Chapter 3: The Mysterious Stranger
1157 Words
Amber's heart skipped a beat.
The man's dark eyes remained fixed on hers as if he could see straight through her soul.
"You're in danger."
The words echoed through the silent living room.
The maid quietly excused herself, leaving Amber alone with the stranger.
Amber forced herself to remain calm.
In her previous life, she had never seen this man before.
Everything about this moment was different.
And different could either save her...
Or destroy her.
"Who are you?" she asked cautiously.
The man studied her for a moment before answering.
"My name is Adrian Knight."
Amber frowned.
The name sounded familiar.
Very familiar.
Then she remembered.
Adrian Knight.
The youngest billionaire in the country.
The mysterious CEO whose business empire had expanded across several industries in only a few years.
People often called him the Ice King because he rarely smiled and never allowed anyone close to him.
But why was a man like him standing in her house?
And how did he know she was in danger?
Adrian walked toward her.
Every step was calm and confident.
Amber instinctively took a step back.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Relax. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have come through the front door."
Amber crossed her arms.
"Then explain why you're here."
For a moment, Adrian remained silent.
Then he pulled out a black folder.
"I believe this belongs to you."
Amber accepted it carefully.
The moment she opened it, her eyes widened.
Inside were copies of financial documents.
Secret documents.
Documents involving her company.
Documents she had never seen before.
"What is this?"
Adrian's expression darkened.
"Proof."
"Proof of what?"
His gaze hardened.
"Proof that someone close to you is stealing from you."
Amber's stomach tightened.
She already knew who.
Ethan.
But she couldn't reveal that.
Not yet.
She slowly flipped through the pages.
The more she read, the colder she became.
Several company accounts had been accessed.
Large amounts of money had been moved.
Small enough to avoid suspicion.
But over time...
The losses would become enormous.
Exactly how Ethan had stolen her fortune in her previous life.
Amber clenched the papers tightly.
"So you're saying someone is stealing from my company?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"I'm still investigating."
Amber almost laughed.
If only he knew.
The answer was sleeping in her bed every night.
At least for now.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked.
A strange look crossed Adrian's face.
Something she couldn't identify.
"Let's just say your father once helped me when nobody else would."
Amber froze.
Her father.
The late Richard Sterling.
One of the most respected businessmen in the country.
He had passed away years ago.
Before Amber's wedding.
Before her downfall.
Before everything.
For the first time, Adrian's voice softened.
"He was a good man."
Amber looked away.
A painful ache settled inside her chest.
She missed her father.
If he had still been alive, none of this would have happened.
He would have seen through Ethan immediately.
Unfortunately, she had inherited her mother's trusting nature instead.
A weakness that had cost her everything.
Adrian cleared his throat.
"There's another reason I came."
Amber looked back at him.
"What reason?"
His jaw tightened.
"I believe someone is planning something much bigger than simple theft."
Amber's pulse quickened.
"What do you mean?"
"The money isn't their final goal."
Amber felt a chill.
Because she already knew what the final goal was.
Her inheritance.
Her company.
Her death.
But Adrian couldn't possibly know that.
Could he?
Before she could ask another question, the front door suddenly opened.
A familiar voice echoed through the house.
"Amber, sweetheart, I'm home!"
Ethan.
Amber's entire body stiffened.
She turned toward the entrance.
A few seconds later, Ethan walked into the living room carrying a bouquet of roses.
Just like he had done countless times before.
The perfect husband.
The loving husband.
The lying husband.
For a brief moment, Amber saw another version of him.
The man standing outside her prison cell.
The man watching her die.
The man who never loved her.
Rage surged through her veins.
But she forced herself to smile.
Ethan's gaze immediately landed on Adrian.
His smile disappeared.
"Who is this?"
Amber noticed the tension instantly.
Interesting.
The two men clearly recognized each other.
Adrian's expression became unreadable.
"Ethan Carter."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"Adrian Knight."
Amber looked between them.
Something wasn't right.
These two men had history.
And it wasn't friendly.
Ethan wrapped an arm around Amber's waist possessively.
The touch made her skin crawl.
Adrian noticed.
A dangerous flicker appeared in his eyes.
Gone almost immediately.
If Amber hadn't been watching carefully, she would have missed it.
"What brings you here?" Ethan asked coldly.
Adrian adjusted his cufflinks.
"Business."
Ethan smiled.
But it didn't reach his eyes.
"I see."
The atmosphere grew tense.
Neither man looked away.
It felt less like a conversation...
And more like a battle.
Finally, Adrian handed Amber a business card.
"If you ever need help, call me."
Amber accepted it.
Their fingers brushed briefly.
For some reason, Adrian's gaze softened.
Just for a second.
Then he turned and walked away.
The front door closed behind him.
Silence filled the room.
The moment Adrian disappeared, Ethan's friendly expression vanished completely.
"Why was he here?"
Amber blinked.
The anger in his voice surprised her.
"He said he had business with me."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"What kind of business?"
Amber shrugged.
"Company matters."
Ethan's eyes darkened.
Too dark.
Almost panicked.
And that was when Amber realized something.
Ethan was afraid.
Afraid of Adrian Knight.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
A few minutes later, Ethan excused himself and went upstairs.
Amber waited.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Then she quietly followed him.
As she approached his office, she heard his voice through the partially opened door.
He was on the phone.
And he sounded furious.
"I told you to be careful!"
Amber froze.
Bliss.
He was talking to Bliss.
Ethan lowered his voice.
But Amber could still hear him.
"Adrian Knight showed up."
A pause.
Then Ethan cursed.
"No, I don't know how much he knows."
Another pause.
Amber's pulse pounded in her ears.
Then Ethan spoke the words that made her blood run cold.
"We need to move faster."
Silence.
Then—
"No, Amber doesn't suspect anything."
Amber nearly laughed.
If only he knew.
Ethan continued.
"Just stick to the plan."
Another pause.
Then his voice became chillingly cold.
"Once everything is transferred into our names, we'll get rid of her."
Amber stopped breathing.
The plan.
The same plan.
The plan that would eventually send her to prison.
The plan that would end with her death.
Except this time...
She had heard it with her own ears.
And this time...
Amber wasn't the helpless woman they remembered.
A slow smile spread across her face.
For the first time since her rebirth, she finally had proof.
And the game had officially begun.
to be continued
- Writer
