Torn Between Two

Chapter4:The Devil Wears a Suit

Mia stepped into Adrian’s penthouse, her heartbeat unsteady as she replayed Liam’s words in her head.

"Watch him, Mia. Pay attention. You’ll see it."

The penthouse was eerily quiet. Normally, Adrian would be waiting for her with a glass of wine, watching her like she was something he owned. But tonight, the atmosphere felt different—charged, heavy.

She found him in the living room, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, a glass of whiskey in his hand. His dark silhouette against the city skyline was almost hypnotic, exuding power and control.

“You’re late,” Adrian murmured without turning around.

Mia swallowed hard. “I was out.”

Adrian finally turned, his steel-gray eyes locking onto hers. A slow, almost knowing smile curved his lips. “With him?”

Her stomach clenched. “Who?”

Adrian let out a quiet chuckle, setting his glass down on the bar counter. “Don’t play games with me, Mia.” He took a slow step toward her, his presence overwhelming. “You met Liam tonight, didn’t you?”

Mia’s pulse spiked. How did he know? Had he been watching her?

She straightened her shoulders, refusing to let him see her fear. “Yes. I did.”

His smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something dark in his gaze. “And? Did he feed you his sob story?”

Mia’s breath hitched. “So you admit it.”

Adrian tilted his head. “Admit what, sweetheart?”

“That you sent him away,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “That you paid for his scholarship. That you manipulated my past just to have me.”

For the briefest second, something flickered in Adrian’s expression—something sharp, calculating. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by amusement.

“You think I manipulated your past?” he mused, stepping closer until she could feel his warmth, his dominance. “That I chose you, orchestrated everything just to have you?” He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her skin. “That’s quite a romantic notion, Mia.”

She smacked his hand away. “Answer me.”

Adrian sighed, as if indulging her. “Yes, I arranged the scholarship.”

Mia’s stomach dropped.

His voice was calm, smooth—devoid of guilt. “Liam was a boy with no future, and I gave him one.” He leaned in, his breath brushing against her skin. “And I gave you one too.”

Mia recoiled. “You had no right.”

Adrian’s jaw tensed, but he smiled. “You were suffering, Mia. He left you broken, and I fixed you. I gave you a life worth living.” His voice dipped lower, almost seductive. “Tell me, do you regret it?”

Her breath caught.

Did she?

She had loved Liam once, with everything in her. But Adrian had been the one to pick up the pieces. The one who held her when she cried, who built her into the woman she was now.

Had it all been a lie?

She lifted her chin, her voice sharp. “You forced me into this life. You took my choice away.”

Adrian’s expression darkened. “I protected you from a man who was too weak to fight for you.” He grabbed her wrist—not hard, not painful, but enough to remind her who he was. “And now he comes crawling back, filling your head with doubts.”

Her chest tightened.

He was twisting it. Manipulating the narrative. But wasn’t that what Liam had warned her about?

Mia yanked her wrist free, taking a step back. “I’m done being controlled.”

Adrian’s gaze turned to steel. “Is that so?”

She met his eyes, her voice steady. “Yes.”

Silence. A thick, suffocating pause.

Then Adrian smiled. Not the soft, charming smile he used in public. This one was sharper. Dangerous.

“Alright then,” he murmured, picking up his whiskey again. “Let’s see how well you survive without me.”

Mia’s stomach turned.

It wasn’t a threat.

It was a promise.