Bound By Contract, Claimed By Fate

Beneath The Mask

Adrian

"He spoke of love but every word was a weapon."

As I pushed the door open, I froze. Katherine stood there, wide-eyed, as if she had just seen a ghost. The moment our eyes met, she tried to turn and walk away, but I caught her wrist and pulled her back gently but firmly.

“Do you have a problem?” I asked, leaning closer, studying her face.

Her lips parted nervously. “No. I was just… passing by.”

I tilted my head, narrowing my gaze. “Then why do you look like you’ve seen something you shouldn’t? Or were you eavesdropping?”

Her eyes widened. “No—I’d never. Like I said, I was just passing through. I really should get going.” She pulled free and hurried away, her heels clicking against the floor.

A smirk tugged at my lips. Humans. She thought she could fool me? I had already caught her scent lingering outside the door while Dominic and I spoke. She heard enough to make her curious, but not enough to give her answers. That would keep her restless—guessing, doubting, turning things over in her mind.

My phone buzzed. A missed call from Bianca lit up the screen. Of course. That woman never rests. Annoying as she is, I still need her. After all, we share the same agenda—breaking people apart, piece by piece.

I headed straight to the hotel I’d booked. Bianca was already waiting, lounging on the couch with her usual air of impatience.

“What took you so long?” she asked the second I opened the door.

“I had business to handle,” I replied, slipping off my coat and pulling her against me. My hand slid to her waist, my lips hovering dangerously close to hers—only for her to place a hand on my chest and stop me.

“This isn’t why we’re here, remember?” she said coolly.

I smirked. “Oh, come on. Can’t a man have a little fun?” I dropped onto the edge of the bed, expecting her to follow.

But Bianca turned away, reaching for the cigar on the table. She lit it with a sharp flick, dragging out the smoke before exhaling slowly. “You’re too soft on her, Adrian. What happened to the plan we discussed?”

“You mean Katherine?”

“Yes.” Her gaze cut back to me, sharp as a blade.

I leaned back, unbothered. “That’s because I’m playing the long game. I’ll give her the comfort she’s never known… slowly break down every wall she’s built. When she trusts me, that’s when she’ll crumble.”

Bianca’s lips curved into a humourless smile. “That will take too long. Honestly, I’m starting to think you’re—”

Before she could finish, I grabbed her arm and yanked her close, my grip firm. My blood boiled, but I forced my voice low and dangerous. “Don’t you dare question me. Don’t tell me how to do what I do best. You’re lucky I tolerate you.”

I shoved her back onto the bed, releasing her before I lost control completely.

Bianca scoffed, rolling her eyes at me. “You still want Katherine? Please… she’s pathetic. She isn’t worth your obsession.”

“If you’re not going to let me enjoy myself, then I’m leaving. Don’t waste my time again.”

I snatched up my coat, slamming the door behind me as I stormed out, fury still burning in my chest.

Bianca and I shared the same agenda—bringing down Katherine and Dominic. My sights were set on Dominic, making sure he suffered. I wanted to see him weak, to strip away everything he held dear until there was nothing left.

But then Katherine entered the picture. I still don’t understand why Bianca despises her so much, but I recognise the kind of pain that fuels it.

The pain of growing up in the shadow of a sibling—the star child—while you were treated like nothing. That bitterness never fades.

As for me? I thrive on it. I feed off breaking people apart, tearing at their wounds until they bleed. Watching them fall is my kind of satisfaction.

The drive home was quiet, but my mind wasn’t. Every mile I covered, every turn I made, Katherine’s face haunted me. I had to admit, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The way her eyes still flickered with hurt whenever they landed on me. The way her lips tightened like she was holding back words she’d never say. She thought she was over me. She wasn’t.

When I pulled into the driveway, I spotted her in the garden. The garden was steeped in moonlight, the night air thick with the perfume of roses. Katherine stood among them, her hair catching silver in the breeze, fragile yet untouchable, like a vision I couldn’t shake.

I straightened my jacket and walked toward her.

“Katherine,” I said smoothly, my voice carrying that same warmth she used to melt for.

Her head snapped up. She stiffened immediately, the softness gone in a flash. “Adrian. What do you want?”

I smiled faintly, lowering myself onto the bench beside her. “Just some air. And maybe your company. Do you remember how we used to sit like this? Before everything went… wrong?”

She turned her face away, but not before I caught the flicker of emotion. A crack in her armour. That’s all I needed.

“You shouldn’t bring up the past,” she murmured, her voice sharp but trembling at the edges.

“And why not?” I leaned in slightly, close enough for her to feel the heat of me. “We had something once, Katherine. Something real. I made mistakes—god, I’ll admit that. But don’t tell me you never think about it. About us.”

Her fingers clenched around the glass. “You cheated on me with Bianca. There is no ‘us,’ Adrian. There never was. You don’t get to rewrite history.”

I sighed, feigning regret. “You think I don’t regret it every damn day? You think I don’t see you and wonder what my life would’ve been if I hadn’t screwed it up?” My hand brushed against hers, deliberate and slow. “You were the only one who ever truly saw me.”

Her breath hitched. I leaned in closer, eyes locking onto hers, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Tell me you don’t feel it. Right now. Tell me you don’t want to remember what it was like when it was just us.”

Her lips parted, a war raging behind her eyes. She wanted to push me away, but her body betrayed her—frozen, caught in the pull of memory. I tilted my head, closing the space, my mouth just a breath from hers.

Her pulse was racing—I could hear it. Feel it.

And then—

“Adrian.”

The voice cut like a blade through the air. Cold. Lethal.

We both turned.

Dominic stood at the edge of the garden, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes blazing with a fury I hadn’t seen in years.