Chapter 6 The Storm

Adrian's Pov

"Maybe marrying me was the one mistake you can't control."

I hadn't meant to say it. The words just fell out of me, sharp and reckless, but once they were in the air, I couldn't take them back.

Soren's eyes hardened, like steel locking into place. For a moment, I thought he might snap, might drag me closer and prove me wrong right there. But instead, he turned away.

That was worse.

Because Soren Knight wasn't a man who walked away.

He stood by the window, his reflection blending into the night skyline. His voice was low, tight. "Get some rest, Adrian. Tomorrow, you'll need it."

It sounded less like advice and more like a warning. I didn't sleep.

**********

By morning, I woke to the sound of my phone buzzing nonstop on the nightstand. Texts, missed calls, social media alerts. The headlines were everywhere, the same ones I'd tried to block out last night.

SOREN KNIGHT'S SECRET AFFAIR

HEIR TO THE EMPIRE BETRAYS FIANCÉE WITH A NOBODY

ADRIAN VEGA: GOLD DIGGER OR MASTER MANIPULATOR?

Every article had my face plastered next to Soren's, side by side like I'd been born to ruin him. They dug through old photos, even ones from college, twisting every detail into proof. Poor grades? Laziness. Old girlfriends? Using people. My mom's medical bills? Evidence of motive.

I wanted to throw the phone through the wall.

I dragged myself out of bed, still in yesterday's clothes, and stumbled toward the kitchen. The penthouse was too quiet. Soren was gone, probably buried in meetings, damage control, whatever rich people did when the world threatened to collapse.

I wasn't like him. I couldn't pretend nothing touched me.

When my phone buzzed again, I snatched it up without looking. "Hello?"

"Adrian."

My chest tightened. Mom.

Her voice was weak, but sharp with fear. "The neighbors are talking. Reporters came to the building. They asked me questions about you, about money, about him. What have you done?"

"I'll fix it," I said quickly, though my throat was dry. "I swear, Mom. Just... stay inside. Don't answer the door. Don't talk to anyone."

"You can't fix this!" she snapped, coughing between words. "Do you even know who these people are? What they can do?"

I pressed a hand to my forehead. "I didn't plan this, Mom. I didn't ask for any of it....."

"But you married him," she cut in. "You tied yourself to Soren Knight. That's not something you can undo."

Her voice cracked. "I raised you better than this, Adrian. You were supposed to be careful. Now you've put both of us in danger."

The line went dead.

I stood there, phone pressed to my ear, shaking.

Danger. The word kept echoing.

By noon, I made the mistake of looking at the TV.

Celeste was everywhere. Perfect, composed, playing the victim like she'd been rehearsing her whole life. She sat in some studio chair, eyes wet with tears as she told the world how betrayed she felt.

"He told me he loved me," she whispered to the camera. "We had our whole future planned. And then... then I found out. About Adrian. About the affair. I don't know how long it went on, but I know now that I was never enough."

She pressed a handkerchief to her lips like she was about to break. The host leaned forward, sympathetic.

"And Adrian Vega?"

Celeste's lips trembled. "He used Soren. For money. For status. I only pray that one day, people like that learn you can't buy happiness by destroying others."

The audience clapped. Clapped.

I turned off the screen so hard the remote cracked.

My pulse hammered. My stomach twisted until I thought I'd throw up.

The worst part? She sounded believable.

I paced the living room until I couldn't anymore. The walls of the penthouse were too sharp, too bright, too much like a cage. I grabbed my jacket and bolted for the elevator.

The lobby was chaos. Reporters crowded near the entrance, cameras flashing the second I stepped into view.

"There he is!"

"Adrian, did you really seduce him for money?"

"Are you planning to file for divorce and take half?"

Hands shoved, microphones pushed at my mouth. I tried to move, tried to breathe, but it felt like drowning.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, but it only made them surge closer.

A hand closed around my arm, firm and steady.

Nathan Cross.

He slipped through the crowd like he owned them, his suit immaculate, his smile sharp. He leaned close to my ear as he pulled me toward a waiting car.

"You'll thank me later."

The door shut behind me, cutting off the noise. The sudden quiet was a relief, but it didn't ease the panic in my chest.

Nathan sat across from me, relaxed, as if he hadn't just dragged me out of a mob.

"You looked like you were about to be eaten alive," he said smoothly. "You need protection, Adrian. Someone who knows how this world works."

I eyed him warily. "And that someone is you?"

He smiled faintly. "I've been at Soren's side for years. I know every move his father makes, every trap he sets. And I know what happens to people who get caught in the crossfire."

"Let me guess," I muttered. "They disappear."

His eyes glinted. "Exactly."

A chill ran down my spine.

He leaned forward, his voice low. "Listen to me. Victor Knight doesn't tolerate weakness. Right now, the press thinks you're a gold digger. That story will only grow. If you want to survive this, you can't keep clinging to Soren's shadow. He won't protect you forever. But I can."

I frowned. "Why would you help me?"

Nathan's smile deepened, too smooth to trust. "Let's just say I like people who see the truth. And the truth is, Soren is not the man you think he is."

I crossed my arms. "I don't think he's a man at all. More like a storm."

Nathan chuckled. "Exactly. And storms always leave wreckage. When he's done with you, where will you be? Who will pick up the pieces?"

I didn't answer. Because the question cut too deep.

The car slowed. Nathan tapped on the window, and the driver stopped at a quiet side entrance of the building.

He leaned closer, his words brushing my ear. "Think about what I said. You'll need me, Adrian. Sooner than you think."

The door opened. I stepped out, my legs shaky. The car pulled away, leaving me in silence.

By evening, the penthouse felt colder than before.

Soren finally returned, his tie loosened, his face unreadable. He set down his briefcase like nothing had happened, like the world wasn't burning.

I wanted to scream at him, throw every headline in his face, force him to feel what I was feeling. But when I looked at him, calm and untouchable, the words stuck in my throat.

Instead, I whispered, "She destroyed me today."

He glanced at me, his jaw tightening. "Then tomorrow, we destroy her back."

The certainty in his voice made my chest ache. Because it was so easy for him. War was his language. For me, it was survival.

I shook my head. "You don't get it. I'm not like you. I don't have an empire, or money, or power. All I have is my mom. And now she's scared because of you."

His eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but then the mask slipped back in place. "I told you, I'll protect you."

I laughed bitterly. "That's not protection. That's control."

His silence was an answer in itself.

I turned away, staring out at the city lights below. My reflection in the glass looked hollow, like a stranger.

And for the first time since this whole mess began, I wondered if Nathan was right.

Maybe I wouldn't survive in Soren's world. Maybe I wouldn't survive Soren.

Behind me, his voice broke the silence. Steady. Icy. Final.

"Then tell me, Adrian... who would you rather trust, me, or my enemies?"