Chapter 7 The Weakness

Soren's Pov

Control. It had always been my weapon and armor

But since that wedding night, since Adrian Vega crashed into my world, control had slipped through my fingers like smoke.

The morning after Celeste's performance on live television, the headlines were merciless. Knight Heir Betrays Bride. CEO's Secret Husband Exposed. Vegas Scandal Could End Empire.

I sat in my office, the blinds half drawn, the city humming far below. My phone lit up nonstop with calls from board members, clients, journalists. I ignored all of them.

Nathan, of course, didn't. He strolled into my office without knocking, tossing a newspaper onto my desk.

"She's good," he said lightly. "Almost convincing."

The front page showed a picture of Celeste, tears streaking down her flawless face. She looked fragile, heartbroken. A perfect performance. And the world believed her.

Nathan leaned back in the chair opposite me, crossing one leg over the other. "The sympathy vote works wonders, doesn't it? Investors are pulling out. Partners are asking questions. And all because of your... husband."

The way he said it, mocking, poisonous, made something cold coil in my chest.

"You came here for a reason," I said flatly.

His smile widened. "I did. You see, your father hates weakness, and right now, you reek of it. He'll cut you off, let the sharks devour what's left. But me?" He spread his hands, all charm. "I could help. I have contacts. I can stabilize what's falling apart. All you need to do is sign over a little control."

I stared at him. "You want my company."

"I want a share," he corrected smoothly. "A seat at the table. A chance to prove I can do what you clearly can't."

I didn't move. Didn't speak. Because if I did, I might break the glass between us.

Nathan tilted his head, reading the silence as carefully as always. "Or maybe," he murmured, "I just want to see how far you'll fall for that boy. Because you will fall, Soren. And when you do, I'll be there to take everything."

I rose slowly. His smile didn't falter, but his eyes sharpened.

"Get out," I said.

For once, he obeyed. But not before leaning close enough for his breath to brush my ear.

"You can't protect him forever."

The door clicked shut behind him.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

I pressed my hands against the desk, fighting the urge to shatter the glass wall behind me. Nathan was right about one thing, Adrian was my weakness. Not because he was fragile, but because I couldn't ignore him.

I told myself it was strategy. If I let him break, the media would tear him apart and drag me down with him. But the truth was sharper. It wasn't strategy. It was something I didn't want to name.

A knock broke the silence. The door opened before I could answer. Adrian stepped in.

His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight, but his eyes... they weren't broken. Not yet.

"You've seen it?" he asked.

"Every angle."

He swallowed hard. "My mom's crying nonstop. My friends won't answer my calls. People are digging up everything-my debts, my jobs, even old photos from school. They're calling me a gold digger, a scammer, worse."

I forced my voice steady. "You'll survive it."

His laugh was harsh. "That's easy for you to say. You've lived in this storm your whole life. Me? I'm drowning."

The words struck deeper than I wanted to admit.

I moved around the desk, standing close enough to see the exhaustion in his face. "Do you regret it?"

He blinked. "What?"

"This marriage." My voice was low, steady. "Do you regret it?"

His eyes searched mine. "I didn't choose it."

The answer shouldn't have stung. But it did.

"You think I planned this?" I asked.

"You plan everything," he shot back. "You control, you command, you destroy anyone in your way. But that night, you didn't control it. You lost control. And now I'm paying for it."

I should have pushed him away. I should have reminded him this was temporary, that the contract was all that mattered. But instead, the words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Then let me carry it."

His lips parted. "What?"

"I'll take the fire. The headlines. The board. Victor. Nathan. All of it. You don't have to stand alone."

For a long moment, he just stared at me, something unreadable flickering in his gaze.

And then he whispered, almost too soft to hear: "You don't know how."

The words hit harder than any of Nathan's taunts. Because maybe he was right. I'd never carried anyone. I'd never let myself.

The room felt too small, too heavy. I turned away, forcing steel back into my voice. "We have a press conference tomorrow. You'll stand beside me. We'll end Celeste's story before it destroys us."

Adrian didn't answer. He just nodded stiffly and walked out.

The door closed, leaving me alone with my reflection in the glass wall. For the first time, I didn't look like the man I'd built. I looked like someone... uncertain.

************

That night, I didn't sleep. I sat in the dark, watching the city lights flicker like stars too far away to touch. My phone buzzed with messages I ignored.

Until one caught my eye. From an unknown number.

If you want to protect him, meet me. Alone.

No name. Just an address.

And I already knew who it was.

'

Nathan.

---

The next morning, Clara stormed into my office before dawn, slamming files on my desk.

"The board is demanding answers. Investors want to pull everything. If you don't handle this perfectly, we're finished."

"I know."

She hesitated, studying me. "You're different, Soren. Since him. Since Adrian. You're making choices you never would've made before."

I met her eyes, unflinching. "Maybe that's not a weakness."

Her mouth pressed into a thin line. "Or maybe it's exactly what will destroy you."

Before I could reply, the door opened again. Adrian stood there in a dark suit, nervous but unbroken.

He looked at me, his voice steady despite the tremor in it.

"Tell me the truth, Soren," he said. "If tomorrow, the press tears me apart and I fall... will you let me burn, or will you fall with me?"