Billionaire's contract wife

The Warning

Chapter Six

Clara didn't like the way Adrian was looking at her.

Not because his expression was cold.

Because it wasn't.

There was something else in his eyes now.

Fear.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

Adrian didn't answer.

He walked toward the window and pulled the curtains shut.

Then he turned to her.

"Pack a bag."

Clara blinked.

"What?"

"You're leaving this house tonight."

"Where am I going?"

"Somewhere safe."

"I am not going anywhere with you."

"Clara."

"No."

She folded her arms.

"You keep telling me that I'm in danger, but you haven't told me the truth. Who is behind this? Why does my family have something to do with yours? And why does your mother's necklace look exactly like mine?"

Adrian stared at her.

"You want answers?"

"Yes."

"Then come with me."

"That's not an answer."

"No."

He stepped closer.

"But it's the only way I can protect you long enough to give you one."

Clara hated that his words made sense.

She hated even more that she trusted him.

"Where are we going?"

"My private residence."

She laughed bitterly.

"Your mansion?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

"Then give me another option."

Clara opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Adrian waited.

Finally, she sighed.

"Fine. But I'm not staying there because you ordered me to."

"I know."

"And I'm not going to start following your rules."

"I know."

"And—"

"Clara."

"What?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"You've made your point."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't think you understand how difficult I can be."

"I've noticed."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Clara smiled despite herself.

It disappeared almost immediately.

"Give me ten minutes."

---

The Laurent residence was nothing like Clara expected.

It wasn't simply a mansion.

It looked like an entire private estate.

Tall gates opened as Adrian's car approached.

Security guards stood at every entrance.

The house itself was enormous, but unlike the luxurious hotels and offices Clara had seen, it felt strangely quiet.

Almost lonely.

Adrian led her inside.

"Your room is upstairs."

"My room?"

"Yes."

"You're not expecting me to sleep in your room, are you?"

Adrian gave her a look.

"No."

"Good."

He continued walking.

Clara followed.

Then she noticed several framed photographs lining the hallway.

One photograph caught her attention.

She stopped.

It was Adrian as a child.

He couldn't have been more than twelve.

Beside him stood his mother.

The same woman from the photograph.

Clara stared at the necklace around her neck.

Again.

The exact same necklace.

"Adrian."

He stopped.

"What?"

"Come here."

He walked back.

She pointed at the photograph.

"That necklace."

Adrian looked at it.

His expression changed.

"I've seen it before."

"Where?"

"On my mother."

"No."

Clara touched her own necklace.

"I mean... why do I have the same one?"

Adrian studied her.

"I don't know."

"Your family never gave one to my family?"

"Not that I know of."

Clara frowned.

"Then there's something we're missing."

Before Adrian could answer, an elderly woman entered the hallway.

She stopped the moment she saw Clara.

The color drained from her face.

"Miss..."

She looked at Clara as though she had seen a ghost.

Adrian turned.

"Mrs. Evans?"

The woman couldn't speak.

Her eyes remained fixed on Clara's necklace.

Then she whispered:

"Where did you get that?"

Clara touched it.

"My mother gave it to me."

Mrs. Evans took a step backward.

"No."

Adrian frowned.

"What is it?"

The elderly woman looked at him.

Her hands began to tremble.

"Sir..."

"What?"

"I thought she was dead."

Silence filled the hallway.

Clara's heart stopped.

"Who?" she whispered.

Mrs. Evans looked directly at her.

Then she said the words that changed everything.

"Your mother."

Clara froze.

"My mother is alive."

Mrs. Evans shook her head slowly.

"No, child."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Your mother died twenty-five years ago."

Clara stared at her.

"That's impossible."

Mrs. Evans looked at Adrian.

"Sir, you need to know the truth."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"What truth?"

Mrs. Evans opened her mouth.

Before she could speak, the lights went out.

Complete darkness swallowed the house.

Clara gasped.

Then came the sound of glass breaking downstairs.

Adrian immediately grabbed her hand.

"Stay behind me."

Someone screamed.

A security alarm began ringing.

Then a man's voice echoed through the darkness.

"Adrian Laurent!"

Adrian went completely still.

The voice laughed.

"You should have left the past buried."

A gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.

Clara screamed.

Adrian pulled her against him.

"Don't move."

Another shot rang out.

Chapter Six: The Warning

Clara didn't like the way Adrian was looking at her.

Not because his expression was cold.

Because it wasn't.

