MARRIED TO THE WRONG TWIN

Chapter 10 – Adrian

The walls of the Kane penthouse had a way of swallowing sound, but when anger sharpened a voice, it carried farther than it should.

Elara didn’t care. She wanted to be heard.

“You were never meant for him,” she hissed, her words slicing the air between us. “You’ve always been the shadow, Elena. He was mine. He will always be mine.”

My pulse thudded in my ears. I forced myself to whisper, desperate to quiet her. “Keep your voice down—”

But it was too late.

A faint creak on the stairs made my blood run cold. I glanced over Elara’s shoulder and froze.

Adrian.

He stood half in shadow at the landing, his hand resting on the railing, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes flicked between us, sharp, calculating.

How much had he heard?

Elara followed my gaze and stiffened. For a moment, her mask slipped — but only for a moment. Then she smiled sweetly, turning as though nothing were amiss.

“Adrian,” she purred, stepping closer to him. “We were just… reminiscing. You know how sisters are.”

His gaze stayed on me, not her. Heavy. Unrelenting.

“Reminiscing,” he repeated, his tone flat.

“Yes,” Elara said quickly, sliding into her role with effortless charm. “Childhood things. Silly, really. Isn’t that right, sister?”

My throat tightened. I forced a nod. “Y-Yes. Silly things.”

The silence stretched. Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying me like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.

Finally, he descended the last few steps, his movements slow and deliberate. “Interesting,” he murmured, his voice low. “Because from where I stood… it didn’t sound silly at all.”

Elara’s smile didn’t waver, but I could feel her tension, coiled like a spring.

Adrian stopped in front of me, his gaze locking on mine. “Tell me,” he said softly, dangerously. “What exactly were you two talking about?”

The room seemed to shrink around me. Elara’s eyes glittered, daring me to slip, daring me to expose myself.

I opened my mouth, my heartbeat slamming in my chest—

And Adrian’s phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the moment.

He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and his expression hardened. “Business,” he muttered, sliding the device back. But his eyes cut to me once more. “This conversation isn’t over.”

Then he strode away, leaving a silence so sharp I could barely breathe.

Elara smirked, her whisper slicing through the quiet.

“He doesn’t believe you.”

And for the first time, I knew she was right.