Chapter 5 - THE MAN WHO PRETENDED TO LOVE ME
I spent the next hour sitting in Adrien’s library, staring at the notebook.
Every page felt like a piece of my life being stolen from me.
My mother’s handwriting.
Her fears.
Her secrets.
Her warnings.
All hidden from me.
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
Adrien stood near the fireplace.
“Because she was protecting you.”
I looked up.
“From who?”
“From everyone.”
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does if your mother knew something powerful people wanted buried.”
I looked down.
“My whole life was fake.”
“No.”
Adrien’s voice was firm.
“Your life was controlled.”
I looked at him.
“There’s a difference?”
“Yes.”
He walked closer.
“You survived.”
Those two words stayed with me.
Because until that moment, I had only felt broken.
Not strong.
A knock interrupted us.
Marco entered.
“We found Marcus.”
My body stiffened.
“Where?”
“He went to an old office building owned by his law firm.”
Adrien grabbed his coat.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“You’re going after him because of me.”
“Yes.”
“You could get hurt.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“People usually say that before they realize I’m the dangerous one.”
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then I remembered something.
“Adrien.”
He stopped.
“What?”
“Why do you care?”
The question surprised him.
For the first time, he didn’t have an immediate answer.
Finally, he said:
“Because someone hurt you.”
“That’s it?”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“And because twenty years ago, I failed to protect someone else.”
I knew exactly who he meant.
My mother.
The old office building was abandoned.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
Adrien entered first.
His men followed.
I stayed behind in the car.
That was the plan.
But plans rarely survived reality.
A few minutes later, I saw movement inside.
Then I heard a gunshot.
I didn’t think.
I ran.
Inside, I found Marcus sitting against the wall.
Blood on his shirt.
A gun beside him.
Adrien stood across from him.
“You lied to her for years.”
Marcus laughed weakly.
“You think you’re better?”
Adrien’s expression didn’t change.
“You hurt innocent people.”
Marcus looked at me.
“You still don’t understand.”
I stepped closer.
“Understand what?”
He smiled.
“The reason I was with you.”
My heart dropped.
“What?”
Marcus looked directly at me.
“It was never love.”
The words hurt.
Even though I already knew.
“I was assigned to watch you.”
Silence.
“By who?”
Marcus smiled.
“The same people who erased your mother.”
Adrien stepped forward.
“Name them.”
Marcus looked at him.
Then he laughed.
“You really don’t know.”
A pause.
“The person who ordered everything is closer than you think.”
Adrien’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Ask him about the night your mother disappeared.”
My breathing stopped.
“Ask Adrien Viscari what his father was hiding.”
Then the lights went out.
May you like
A second later…
A gunshot echoed through the building.
