Chapter 100

Chapter 100:

Rage and frustration burned through Rory the instant Adrian showed up.

Impersonating Adrian had always felt like a convenient arrangement—he could enjoy the thrill of chasing women knowing any messy fallout would stick to Adrian’s name, not his own. On top of that, every scandal made their father even more disappointed in Adrian, the so-called black sheep of the family.

More than once, he had plotted behind the scenes, hoping to sabotage Adrian. With Adrian cut off from the Knight fortune and left to fend for himself, Rory thought it would be easy to push him around. But every scheme had backfired spectacularly, leaving Rory with nothing but bruised pride.

Trying anything too direct was out of the question—Mike, their father, believed Rory was the dutiful, well-behaved son, the complete opposite of Adrian’s wild reputation. Keeping up that image was crucial.

Adrian, on the other hand, never worried about ruffling feathers or starting trouble. If someone challenged him, he never hesitated to fight back. Now, every time they crossed paths, it was Rory who ducked away, doing his best to avoid a scene.

Without a hint of warmth, Adrian shot him a cold stare. “You’re leaving now, or do you need help finding the door p>

He had known for a long time that Rory was poisoning their father’s mind, but he never bothered to confront him about it or dig into the details. Dealing with these childish games felt beneath him. What he hadn’t expected was how far Rory would go just to wreck his reputation.

Clutching his side where Adrian’s knee had landed, Rory glared but finally said, “Fine, I’ll go. Just stay out of my way p>

Addie wasted no time hurrying after him, clearly worried he would leave her behind. She was almost happy about how things had turned out. Adrian might be out of the family, but now her boyfriend stood to inherit it all, and she looked eager to take full advantage.

𝘚𝘩𝘢𝗿𝗲 yo𝘶𝗋 𝘧𝖺𝘃𝗈𝗋𝘪t𝗲𝘴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝘮.с𝘰m

Adrian watched Rory’s retreat with a blank expression, but his mind was already at work. He would make sure Rory paid for this stunt—just not in front of an audience. No matter how messy things had gotten with the Knight family, or how much Mike tried to erase him, blood was still blood. Adrian wasn’t ready to wipe them out completely.

But Rory definitely needed to learn a thing or two about boundaries—and Adrian was more than willing to make sure the lesson stuck.

After Rory’s hasty exit, an uneasy quiet settled over the room. Sarah lingered, still replaying everything that had just happened, her head spinning from the sudden revelations.

Scanning the room, she realized she was the odd one out, third-wheeling hard with Adrian and Sophie.

She quickly shuffled backward, forcing a cheerful tone. “Looks like you two have things to discuss. I’ll get out of your hair p>

She couldn’t wait to spill everything on the forums. The truth was juicier than anyone had guessed—those wild stories about Adrian chasing women had nothing to do with him. It was his half-brother, Rory, pretending to be him while sweet-talking his way around town.

With all the proof in hand and a twist no one saw coming, she was ready to set the record straight. Rory needed to be unmasked, especially for the women he had fooled. They had every right to know the truth, and she wasn’t about to let them confuse him with Adrian ever again.

With her mind made up, Sarah hurried out, half worried someone else might break the news first.

The door clicked shut, leaving only Sophie and Adrian in the aftermath, a strange tension growing between them.

Trying to fill the awkward silence, Sophie asked, “So, how did you end up here tonight p>

Adrian awkwardly scratched his nose, searching for an answer. How was he even supposed to explain himself? Admit he had been told that she and Sarah had headed to a hotel, then showed up like a jealous wreck, convinced they were sneaking off for some romantic trip? If those words ever left his mouth, there would be no looking Sophie in the eye again.

He cleared his throat, sidestepping the question. “Forget about me for a second. What brings you here p>

Before Sophie could get a word in, Adrian flashed a teasing grin. “Wait, let me guess—you thought I betrayed you, figured you’d catch me red-handed, huh p>

Adrian lifted an eyebrow, his tone playful. “So that’s how much you trust me p>