What Andrian knew

"He isn't running away," I said, my voice barely a whisper in the quiet room. "He's going to be standing right there in the gallery when the cover comes off."Adrian stared at the message, his jaw tight and his eyes dark. "Let him come."I lowered my phone, my thumb pressing hard against the screen. "He thinks he still controls everything, Adrian. He thinks I'm going to walk into Geneva blind, holding a damaged painting while he tells the story.""He controls nothing anymore," Adrian said, taking two fast steps toward the open filing cabinet. He reached down and grabbed the heavy black binders from the second drawer, holding them against his chest. "We are packing all of this evidence into my bag right now.""Put those down for a second," I said, stepping directly in front of him. My hand slammed onto the top binder, stopping him cold. "You still haven't answered my question, Adrian. When you walked into my art show last year, how much did you know?"Adrian stopped. He didn't pul

Zuletzt aktualisiert : 2026-09-12

Exhibition

"He isn't waiting for the exhibition hall," I said, my voice ice-cold as the engine started. "He's having his legal team seize the painting the second the plane hits the runway in Switzerland."Adrian pulled out, gravel spraying behind us as the car moved toward the airfield. "He tried. My legal team blocked his emergency order before our jet even cleared the mountains. Swiss authorities refused to touch the crate without a real hearing."Eight hours later, the grand hall of the Palais des Nations in Geneva shone under massive crystal lights. Cameras flashed continuously against the ceiling, catching the glint of glasses and expensive dresses. A large crowd of curators, art critics, and buyers gathered around the center of the room.There, resting under a soft spotlight on a black stand, sat The Silk Ribbon."The frame is holding perfectly," Adrian whispered, stepping up beside me in his black tuxedo. His hand lightly touched my back as his eyes scanned the room. "No one can tell

Zuletzt aktualisiert : 2026-09-12

No more hiding

"Print it," I said. "Print every lie and every stolen notebook you bought fifteen years ago. My father's memory isn't something you get to use against me anymore."Charles's smile faded. His eyes narrowed to slits."You think you can survive that kind of ruin, girl?""I don't need to survive your version of my story." I turned my back on him. Adrian moved up beside me. "Twenty minutes ago, my team handed the full file on you to the Swiss police downstairs.""You did what?" Charles's face drained of color. His hands balled into fists in his pockets."The investigation's already started." Adrian stepped into Vance's path. "Police are locking down your foundation's computer room in Zurich right now. If I were you, I'd spend tonight calling defense lawyers instead of threatening my artist."I turned and walked away. My heels cracked against the polished floor. My heart hammered but for the first time in ten years, I wasn't running.Ten minutes later, the Director's office doors slammed sh

Zuletzt aktualisiert : 2026-09-13

The next canvas

The black cover dropped over The Silk Ribbon. Two guards smothered it between their hands. Cameras kept flashing thirty of them, maybe more.By midnight, the covered canvas was on the front page of every art journal in Europe.Three days later, cold sun poured through the studio windows on 4th Street.The space felt different now. The rusted file folders from Unit 412 were gone, handed over to federal prosecutors along with the Laurent Holdings ledgers. Fresh turpentine and linseed oil hung in the air instead of ten years of dust.A knock. Soft. Steady.I set down my palette knife and wiped my thumbs on my apron. I expected a courier. Or another reporter.Julian stood in the hallway instead.Charcoal wool coat. Unbuttoned shirt. The gray hollowness that used to live in his face was gone. His skin had color again. His shoulders were straight."Julian." My hand tightened on the door frame."Hello, Tamara." His smile reached his eyes this time. No desperation hiding behind it. "I should'

Zuletzt aktualisiert : 2026-09-13

Alle Kapitel von Addicted to My Stepbrother : Kapitel 91 – Kapitel 94

What Andrian knew

Exhibition

No more hiding

The next canvas