smooth, dangerously calm.Adrian stiffened. Evan was standing a few feet away, leaning casually against the wall as if he belonged there. No one else

Adrian woke up the next morning to the unfamiliar warmth of another body pressed against his side. For a heartbeat, disoriented, he thought he must have fallen asleep at one of his friends’ houses after a late-night movie. But the arm draped over his waist was heavy, strong, possessive in its weight. When he turned his head slightly, he saw the dark sweep of hair, the faint stubble brushing against the pillow, and reality came back in a rush like cold water.Evan.The man who had broken into his life and rearranged it piece by piece, until Adrian no longer knew where his own boundaries ended and Evan’s will began.Adrian shifted, careful not to wake him, but the arm tightened immediately, pulling him flush against the broad chest behind him. A sleepy murmur hummed in his ear, followed by the brush of lips against the curve of his neck.“You’re awake too early,” Evan whispered, voice thick with sleep, like velvet dragged across stone.Adrian stiffened. “You shouldn’t be here.”“Then wh

The café door closed behind them with a chime that felt too small for the weight of Adrian’s silence. His hand was still in Evan’s—warm, firm, impossible to escape without making a scene on the sidewalk.The city churned around them: cars honking, people laughing, strangers brushing past on the crowded pavement. Adrian tried to shrink into himself, to disappear into the blur of the crowd, but Evan walked as if the world itself parted for him. He didn’t hurry. He didn’t falter. He guided Adrian like they’d been walking together for years, their joined hands a declaration for anyone watching.Adrian wanted to rip his hand free. His skin tingled from the contact, half-shame, half-longing, and it made him sick. He should have pulled away the moment they stepped outside. He should have shouted, caused a scene, made everyone look. That would have broken the spell. That would have reminded Evan that Adrian was not his possession.But the pressure of Evan’s hand—steady, grounding—was maddenin

The morning light streamed through Adrian’s curtains in pale gold, casting soft shadows across the room. He blinked awake, disoriented for a moment. The last thing he remembered was Evan dropping him off the night before, lingering in the doorway until Adrian finally, reluctantly, told him goodnight.The memory made his chest ache with a confusing mix of irritation and something dangerously close to warmth.He rolled out of bed, rubbing at his eyes, determined to shake the feeling off. Today would be normal. Ordinary. He would make coffee, go to work, and breathe.But when he reached the kitchen, the first thing he saw was the paper bag sitting neatly on the counter.His stomach dropped.Inside was a fresh croissant, still warm, and a small note written in Evan’s precise handwriting.“I know you skip breakfast too often. Humor me. – E”Adrian stood frozen, the paper trembling in his hands. His front door was still locked. He’d checked it last night. Which meant—His pulse raced, equal

The next morning, Adrian’s alarm never went off.He blinked blearily, disoriented by the dim light slipping through the curtains. His phone was gone from the nightstand. Panic clawed at him—until he spotted it neatly placed on the dresser across the room, screen dark.And sitting at the foot of his bed, back perfectly straight, was Evan.Adrian’s chest seized. “What the hell are you doing here?” His voice cracked with sleep.Evan didn’t flinch. “You were tossing all night. I turned the alarm off so you’d get another hour. You needed it.”Adrian pulled the covers tighter around himself, body tense. “You can’t just… decide that for me.”Evan’s gaze was steady, patient. “If I hadn’t, you’d be dragging yourself to work half-dead. You hate Mondays enough already. I made it better for you.”Adrian groaned, burying his face in his hands. “You’re unbelievable.”But when he finally dragged himself out of bed, the smell of coffee and buttered toast was already drifting from the kitchen. Evan wa