جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

☠️Adrian☠️ The dining room remains silent long after Sophie disappears upstairs. I don't move. For some reason, my eyes stay fixed on the empty doorway. She didn't lock the door. She didn't even force a smile. Yesterday, she looked at me with hope, with… want. This morning, she looked through me. As if I wasn't there. Good. Exactly how I want it. It’s better if she stays away. Without making things unnecessarily complicated. So why does it feel like I just lost something? My gaze drifts toward her plate. The pancakes remain untouched. One bite. Just one. I exhale quietly. It really shouldn't bother me if she doesn't eat. She’s an adult. A maid approaches carefully, “Sir?” I don't look away from the table, “Clear it.” “Yes sir.” She reaches for Sophie's plate before hesitating. “Should I prepare something else for Mrs Blackwood?” I finally look up, “If she’s hungry, she will talk.” The maid disappears. I pick up my coffee. Cold. Yet, somehow, I hadn't noticed. Just like

☠️Adrian☠️The first thing I notice when the gates open is the light. The second is Sophie. She’s standing at the top of the front step, waiting. For me.My fingers tighten slightly around the steering wheel. I don't know what bothers me. Maybe because after this morning, I expected her to avoid me. Maybe because I told her not to want me, and she looked at me like I’d ripped something out of her chest. I expected distance. That’s the best way. Instead, she’s standing there, waiting. I slow the SUV as I drive through the gates. Behind me, Damien’s black Mercedes follows. Ronan’s Bentley comes next. Then Lucian’s Aston Martin. Nikolai’s dark sedan brings up the rear. Five cars. Five men. Five different kinds of trouble. The security guards immediately straighten as we pass. The mansion finally comes into view, glowing beneath the evening light. And Sophie is still standing there. My eyes remain on her for one second too long. She’s not wearing the white satin nightdress. Thank

☠️Adrian☠️ The ballroom is loud enough to hide a secret. That is the first thing I notice. Music fills the room. Glasses clink. Laughter rises and falls between conversations. Cameras flash every few seconds while waiters move through the crowd with practiced smiles. Perfect. People talk more freely when they believe nobody is listening. I stand near the edge of the ballroom, one hand resting casually inside my trouser pocket while my eyes move across the room. Security first. Six men at the main entrance. Two near the private elevator. Another pair near the hallway leading toward the restricted offices. Interesting. I shift my attention. Felix Harrison is exactly where I expected him to be. Center of the room. Surrounded by investors, politicians, businessmen, and people who want something from him. He looks comfortable. Confident. Untouchable. A man who has spent decades convincing the world that everything he owns is legitimate. He raises his glass and laughs at somethin

☠️Adrian☠️ The moment Daniel Ashford takes Sophie’s hand, something inside me goes still. Not angry. Not yet. Just still. I watch as he leads her toward the dance floor, his hand settling carefully against her waist. My jaw tightens. I take a slow sip of my drink. It doesn’t matter. Sophie is my wife. But this marriage was never supposed to become anything more than an arrangement. I married her because I needed access to Felix Harrison. Nothing else. So why am I watching another man’s hand on her waist? “That’s interesting.” Damien’s voice comes from beside me. I don’t look at him. “What is?” “You tell me.” I take another drink. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Of course you don’t.” I finally glance at him. His mouth is twitching. “Careful.” He raises both hands. “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to.” He smiles and looks toward the dance floor. I follow his gaze despite myself. Sophie is laughing and actually laughing. Her hand rests on Daniel’s shou

☠️Adrian☠️ I keep walking. I don’t look back. I don’t trust myself to. The corridor is quiet compared to the ballroom, but I can still hear the faint music through the walls. Laughter. Glasses clinking. People talking as if nothing happened. As if I didn’t just lose control. I reach the end of the corridor and stop. My hand goes to the back of my neck. I take a slow breath. Then another. It doesn’t help. I can still feel her. Her hands gripping my jacket. Her lips against mine. The way she looked at me when I told her I hated another man touching her. And worse, the way she looked at me when she asked if I wanted her or simply wanted to own her. I close my eyes. Fuck. I shouldn’t have kissed her. That thought comes first. I don't understand why I keep losing control around her. I'm not like this. I'm always controlled. No woman has ever made me feel like this. Not even Vivian. So what the fuck is happening to me? My mind goes back to the kiss. I don’t regret it. My jaw tigh