BETROTHED TO A LIE

CHAPTER FOUR:WHERE WANTS BEGINS

Adrian didn’t say where he was taking Finn to. That alone should have made Finn hesitate but instead he followed quietly, Enjoying the moment.

The city blurred past them as Adrian led him through narrow streets and unfamiliar turns, the noise of the party fading behind them like something unreal. The night air was colder here, quieter, the kind of quiet that made Finn suddenly aware of how close Adrian was walking beside him.

“Do you always do this?” Finn asked, Half smiling.

“Do What?”

“Disappear.”

Adrian glanced at him. “Only when I don’t want the moment ruined.”

They stopped in front of a private cinema. Small, hidden, discreet. No crowd. No questions.

Finn hesitated at the door.

“I can take you back,” Adrian said softly. If you want.”

Finn thought of his father.

Of what is expected of him as the heir.

Of Zillah, His Wedding happening in a few weeks, and his already planned life.

He brushed off the thoughts and stepped inside with Adrian.

PART B—THE FIRST LINE CROSSED

The room was dark, warm , intimate. Only the glow of the screen lit their faces.

They sat far apart at first.

Too first

The movie played, but Finn couldn’t tell you what it was about. His senses were too busy cataloguing everything else, the brush of Adrian’s knee when he shifted, the quiet breath beside him, the way silence felt heavier than words.

When Adrian’s hand rested between them, it didn’t touch Finn.

Not yet.

Finn’s heart pounded like he’d done something forbidden already.

“You okay?” Adrian whispered.

Finn nodded.

Minutes passed. Or seconds. He wasn’t sure.

Then Adrian’s fingers brushed his.

Just once.

Finn didn’t pull away.

That was all it took.

The kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t wild. It was hesitant, exploratory, like both of them were asking the same silent question.

Is this allowed? “ Adrian asked,” staring into Finn’s eyes waiting for an answer.

Finn answered without answered without words when he leaned in again.

What followed wasn’t something Finn had language for yet only sensation, closeness, the shocking realization that this felt right in a way nothing ever had. The world narrowed to warmth, breath, and the quiet certainty that something inside him had shifted permanently.

When the screen went dark, neither of them noticed.

PART C—AFTER

They didn’t rush away.

Adrian traced absent patterns on Finn’s arm like he was memorizing him.

But they both knew that wasn’t entirely true.

They talked after about nothing and everything. Adrian spoke of freedom, of choosing joy over approval. Finn listened like someone hearing a language he’d always known but never spoken aloud.

When Finn’s phone buzzed, reality crashed back in.

Arthur.

Missed calls.

His chest tightened.

“I have to go,” Finn said reluctantly.

Adrian nodded. “I know.”

They stood there for a moment, neither wanting to be the first to leave.

“This doesn’t have to mean anything,” Finn said, unsure why he needed to say it.

Adrian smiled gently. “It already does.”

PART D— CONSEQUENCES

The mansion lights were still on when Finn arrived home.

That alone told him everything.

Arthur was waiting in the sitting room, seated calmly, hands folded, expression unreadable. That was worse than anger. Calm meant disappointment.

“Sit,” his father said.

Finn obeyed.

“You’re not a child anymore,” Arthur began, voice even. “But you carry a name. A responsibility. You cannot disappear into the night without explanation.”

The next morning, Lily woke him before the sun had fully risen.

She didn’t knock. She never did.

“You’re glowing,” she said immediately, eyes sharp and amused.

Finn groaned, pulling the pillow over his face. “Go away.”

“Nope,” she said cheerfully, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Tell me everything.”

He hesitated.

Then he did.

Not all of it. But enough.

Lily listened quietly, a rare seriousness in her expression. When he finished, she smiled—not teasing, not mocking. Proud.

“I’m happy for you,” she said simply.

That frightened him more than anything.

Breakfast was tense.

Arthur barely looked at him. Hugo watched closely, saying nothing. And then Zillah arrived, perfectly dressed, perfectly timed.

She complained about his absence. About wedding plans. About time slipping away.

Finn deflected.

Arthur intervened.

“Go with her,” he said. “Show commitment.”

Finn agreed, reluctantly.

Later that morning, Lily slipped out to the café.

To meet with Adrian.

Adrian liked Lily immediately.

They both shared a bond , She was sharp, unapologetic, and observant.

Lily watch Adrian talk about her brother with so much passion, love and honesty.And when she told Adrian she supported them, something in his chest eased.

Meanwhile, Finn was unraveling.

He thought of Adrian during meetings. During fittings. During conversations about a future that no longer fit.

Arthur noticed.

“You’re slipping,” his father warned again.

Finn promised to do better.

But he didn’t want to.

Because somewhere between stolen moments and quiet nights, Finn Arthur was learning the truth

Some lives were built on duty and some were built on desire.

And sooner or later, he would have to choose.