There was something else in his eyes now.

Fear.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

Adrian didn't answer.

He walked toward the window and pulled the curtains shut.

Then he turned to her.

"Pack a bag."

Clara blinked.

"What?"

"You're leaving this house tonight."

"Where am I going?"

"Somewhere safe."

"I am not going anywhere with you."

"Clara."

"No."

She folded her arms.

"You keep telling me that I'm in danger, but you haven't told me the truth. Who is behind this? Why does my family have something to do with yours? And why does your mother's necklace look exactly like mine?"

Adrian stared at her.

"You want answers?"

"Yes."

"Then come with me."

"That's not an answer."

"No."

He stepped closer.

"But it's the only way I can protect you long enough to give you one."

Clara hated that his words made sense.

She hated even more that she trusted him.

"Where are we going?"

"My private residence."

She laughed bitterly.

"Your mansion?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

"Then give me another option."

Clara opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Adrian waited.

Finally, she sighed.

"Fine. But I'm not staying there because you ordered me to."

"I know."

"And I'm not going to start following your rules."

"I know."

"And—"

"Clara."

"What?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"You've made your point."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't think you understand how difficult I can be."

"I've noticed."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Clara smiled despite herself.

It disappeared almost immediately.

"Give me ten minutes."

---

The Laurent residence was nothing like Clara expected.

It wasn't simply a mansion.

It looked like an entire private estate.

Tall gates opened as Adrian's car approached.

Security guards stood at every entrance.

The house itself was enormous, but unlike the luxurious hotels and offices Clara had seen, it felt strangely quiet.

Almost lonely.

Adrian led her inside.

"Your room is upstairs."

"My room?"

"Yes."

"You're not expecting me to sleep in your room, are you?"

Adrian gave her a look.

"No."

"Good."

He continued walking.

Clara followed.

Then she noticed several framed photographs lining the hallway.

One photograph caught her attention.

She stopped.

It was Adrian as a child.

He couldn't have been more than twelve.

Beside him stood his mother.

The same woman from the photograph.

Clara stared at the necklace around her neck.

Again.

The exact same necklace.

"Adrian."

He stopped.

"What?"

"Come here."

He walked back.

She pointed at the photograph.

"That necklace."

Adrian looked at it.

His expression changed.

"I've seen it before."

"Where?"

"On my mother."

"No."

Clara touched her own necklace.

"I mean... why do I have the same one?"

Adrian studied her.

"I don't know."

"Your family never gave one to my family?"

"Not that I know of."

Clara frowned.

"Then there's something we're missing."

Before Adrian could answer, an elderly woman entered the hallway.

She stopped the moment she saw Clara.

The color drained from her face.

"Miss..."

She looked at Clara as though she had seen a ghost.

Adrian turned.

"Mrs. Evans?"

The woman couldn't speak.

Her eyes remained fixed on Clara's necklace.

Then she whispered:

"Where did you get that?"

Clara touched it.

"My mother gave it to me."

Mrs. Evans took a step backward.

"No."

Adrian frowned.

"What is it?"

The elderly woman looked at him.

Her hands began to tremble.

"Sir..."

"What?"

"I thought she was dead."

Silence filled the hallway.

Clara's heart stopped.

"Who?" she whispered.

Mrs. Evans looked directly at her.

Then she said the words that changed everything.

"Your mother."

Clara froze.

"My mother is alive."

Mrs. Evans shook her head slowly.

"No, child."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Your mother died twenty-five years ago."

Clara stared at her.

"That's impossible."

Mrs. Evans looked at Adrian.

"Sir, you need to know the truth."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"What truth?"

Mrs. Evans opened her mouth.

Before she could speak, the lights went out.

Complete darkness swallowed the house.

Clara gasped.

Then came the sound of glass breaking downstairs.

Adrian immediately grabbed her hand.

"Stay behind me."

Someone screamed.

A security alarm began ringing.

Then a man's voice echoed through the darkness.

"Adrian Laurent!"

Adrian went completely still.

The voice laughed.

"You should have left the past buried."

A gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.

Clara screamed.

Adrian pulled her against him.

"Don't move."

Another shot rang out.

Then silence.

And in that silence, Clara heard someone whisper directly behind her:

"Clara..."

She turned.

A figure was standing in the darkness.

End of Chapter Six

Then silence.

And in that silence, Clara heard someone whisper directly behind her:

"Clara..."

She turned.

A figure was standing in the darkness.

End of Chapter Six