Chapter 45
Chapter 45:
Sophie’s lips parted, but the words barely came out. “He… he is p>
She leaned against Adrian’s chest, her mind spinning. The way he had rescued her back at the hotel, how he carried her to the hospital, and even the tenderness of him rolling that warm egg across her skin. Every detail pierced her heart, filling it with a warmth she hadn’t felt in years.
For the first time in forever, someone was treating her like she mattered.
A reckless urge surged inside her, whispering that she should just tell him everything.
𝗥om𝗮𝗻с𝘦 𝗮ոd p𝘢𝘴𝗌іо𝗻 o𝘯
She wanted to spill it all—the betrayal David had carved into her heart, Alice’s cruel little games, and the ugly truth of how the Barnes family had shoved her into the role of substitute bride.
Everything she had swallowed down sat right at the edge of her tongue, begging to break free.
But at the last second, she bit down hard.
She couldn’t say it. If Adrian knew the truth, if word got out and reached the Knights, her uncle’s family would be finished. Even admitting David was her ex was too risky. If Adrian started asking around, someone would eventually mention whose wedding it had been at the hotel. And then? Every lie she had stacked up would collapse in an instant.
So she lowered her gaze and whispered, “Just some random guy. I don’t even know him p>
She prayed that would be enough. With David getting beaten up, surely Adrian wouldn’t bother digging deeper into a stranger.
“Is that so?” Adrian’s reply was calm and impossible to read.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured again, softer this time.
A quiet sigh slipped from him. “Didn’t I tell you to stop apologizing p>
“I’m sorry… really, I am,” Sophie whispered, though she wasn’t even sure who her apology was meant for anymore. For deceiving Adrian? Or for betraying herself by keeping quiet?
The memories she fought to suppress came rushing back—the suffocating grip around her throat, the fear, and the crushing loneliness that followed.
Tears spilled over before she could stop them, falling onto Adrian’s hand like cold drops of rain.
He looked at her silently. She was lying again, hiding things from him.
He should have been angry, but instead his heart softened. After all, he was no different. He had secrets too.
Without another word, he pulled her closer, letting her cry into his chest.
Sophie gripped his collar with both hands, burying herself in him like a storm-tossed boat finally reaching shore.
And then it came—all the grief she had bottled up, spilling out in messy sobs.
When the tears finally slowed, she felt oddly lighter, though her face was hot and her nose stuffy.
Only then did she notice the wet stain on his shirt, the thin fabric clinging to his muscles and making them faintly visible.
Her cheeks flared crimson. “I… I’m so sorry p>
Adrian arched a brow, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. “Well, you made the mess. How do you plan to make it up to me p>
“I’ll wash it right away,” she blurted, panicked.
He casually reached for his buttons. “Should I take it off for you now p>
“Wait! Later! I’ll wash it later!” Sophie yelped, grabbing at his hand in a fluster. Her face was practically on fire.
Just then, Adrian seemed to recall something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn red-string bracelet.
“It belongs with you,” he said simply, setting it gently in her palm.
Sophie stared down at it, her fingers brushing over the tiny stone. A storm of emotions twisted in her chest.
After a long silence, she looked up at him and whispered, “Throw it away for me p>