THE HEIRESS THEY BURIED

PREPARATION

ADRIAN POV

For days, I had kept my distance from Dina. It had bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I sat behind my desk, staring at a report I had already read twice without taking in a single line.

My mind wasn’t on the figures; it was on Dina. I could still picture the way she looked at me whenever I gave her a short answer; she never complained or demanded an explanation. She simply accepted my distance and continued doing her work.

That was what made it worse; Dina noticed everything. She was intelligent, observant, and far more perceptive than most people gave her credit for.

I had seen it during the board meeting; she knew which documents I needed before I asked; she understood the numbers and knew when someone was trying to corner me.

That was why I had started trusting her judgment, and now I was deliberately shutting her out. I leaned back in my chair and exhaled.

It wasn’t easy, but I knew I had to do it. Every time I found myself wanting to speak to her, check on her, or simply let our conversations last a little longer, I reminded myself why I had started pulling away.

The closer she became to me, the harder it would be to keep her away from the things I was trying to protect her from.

I hated the thought of making her feel rejected when she had done nothing wrong, but protecting her meant making choices she might never understand.

For now, distance was the only shield I could give her. The sooner I created that distance between Dina and whatever was coming, the better.

I didn’t need her asking questions about Vanessa; I didn’t need her becoming curious about the past. Most importantly, I didn’t need Vanessa discovering how much I had begun to trust the woman sitting outside my office.

Tomorrow, Vanessa will be back. I had spent the last two days preparing for it. If her suspicion about Dina is confirmed, then letting her move freely around the company would be careless.

I picked up my phone and called Ethan; he answered immediately.

“Everything ready for Vanessa tomorrow?” I asked, keeping my voice low as I glanced towards the office door.

“Yes, her office and computer are set up with access limited to her department,” Ethan replied calmly.

“Daniel Grant’s files?” I asked, my voice turning sharper.

“Restricted,” Ethan replied without hesitation.

“Dina? "I asked, my finger tightening around the phone.

“Protected,” Ethan assured me.

“Keep it that way and keep an eye on Vanessa at all times,” I ordered firmly.

“Understood,” Ethan replied.

I ended the call; the office suddenly felt too quiet. I placed the phone on my desk and stared at it. It was safer to watch a dangerous person when you knew where she was. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

My eyes turned to Dina; she was still working. I wondered what she thought of me now, cold, distant, and unapproachable.

Perhaps she believed I regretted trusting her, or she thought she had done something wrong. The thought tightened something in my chest; none of this was her fault. Around noon, a soft knock echoed at the door.

“Come in,” I called, my attention shifting towards the entrance.

Dina stepped inside, holding a file against her chest. “Sir, I need your signature on these documents,” she said, her voice professional as she approached my desk.

She walked toward my desk and placed the file in front of me. I opened it, but my attention remained on her for a moment; there was something different in her face. She looked composed, but her eyes carried questions she wasn’t asking.

“Is everything alright?” I asked studying her expression.

Her eyes lifted to mine. “Yes, sir,” she said quickly.

Her answer was too quick. I studied her face for another moment, noticing the way she avoided my eyes as if she were afraid I might read the questions she was keeping to herself.

I lowered my gaze to the documents and began signing them, though my attention kept drifting back to her. When I finished, I closed the file and held it out to her. She stepped forward and took it from me, her expression still carefully composed.

“Thank you. She said, turning toward the door.

I watched her leave, she was hiding something; I could see the unanswered questions in her eyes, and somehow, I knew those questions would eventually lead her somewhere I didn’t want her to go.

For a moment, I considered calling her back and asking what was wrong, but I stopped myself. Whatever she was searching for, keeping my distance was still the safest choice; I couldn’t afford to let her get closer to the truth.

I turned away from her direction; there were things I could control, Vanessa’s access, her movements, and the information she could reach.

But I couldn’t control what she suspected, and I couldn’t control what she might eventually discover; that was the part that concerned me.

For a brief moment, another thought crossed my mind. Dina had been asking questions lately, small ones that seemed harmless on their own but could become dangerous when connected.

If she were searching for answers about her father, she might eventually find something I wasn’t ready for her to see. My phone rang. I looked at the screen; Vanessa's name popped up.

“Vanessa,” I answered, my voice immediately guarded.

“Adrian,” her voice carried that familiar confidence. “I was beginning to wonder if you were avoiding me,” she added, a teasing edge slipping into her words.

I ignored the satisfaction in her tone. “Resume tomorrow.”

For a few seconds she said nothing, then I heard her chuckle. “I knew you’d change your mind,” she said softly, sounding pleased with herself.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, and I expect you to follow the rules,” I warned, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Her tone changed slightly. “Of course, I am looking forward to it,” she replied.

I ended the call before she could say anything else. For a moment, I simply stared at the phone; she believed she had won, and I chuckled. I stood and walked toward the window; the city stretched beneath me, bright lights cutting through the darkness.

My gaze moved toward Dina’s desk; she had just closed her laptop. For a brief moment, she looked toward my office; our eyes met through the glass.

She quickly looked away; something tightened inside me. I had no idea how long I could keep pretending that the distance between us didn’t affect me, but tomorrow wasn’t about what I wanted; it was about what I needed to protect.

If Vanessa had forced her way back into my company, I would make sure she regretted underestimating me.

I looked at the clock; tomorrow was no longer just another day at AJ Global; it was the day two unfinished stories would begin moving toward each other again. And neither Dina nor Vanessa was ready for what would come next.