Chapter 9: The Truth Beneath
215 Words
Sleep never came.
Lena lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her thoughts refusing to quiet.
Marcus.
Adrian.
“You’re mine.”
She turned over.
Frustrated.
Confused.
Why did his words affect her?
Why did she care?
“This is just a contract,” she whispered.
But it didn’t feel like one anymore.
Not tonight.
Not after everything.
Before she could stop herself—
She was already walking down the hallway.
Barefoot.
Silent.
Toward his room.
She hesitated outside the door.
Then knocked.
“Come in.”
Of course he was awake.
Adrian stood by the window, the city lights reflecting faintly in his eyes.
“You can’t sleep,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“I don’t sleep much either.”
Lena stepped inside.
“We need to talk.”
“About Marcus.”
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then—
“He used to be my partner,” Adrian said.
“Used to?”
“He betrayed me.”
The word hit hard.
Betrayal.
Lena swallowed.
“That’s why you’re like this?”
“That’s part of it.”
“And me?” she asked softly.
“Do you trust me?”
A long pause.
Then—
“No.”
Honest.
Painfully honest.
“But I chose you anyway.”
- Writer
