Chapter 9 - VANESSA’S GAME
Adrian returned home before sunrise.
Vanessa was asleep in his bedroom.
For almost a year, he had believed the woman beside him loved him enough to stay after his body was broken.
Now he knew she had helped break it.
Adrian sat in the dark and watched her sleep.
At 6:15, she opened her eyes.
“Adrian?”
He smiled.
“Morning.”
She stretched.
“You’re up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
Vanessa sat up.
“Pain?”
“No.”
She reached toward him.
He almost recoiled.
Instead, he let her touch his face.
“You look different,” she whispered.
“How?”
“Like you’re thinking too much.”
Adrian smiled.
“You always tell me I think too much.”
“That’s because you do.”
She kissed him.
He felt nothing.
Not anger.
Not love.
Nothing.
That frightened him most.
Later that day, Adrian followed Vanessa.
Not personally.
Daniel did.
She met Marcus at a private apartment on the Upper East Side.
They kissed the moment the door closed.
Daniel sent Adrian the photographs.
Grace found him staring at them.
She said nothing.
Adrian handed her the phone.
Grace looked away almost immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“You loved her.”
“I loved who I thought she was.”
“That still hurts.”
Adrian looked at Grace.
“You always have an answer?”
“No.”
She smiled sadly.
“I just know betrayal doesn’t hurt less because the person wasn’t worth loving.”
Adrian studied her.
Again, there was history behind her words.
“What happened to you?”
Grace stiffened.
“Nothing.”
“That’s twice you’ve said something like that.”
She looked away.
“My husband.”
Adrian waited.
“He emptied our accounts, disappeared, and left me with forty dollars and a seven-year-old son.”
Adrian’s expression softened.
“Where is your son?”
“With my sister during the week.”
“You never mentioned him.”
“You never asked.”
That hurt more than Adrian expected.
He had spent months so buried in himself he hadn’t bothered to learn anything about the woman helping him fight for his life.
“What’s his name?”
“Eli.”
“How old?”
“Eight.”
Adrian nodded.
Then Daniel called.
“We accessed Vanessa’s apartment.”
“What did you find?”
“Documents.”
“What kind?”
“Transfer agreements. Share authorizations.”
Adrian frowned.
“She can’t transfer my shares.”
“She can if you’re declared mentally incompetent.”
The room went silent.
Daniel continued.
“There’s a psychiatric evaluation with your name on it.”
“I’ve never had one.”
“I know.”
“What does it say?”
Daniel inhaled.
“That you suffer from severe depression, paranoia, impaired judgment... and are no longer capable of managing Cole Enterprises.”
Adrian’s eyes turned cold.
“When do they plan to use it?”
“Tomorrow.”
“What happens tomorrow?”
Daniel paused.
“Emergency board meeting.”
Adrian looked toward the windows.
May you like
Marcus wasn’t planning to steal his company someday.
He was taking it in less than twenty-four hours.
