Chapter 2: Back From The Dead
1338 Words
Brittney couldn't bring herself to move.
Her eyes remained fixed on Adrian Blackwood's figure in the doorway.
It took several excruciating seconds for either of them to speak.
It was as if the world itself had stopped.
Adrian stood motionless in the doorway, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, illuminated by sunlight cascading in golden ribbons through the windows behind him.
Three years ago, she would have taken one look at him and mistaken him for Damien's older brother.
Nothing more, nothing less.
But now...
Now, she remembered the rooftop.
She remembered the despair in his eyes.
The desperation in his voice when he told her no one was coming to her rescue.
She remembered the look of triumph on his face when he ran toward her, expecting some kind of rescue.
And most of all, she remembered the strange mix of love and affection she felt for him right before she died.
Brittney's heart clenched painfully in her chest as an odd sensation of foreboding washed over her.
"Miss Ashford?"
The maid's confused question pulled Brittney back to the present.
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded her curiously, as if he sensed something strange happening.
"Brittney?" The way he said her name made her pulse quicken.
It sounded so...gentle.
So...warm.
So very different from the man she had known for the past three years.
She quickly looked away from his gaze.
"I'll leave, Miss Ashford," the maid said awkwardly as she exited the room.
As soon as the door shut, Brittney was suddenly overcome with an eerie silence.
Adrian Blackwood entered the room and surveyed the area, his eyes never leaving Brittney's face.
"You look as if you've seen a ghost."
The remark almost caused Brittney to laugh.
If only you only knew, she thought bitterly.
She had died an hour ago.
At least, that's how it felt.
The events leading up to her untimely demise haunted her.
The sight of Selena's cruel smile.
The feeling of betrayal when nobody bothered to help her.
But, especially, the sheer terror that possessed her body when she plummeted hundreds of feet to her death.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of the bed sheet.
Adrian's brows furrowed in concern.
"Are you alright?"
Brittney nearly jumped out of her skin at the question.
No one had ever asked her how she felt for the longest time.
Not after the scandal.
Not after losing the company.
Not after losing everything.
certainly not Damien.
The mere mention of her ex-fiancé's name sent another wave of heart-wrenching pain through her chest.
"I'm fine." The lie was pathetic, but Adrian apparently did not seem satisfied.
He gave her an odd look before looking around the room once more.
"You know...today is quite a day, don't you think so?"
A cold shiver ran down Brittney's spine.
Quite a day, indeed.
It was the day she had agreed to marry Damien Blackwood.
It was the day she had willingly and enthusiastically thrown away her future.
It was the day she never expected to see her father again.
But, more importantly, it was the day she would make sure that she would never make the same mistake twice.
A strange kind of determination burned within her chest.
Now that she had been given a second chance, she would stop at nothing to expose Selena and ruin Damien Blackwood.
She would take back everything that had been stolen from her, including her precious company, and make him pay dearly for his lies.
Adrian regarded Brittney silently.
His expression was unreadable.
"Brittney."
At the sound of her name spoken so softly yet firmly at the same time, Brittney turned to look at him.
Something was obviously bothering him.
The intensity of his gaze suggested that he was trying to decide whether to speak or not.
"What is it?" she asked.
Adrian hesitated for the first time since he had entered her room.
A feeling of uneasiness washed over her.
Adrian Blackwood did not hesitate.
Not ever.
In fact, he had been known in the future to be one of the most feared businessmen in the country, having built Blackwood International into one of the most powerful conglomerates in the business world.
At this very moment, however, he looked as if he was struggling to find the right words to say.
"Brittney," he began, his jaw tightening slightly. "if I tell you something, will you listen to me?"
Brittney's heart pounded loudly in her chest.
The way he was looking at her, the way he had chosen his words made Brittney feel as if something terribly important was about to happen.
She slowly nodded. "I'll listen."
Adrian seemed to have made some sort of internal decision because the next thing he knew, he was walking toward her.
Close enough for her to see the faint hint of his aftershave.
Close enough for her heart to hammer wildly in her chest.
His gaze met hers, capturing her completely in a world of complete darkness.
For a few long seconds, neither of them seemed to breathe.
It was as if something strange had happened between them, something they were both unsure of exactly what.
Finally, Adrian cleared his throat, his voice a deep, steady rumble.
"As I was saying, Brittney, your engagement banquet is tonight."
"I know," she replied shortly.
"You will see Damien," he continued, almost ignoring her words.
At the mention of that hated name, Brittney's gaze hardened.
Adrian's brows furrowed in confusion upon seeing her expression.
Maybe three years ago, he would have been surprised at her reaction.
But not anymore.
"Yes," Brittney said simply.
Another long pause followed before Adrian finally spoke again, his voice unusually quiet.
"You trust him."
It was not a question; it was a statement.
Actually, it was an accusation.
If her thoughts could have been read by Adrian Blackwood, he would have undoubtedly asked his question in a very different manner.
But sadly for him, Brittney answered bluntly. "No."
The answer was unexpected by both of them, it seemed, because a strange expression crossed Adrian's face.
" What?" she asked, taken aback.
"I mean...I trust him," Brittney quickly corrected herself, realizing that she sounded even worse than before.
Adrian raised an inquisitive brow.
She cleared her throat and added, " I mean...I think about it a lot lately."
Adrian Blackwood looked at her thoughtfully.
Studied her, actually.
As if he could sense her inner thoughts.
After a moment or two of contemplating this, he finally glanced away from her eyes.
When he spoke again, his voice was unusually solemn.
"Good."
Brittney frowned at his remark.
" What do you mean?"
Adrian's expression tightened.
"Because you shouldn't trust him," he said.
For the second time that day, Brittney's heart skipped a beat.
The room suddenly seemed impossibly quiet.
Impossibly tense.
"What are you talking about, Adrian?" she demanded, her eyes widening in alarm.
Adrian Blackwood looked straight into her eyes, a determined yet sorrowful expression on his face.
"Don't marry my brother."
At first, Brittney could not comprehend his words.
But as the realization sank in, she suddenly felt very much like laughing.
No one had ever told her those exact words before, not in the three long years since the incident.
In fact, those were the very words she had wanted to hear three years ago, just before she died.
Funny how fate worked.
Before Brittney could respond, however, Adrian reached into his jacket pocket, pulled something out, and placed it on the bed next to her.
His expression was grim as he stared at the object.
He turned to look at her, his dark eyes searching hers intently.
"Open it."
Brittney shot a confused glance at him before looking down at the object in his hand.
A strange feeling of dread suddenly overcame her.
"What is it?"
Adrian's mouth tightened into a straight line. "Proof."
"Proof of what?" Brittney asked.
He looked at her evenly, then slowly replied, "Proof that someone close to you has already begun stealing your company."
- Writer
