I Walked Away, Now He's Begging

Chapter 2 The Perfect Trap

Elena

I stumble through my apartment door, still wearing the ivory white dress that feels like a costume now. My reflection in the hallway mirror stops me cold—mascara streaked down my cheeks, hair disheveled from the rain, dress wrinkled and stained.

I look exactly like what I am—a fool.

In the living room, our photos are everywhere. In every photo with Adrian, I’m grinning like I was the happiest person alive. Now, each one feels like proof of my own delusion.

I sink heavily into the sofa cushions, my hands trembling as I reach for one frame.

Was I just a convenient tutor who became a convenient girlfriend?

My phone rings. Nina's name flashes on the screen. I stare at it for three rings before answering, my voice hoarse.

"Elena, I... I'm so sorry about what happened." Her voice sounds small, guilty. "I never thought things would turn out this way."

I close my eyes, pressing my free hand against my forehead.

"What exactly happened between you and Adrian last night?" I asked, unable to hold back.

A long pause. "It's... complicated. I was in a very dark place, and Adrian... he's always been there for me."

My chest tightens. She's not denying it.

The phone feels slippery in my sweaty palm.

"Thank you for calling, Nina. At least now I know where I stand."

I hang up before she can respond, my thumb shaking as I end the call.

The silence in my apartment is deafening. I walk to the closet on unsteady legs, needing to get out of this dress, and stop dead.

All the clothes Adrian bought me over the past two years hang in perfect order. Pale yellow sundresses. Cream cardigans. Delicate pearl necklaces in velvet boxes.

Only today do I realize it—he had always wanted me to be her image. He was dressing me to look like her.

My fingers brush the fabric, and nausea rises.

Nina

Perfect. She believes it completely.

I set down my phone and let the concerned expression melt from my face like ice cream in summer. My lips curve into a satisfied smile as I stretch languidly on my white Italian leather sofa.

My apartment is immaculate again. No trace of last night's carefully orchestrated seduction remains.

The candles have been blown out. The wine glasses washed. The damning photographs already sent.

I can still picture Elena's face when she sees those photos. The devastation. The heartbreak.

My eyes gleam with anticipation. Exactly as planned.

I had called him the night before the wedding, my voice soft and melancholy. "Adrian, I know tomorrow is your big day. Before you start your new life, can we have one last drink? Just to say goodbye to our... friendship properly."

A pause. I could hear his internal struggle, but I knew he could never refuse me.

I examine my perfectly manicured nails with smug confidence.

"Just one drink. For everything we've shared."

I'd hung up without waiting for an answer, knowing he'd come. I had always been Adrian's first choice—if it weren't for Victoria meddling and pushing that scholarship girl into his path, I wouldn't even need tonight's charade.

He arrived at nine, looking uncomfortable but unable to stay away. I answered the door in a silk robe—powder blue, his favorite color—with my hair loose and tousled.

"Nina..." His voice caught as his eyes swept over me, unable to look away. "You look... incredibly beautiful tonight."

"You're sweet," I whispered, leading him inside with a delicate touch on his arm. "I'm so glad you came."

The apartment was perfect. Dim lighting, scented candles, our college photos on display, and that same jazz album playing softly.

I moved with practiced grace, every gesture designed to remind him of what we once shared.

"Let's toast to our friendship, Adrian. After tomorrow, everything will be different."

Adrian's eyes darkened with emotion as he raised his glass. "No matter what happens, Nina, you'll always have a special place in my heart. Always."

I'd poured expensive red wine into crystal glasses, letting my robe slip slightly off one shoulder as I handed him his glass.

The fabric was thin enough that he could see I wasn't wearing much underneath. Adrian's eyes darkened, his breathing becoming shallow.

"Remember when we were kids?" I had settled beside him on the sofa, close enough that my perfume—the same one I'd worn since high school—would cloud his judgment.

My fingers traced lazy patterns on his thigh. "You promised you'd always protect me. You said we'd never drift apart."

"And I meant it," Adrian whispered, his voice thick with longing. "I still mean it, Nina."

My hand had found his, fingers intertwining like we used to during scary movies at boarding school.

"I'm going to miss this, Adrian. Miss us."

The wine helped. Two glasses, then three.

Adrian's resistance crumbled with each sip as I moved closer, my body pressing against his. I could feel his pulse racing under my touch.

"You know I've always loved you, Nina," Adrian murmured against my hair, his lips barely grazing my skin. "Even when we were just kids."

Adrian's hands found my waist, pulling me closer. His breathing grew heavy as my robe slipped further, revealing more of my bare skin.

I could feel his resolve completely dissolving, his hands trembling against my skin.

"Nina..." His voice was rough with desire, his eyes glazed with want and wine.

That's when I made my move. A deliberate stumble, my robe falling completely open as I collapsed into his arms.

Adrian caught me, his hands steady on my bare skin, no longer fighting the attraction.

"Help me to bed?" I whispered breathlessly, my eyes wide and innocent despite my calculated seduction.

Adrian lifted me easily, carrying me to the bedroom.

But as soon as he laid me down, the drugs I'd slipped into his wine finally took effect. His movements became sluggish, eyes unfocused, his confident demeanor crumbling into confusion.

Within minutes, he collapsed onto the bed beside me, unconscious.

His usually perfect appearance disheveled, mouth slightly open in drugged sleep.

I sat up, perfectly alert, and smiled at his sleeping form.

I brushed a strand of hair from my face with predatory satisfaction. Too easy. Men are so predictable when they think with the wrong head.

Brilliant.

Now I pick up the elegant cookie box from my coffee table—a delightful souvenir from today's entertaining wedding ceremony.

The ingredient label clearly lists almonds, cashews, and pistachios in bold letters. I run my tongue across my lower lip with anticipation.

Adrian and Elena breaking up isn't enough. I need to make sure she can never come back. I need her to be the villain in this story.

I run my manicured fingers over the box's ribbon, my eyes glittering with malice.

Elena Sterling, the scholarship girl who thought she could play in my league, is about to learn that some games have rules you can't study for.

I reach for my phone. The real show is just beginning.

My smile turns vicious as I whisper to the empty room.

"Sweet dreams, little Elena. There's still quite a show waiting for you."