All Chapters of Hidden Obsession : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Evan had always believed that silence was both weapon and shield. Silence allowed him to stalk, to study, to gather every fragment of information before striking. But tonight, silence worked against him. Every second of quiet that stretched between Adrian’s last text message and the gaping absence of his presence was another needle shoved beneath Evan’s skin.The apartment was too still. The wine glass Adrian had set down before Evan left for work still sat on the coffee table, faint smudges of his fingerprints in the soft reflection of the lamp. His shoes weren’t by the door. His phone—his lifeline—lay abandoned on the counter. Evan had called. Again. Again. Again. Each ring that spiraled into nothingness was proof that Adrian was not here of his own volition.And Evan already knew whose hand had taken him.The predator in him, long restrained, long sharpened against whispers and threats and shadows, had a name now. Alec Rotti. The man whose empire Evan had dismantled in boardrooms a

The first thing Adrian felt was light. Too much of it.It seared through his eyelids, prying him awake, and with it came a rush of sound — monitors beeping, muffled voices, the faint squeak of rubber soles on linoleum.He flinched, his throat dry, his chest tight. For a disoriented second, he thought he was still in the warehouse. That Alec’s laughter was still echoing. That Evan’s gun was still raised.But then a hand brushed his hair back, and the voice that came was soft, steady, unshakable.“You’re safe. I’m here.”Adrian’s eyes cracked open. Blinding white ceiling tiles swam above him. The sterile scent of antiseptic stung his nose. And beside him, impossibly calm in a pressed shirt and sleeves rolled, was Evan.Adrian’s stomach lurched. Memories slammed into him — Alec’s sneer, the barrel of the gun, the thunderclap crack that had ended it all. His heart jumped into his throat.“E-Evan—” His voice broke.“Shh.” Evan leaned closer, thumb smoothing over his temple as if he could s

Adrian’s world had shrunk to the walls of Evan’s penthouse. At first, it was necessity. His body was still fragile after the kidnapping, his nerves shot, his muscles heavy with exhaustion. He told himself he didn’t mind being cocooned here, in safety, in quiet, in warmth. But as the days folded into one another, it became obvious the cocoon was as much Evan’s creation as it was circumstance.Evan was everywhere.The morning sun would spill in over the kitchen, and there he was, sleeves rolled up, breakfast prepared down to the exact cut of fruit. “Sit,” he’d murmur, guiding Adrian into a chair before Adrian even thought about protesting. Coffee was poured, sweetened just right, and pills slid across the table with water before Adrian could forget them. It was efficient, precise, suffocating — and yet, there was tenderness woven through every movement.“You’re looking pale again,” Evan remarked one morning, thumb brushing Adrian’s cheek. His voice was light, but his eyes were sharp, ev

The party lingered in Adrian’s head longer than he wanted it to.Naomi’s laughter, her perfectly arched brow as she pulled him aside in the corner of the restaurant, the quiet but sharp question that had stuck in his chest like a thorn—Are you sure you’re happy?—all of it replayed whenever his mind was still enough to drift.But Evan hadn’t pressed him that night.When they got home, Evan had only asked once what Naomi wanted, his tone smooth and light, though Adrian caught the flicker in his eyes. Adrian brushed it off with a muttered “nothing important,” and for the first time in a long time, Evan let it slide. He didn’t dig his nails into the silence, didn’t force Adrian to unravel himself on the spot. Instead, he only smiled, kissed Adrian’s temple, and changed the subject.That was more unsettling than if he had demanded answers.For two weeks, Adrian lived in that strange limbo. Evan didn’t tighten his hold the way he usually did. He didn’t shadow Adrian quite so closely when he

The city lights stretched beneath them like a field of stars, artificial but dazzling. The private rooftop restaurant Evan had reserved shimmered with soft golden lanterns, illuminating the space with a warmth Adrian couldn’t quite identify. He felt… nervous. Excited. Confused.Evan had been unusually attentive all day—calm, composed, almost human. He had insisted Adrian dress nicely, chosen the route to the rooftop himself, and even complimented Adrian’s tie, the way it matched the color of his eyes. Adrian had laughed softly, unaware of how every little detail had been planned, how Evan had orchestrated the evening down to the placement of the silverware.As they stepped onto the rooftop, Evan’s hand brushed Adrian’s lower back, guiding him to the center table. The view was spectacular, but Adrian barely noticed. His heart beat too fast, a mix of awe and nervous anticipation.“You look… perfect,” Evan murmured, sliding into the chair across from him. His eyes were calm, calculating,