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1394 Words
“Your heartbreak… or me.”
The words hung heavily in the air between them.
Elena stared at Adrian’s outstretched hand, her heartbeat pounding so loudly she could barely think straight.
This was insane.
Completely insane.
Yet part of her couldn’t ignore the dangerous temptation behind his offer.
Not because she trusted him.
But because for the first time tonight, she didn’t feel weak standing beside him.
Adrian remained perfectly calm while waiting for her answer.
As if he already knew she was considering it.
That irritated her instantly.
“You really think people can just replace emotions with power?” Elena asked quietly.
Adrian slowly lowered his hand.
“No,” he answered calmly. “I think pain changes people.”
The honesty in his voice caught her off guard again.
Elena looked away first.
She hated how easily he unsettled her.
Hours ago, she had been planning a future with Daniel.
Now she stood inside another man’s penthouse wondering whether revenge was worth destroying what remained of her old life.
“You make everything sound simple,” she whispered.
“It is simple.”
Elena let out a short bitter laugh. “Right. Fake marriage. Public scandal. Emotional breakdown. Very simple.”
Something almost resembling amusement appeared briefly in Adrian’s eyes.
“You’re still capable of sarcasm,” he murmured. “That’s a good sign.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
“Did you just joke?”
“Maybe.”
The small shift in his expression made him look unexpectedly younger for a moment.
Less cold.
More human.
And somehow that felt even more dangerous.
Elena quickly looked away before he noticed her staring again.
Too late.
Adrian noticed everything.
“You should sleep,” he said quietly after a moment.
His calmer tone almost disappointed her.
What was wrong with her tonight?
The emotional exhaustion must have been affecting her judgment.
Without another word, Elena turned toward the guest room.
But the moment she closed the door behind her, the silence finally shattered her completely.
A shaky breath escaped her lips.
Then another.
And suddenly tears burned down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Humiliation crashed over her all at once.
Daniel cheating on her.
The cameras.
The whispers.
The pity in people’s eyes.
Elena covered her mouth quickly, trying to silence the broken sound threatening to escape her throat.
But it was impossible.
Her chest ached violently.
How had her perfect life collapsed in a single night?
A soft knock sounded against the door.
“Elena.”
Adrian’s voice.
She quickly wiped her tears away. “I’m fine.”
Silence followed.
Then—
“You’re crying.”
Of course he knew.
Annoyance mixed painfully with embarrassment.
“I said I’m fine.”
The door opened slowly anyway.
Elena looked up instantly.
“Didn’t anyone teach you boundaries?”
Adrian leaned casually against the doorway, his expression unreadable.
“Didn’t anyone teach Daniel loyalty?”
The brutal response silenced her immediately.
Adrian’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at her tear-stained face.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then he quietly walked toward her.
Close enough for Elena to feel his warmth surrounding her.
Her heartbeat instantly became uneven again.
Dangerous.
Everything about this man felt dangerous.
“You don’t have to pretend in front of me,” Adrian said quietly.
Something about those words nearly broke her again.
Because everyone else tonight had watched her humiliation like entertainment.
But Adrian…
He looked angry for her.
Not at her.
“I hate that they saw me like that,” she whispered shakily.
Adrian’s jaw tightened visibly.
“They won’t remember your humiliation,” he said coldly.
His eyes darkened.
“They’ll remember who walked out with you.”
The possessiveness in his voice sent warmth spreading unexpectedly through her chest.
Elena looked down quickly.
This was exactly why she needed distance from him.
He was too intense.
Too observant.
Too capable of making her feel things she absolutely should not feel tonight.
“You really enjoy control, don’t you?” she asked softly.
Adrian studied her face carefully before answering.
“Control is the only reason people survive in our world.”
The answer felt far more personal than it should have.
Before Elena could ask what he meant, her phone suddenly vibrated again on the bed beside her.
This time it wasn’t Daniel.
It was her mother.
Elena froze instantly.
Adrian noticed the panic on her face immediately.
“You don’t have to answer.”
But she already knew avoiding the call would only make things worse.
Slowly, she accepted it.
“Elena.”
Her mother’s sharp voice filled the room immediately.
“What exactly is happening?”
Elena closed her eyes briefly.
“I can explain—”
“You left your engagement party with Adrian Knight.”
Not a question.
An accusation.
“It’s complicated.”
“No,” her mother snapped coldly. “It’s humiliating.”
Pain twisted through Elena’s chest again.
Of course.
Even now, reputation mattered more than her feelings.
“Daniel cheated on me,” Elena whispered.
Silence filled the line briefly.
Then—
“We’ll handle it privately.”
Elena stared ahead in disbelief.
Privately?
As if tonight hadn’t already exploded across the entire internet.
“As long as no official statement is released,” her mother continued quickly, “this situation can still be repaired.”
Elena felt sick.
“Repaired?”
“Don’t be emotional right now,” her mother warned sharply. “Women forgive these things all the time.”
Shock froze Elena completely.
Adrian’s expression darkened dangerously from across the room. He could clearly hear every word.
“Mom…”
“You need to come home immediately.”
Elena swallowed painfully.
“I’m not going back to Daniel.”
“You will if you’re smart.”
The sentence shattered something inside her instantly.
No concern.
No comfort.
Only strategy.
Just like always.
“Elena,” her mother continued carefully, “the Carter family cannot afford another scandal involving the Knights.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened visibly.
And suddenly Elena understood.
This was never about her heartbreak.
It was about power.
Business.
Image.
The same cold world Adrian had spoken about earlier.
For the first time that night—
She truly felt alone.
“No,” Elena whispered suddenly.
Silence filled the line.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
Her voice trembled slightly, but she forced herself to continue.
“I’m done letting everyone decide what’s best for me.”
“Elena—”
“No.”
Tears burned her eyes again.
“I loved him. And he humiliated me in front of the entire city.”
Her breathing became uneven.
“I won’t go back.”
Another long silence followed.
Then her mother spoke again, colder this time.
“If you stay with Adrian Knight, don’t expect this family to support you.”
The call ended immediately afterward.
Elena slowly lowered the phone.
The silence inside the guest room felt suffocating.
Adrian watched her carefully from across the room.
“You heard all of that?” she whispered weakly.
“Yes.”
Humiliation burned through her chest again.
But this time—
Adrian stepped closer instead of looking away.
“They don’t deserve you.”
The simple sentence hit harder than she expected.
Elena laughed shakily. “You barely know me.”
Adrian’s gaze locked onto hers.
“I know enough.”
The intensity in his voice made her pulse jump again.
Before she could respond, his phone suddenly vibrated inside his pocket.
Adrian pulled it out casually.
Then his expression darkened instantly.
“What happened?” Elena asked quietly.
Instead of answering immediately, Adrian turned the screen toward her.
A new article had just been published online.
PHOTOS: Elena Carter Spends The Night At Adrian Knight’s Penthouse.
Below the headline were blurry pictures of them entering the building together.
Comments flooded beneath the article rapidly.
“They’re definitely together.”
“Daniel Whitmore lost badly.”
“Adrian Knight looks obsessed with her.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
“This is getting out of control.”
Adrian locked the phone slowly before looking at her again.
The storm outside reflected dangerously in his grey eyes.
“They wanted a scandal,” he said quietly.
A slow smile appeared on his lips.
“So let’s give them one.”
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