Chapter 6 - ADRIAN’S VERSION OF LOVE
Adrian requested a meeting.
Through attorneys.
Neutral location.
Rachel objected.
Lucian objected more creatively.
I agreed.
Because I needed to hear him without flowers, cameras or Camille.
The meeting took place inside a law office conference room.
Adrian arrived alone.
He looked terrible.
Good.
“Elena.”
“Adrian.”
His eyes moved toward Rachel.
Then the security camera.
“You’ve changed.”
“No.”
I sat.
“I stopped believing you.”
That landed.
He opened with:
“My mother went too far.”
I almost laughed.
“Excellent beginning.”
“I didn’t know everything.”
“You knew the wedding script.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the criminal complaint.”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
“You knew your family had taken my clients.”
“I knew some.”
“My apartment?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
I stared.
“How?”
“A Vale subsidiary bought the building.”
My skin crawled.
The rent increase.
The lease transfer.
All deliberate.
“Why?”
“To keep you close.”
He said it as though that helped.
“You isolated me.”
“I was trying to control risk.”
“I was the risk.”
“Yes.”
There it was.
Truth.
Finally.
“Did you ever love me?”
Adrian looked away.
“Yes.”
My eyes burned.
“Then why?”
He whispered:
“Because loving you and protecting my family became the same problem.”
“No.”
He looked up.
“You chose your family’s crimes over me.”
His face hardened.
“You don’t understand what would happen if Vale collapsed.”
“People lose money.”
“Thousands lose jobs.”
“Then you should have fixed the fraud.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“It never is when someone benefits.”
Silence.
Then Adrian said:
“Lucian is using you.”
“Probably at first.”
“At first?”
I did not answer.
His face changed.
“You’re sleeping with him?”
“No.”
“Yet.”
There was jealousy.
After leaving me at the altar.
Remarkable.
“You don’t get that emotion anymore.”
He stood.
“I made a mistake.”
I stared.
“The wedding?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“The wedding was the most honest thing you did.”
He looked confused.
“You finally showed me who you chose.”
I stood.
“We’re done.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
He grabbed my wrist.
Not hard.
Reflex.
The door opened instantly.
Lucian stood there.
Of course.
Adrian released me.
Lucian’s eyes moved to his hand.
Then mine.
“Problem?”
“No,” I said.
Lucian looked at me.
Not Adrian.
“Sure?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“She controls you now?”
Lucian smiled.
“No.”
Then:
“That’s the point.”
Adrian had no answer.
Neither did I.
Outside, I confronted Lucian.
“You were listening.”
“Security.”
“You were listening.”
“Yes.”
I stared.
“Boundary.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
He exhaled.
“I heard his chair move.”
“So?”
“I panicked.”
Lucian Moretti admitted panic.
That mattered.
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
He looked relieved.
Then I kissed him.
This time, I was not crying.
Not scared.
Not hiding.
Lucian froze.
Then kissed me back.
Slowly.
When we separated, he whispered:
“Better timing.”
“Don’t ruin it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I smiled.
For exactly six hours, life felt almost simple.
Then Vanessa disappeared.
Her phone turned off.
Her apartment was empty.
And one message appeared on mine.
From Adrian.
We need to talk before Mom decides for all of us.
Below it:
A photograph of Vanessa sitting in a chair inside Vale Foundation’s old warehouse office.
Alive.
Terrified.
May you like
Camille had stopped pretending.
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