The storm had passed by morning, but the mansion still smelled of rain. Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, painting streaks of gold across the polished floor. Yet for Elena, there was no warmth in it.
She sat at her vanity, brushing her hair with deliberate calm, though her mind churned with last night's confrontation. Adrian's silence, his jealousy, his refusal to bridge the gap between them—it all swirled inside her until she felt like a glass about to crack.
Behind her, the door opened. She didn't need to turn to know it was him. His presence filled the room like gravity.
"Elena," Adrian's voice was low, restrained. "We need to talk."
She placed the brush down carefully, meeting his reflection in the mirror. "Do we?"
His eyes darkened at her tone. "I don't like the idea of you meeting… other men."
Her lips curved into a bitter smile. "You don't like? Since when do you care who I speak to?"
He strode closer, the intensity in his gaze sharp enough to cut. "Since you're my wife."
She rose to her feet, fury snapping through her veins. "Your wife in name, Adrian. Not in heart. Not in anything that matters."
The air thickened, their breaths uneven. For a moment, it felt as though the room itself held its breath.
A Dangerous Spark
Adrian reached for her wrist, his grip firm but not cruel. His touch seared her skin, awakening emotions she fought to bury.
"Don't test me, Elena," he murmured, his voice rough. "I may not have chosen this marriage, but you are mine."
Her chest heaved as she jerked her hand free. "Yours? You can't claim me like property. Love doesn't work that way. Respect doesn't work that way."
For the first time, Adrian faltered. The fire in her words burned through his defenses, leaving him momentarily exposed.
"Elena…" He wanted to say more, but his pride dragged the words back down his throat. Instead, he turned away, fists clenched.
Breakfast with Tension
Later, they sat at the dining table, silver cutlery clinking softly. The silence between them was unbearable.
Adrian's phone buzzed. A message from one of his business partners, but Elena caught a glimpse of another notification before he locked the screen—a woman's name she didn't recognize.
Her stomach twisted. He demanded loyalty but kept his own secrets?
"Busy schedule?" she asked lightly, though her tone carried an edge.
Adrian didn't miss it. "Work," he replied curtly.
Elena nodded, her appetite gone. "Of course. Always work."
Lucas Reappears
That afternoon, Elena visited a boutique downtown. She needed air, space, anything away from the suffocating walls of the mansion.
As she stepped out of the store, her arms full of shopping bags, a familiar voice called her name.
"Elena!"
She turned, surprised to see Lucas jogging toward her, his easy smile brightening the street.
"Twice in one week? Must be fate," he teased.
For the first time in days, she laughed genuinely. "Or coincidence."
They walked together, their conversation flowing effortlessly. Lucas spoke of his work, his travels, the little quirks of the city that Elena had forgotten. For a brief while, she felt like herself again—not the unwanted bride, not the pawn in a family contract, but simply Elena.
When Lucas offered to carry her bags, she hesitated, then allowed it. The simple gesture of kindness felt like a balm to her wounded heart.
But as fate would have it, a sleek black car slowed on the opposite side of the street. The tinted window rolled down, revealing Adrian's stormy eyes.
Elena's breath caught.
Adrian's jaw tightened as he watched Lucas hand her a bag with a smile that was far too familiar.
The window rolled back up, and the car sped away.
Elena's heart pounded. She knew tonight would not be peaceful.
Confrontation at Home
The mansion doors slammed shut behind Adrian hours later. Elena sat in the living room, waiting. She had rehearsed what she would say, but when he stormed in, words fled her.
His eyes were like ice and fire all at once. "Enjoy your little outing?"
She stood, squaring her shoulders. "Yes. I did."
His nostrils flared. "With him?"
Her voice trembled, but she refused to back down. "Lucas is a friend. At least he knows how to treat me like a human being."
Adrian's control snapped. He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close. "You think he can give you more than I can? You think running to him will fix what's broken between us?"
Her eyes glistened, not from fear, but from pain. "There is nothing between us, Adrian. That's the problem."
For a heartbeat, their faces hovered inches apart. His breath fanned against her lips, his grip fierce. Desire and rage warred in his eyes, and Elena's pulse thundered in her veins.
Then, just as suddenly, he released her, stepping back as though burned.
His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Stay away from him."
Her tears spilled at last. "Or what? You'll lock me away? Adrian, I'm already imprisoned."
The words struck deep. Adrian turned sharply and left the room, the echo of his footsteps leaving Elena trembling and hollow.
Secrets in the Dark
That night, Adrian didn't return to their bedroom. Elena lay awake, the silence louder than any argument.
Meanwhile, Adrian sat alone in his office, his mind a battlefield. Lucas was a threat—not because Elena loved him, but because Adrian knew he could. Lucas had the warmth Adrian had buried. The openness Adrian couldn't give.
And for the first time, Adrian admitted to himself: he didn't want to lose her.
But how could he hold her when his heart was chained to a past he couldn't let go of?
The Cliffhanger
The next evening, a knock echoed through the mansion's front hall. Elena opened the door, startled to find Lucas standing there, holding an envelope.
"I didn't know where else to go," he said, his voice serious. "I found something… about Adrian. About his family. You need to see this."
Her heart skipped. "Lucas, what do you mean?"
Before he could answer, Adrian's voice cut through the air behind her.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Elena froze, trapped between the two men—the husband who never wanted her, and the friend offering her truths that could shatter everything.
And in that moment, she knew: whatever was in Lucas's envelope could destroy the fragile thread holding her marriage together.