bChapter /bb143 /b

ADRIAN’S POV

Why was she just standing there, frozen like a statue, eyes locked on the TV screen? I really didn’t have time for whatever drama Dora had cooked bup /btoday. My body was sore, my head was pounding, and all I wanted was to head upstairs, take a long, hot shower, and get some well–earned rest.

“Seriously, Adrian, you need to see this,” she insisted, her tone more urgent this time.

I sighed loudly, dragging my feet toward where she stood, arms folded, remote clutched tightly in her hand. The look on her face was unreadable–some mix of shock and maybe a hint of satisfaction. I was expecting something ridiculous–maybe another celebrity scandal or some overhyped piece of gossip she thought was important. But when I turned to the TV screen, what I saw immediately ignited something sharp in my chest–fury at first, then a slow, simmering curiosity.

mes engulfed a house, smoke billowing into the sky as sirens wailed in the background. It was chaos. I instinctively pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to rein in my growing annoyance.

“So you called me over here just to see a random house go up in mes?” I asked, my voice edged with irritation.

She didn’t even look at me as she replied. “Why don’t you take a look at the name of the estate before ring up on me?”

Then, with an over–the–top sigh, she dropped the remote onto the couch and walked out of the living room like she was done with the conversation.

I rolled my eyes. Fine, I looked at the bottom of the screenb, /bwhere the news ticker scrolled slowly in red, bold letters.

“Massive fire consumes luxury home in Ravenswood Estate–property belongs to Julian ke.”

Julian ke? The name rang a bell, faint but annoying like a mosquito buzzing in my ear. I stared at the name a second longer before it hit me.

“Oh,” I muttered. “That asshole who was always hanging around Olivia, acting like her personal bodyguard or some knight in shining armor.”

Now I remembered. The guy never knew how to mind his business. Always inserting himself where he wasn’t wanted, always ring at me like I was some kind of monster. A permanent thorn in my side.

“Well, I guess karma finally caught up with him,” I said, unable bto /bstop the smirk spreading across my lips. I even chuckled a little under my breath.

I picked up the remote and turned the volume down before heading into the kitchen. I grabbed a clean ss from the cupboard and poured myself some juice from the half–empty bottle in the fridge. As I sipped, I scanned the kitchen, realizing how quiet the house had betely. Too quiet.

I needed to hire more help. The maids were quitting one by one. The house was bing cold, empty. Not that I cared about the silence, but someone had to keep the ce running.

“At least when Olivia was still here, things got done,” I muttered to myselfb, /bresting the ss on the marble counter. b“/bDora barely lifted a finger before she got pregnant, and now that she’s pregnant? She’s practically furniture.”

I sighed again, deeper this time.

Where would Olivia even be nowi? /iShe wouldn’t bgo /bback to her so–called parents after discovering the truth. And she probably bdidn’t /bhave benough /bbmoney /bto return to her old apartment–assuming it was even avable.

I pausedb, /bswirling the juice in my ssb, /bba /bstray thought creeping in.

Was she struggling right now?

The idea of Olivia out there with no roof over her head, vulnerable and possibly alone… it stirred something in me. Not pity. Nob, /bbnever /bthatb. /bbBut /bba /bnagging thought I couldn’t quite shake off.

Thest time she left here, she went to stay with Julian. That much I knew for certain, and the next thing I knew, bshe /bbwas /bunder bJulian’s /bbroof/b. It pissed bme /b

b1/3 /b

boff /bmore than I care to admit.

bNow/bb, /bthough… could it be that she went back to him again?

I leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, the weight of the thought pressing hard on my chest. Was she really with him again? The bidea /balone made my jaw tighten.

But bno/b—maybe I was overthinking things. Olivia had other friends. At least I hoped she did. It’s never really tried to be part of it before everything went to hell. Maybe that was my mistake.

not

like she ever let me fully into her world. And honestly, bI /b

Still, something didn’t sit right with me. A quiet voice in the back of my mind kept nagging me, whispering that she could be in danger. Not because thought she was fragile–far from it. But because If she truly went to stay with Julian and his house is on fire does that mean?

I pulled out my phone and called Dan. If anyone could find out what I needed without causing a scene, it was him.

“Are you around the area?” I asked as soon as he picked up.

“Yes, sir,” he replied quickly, always sharp, always ready.

“I want you to check Olivia’s apartment. Don’t let her see you like thest time, just wait quietly in ba /bcorner until you see her enter or leave bthe /bapartment”

“Understood, sir,” he said. I didn’t bother with goodbyes. I ended the call.

I stood there for a moment, still holding the phone, trying to convince myself I was doing this out of responsibility, not concern. But the truth was harder to swallow. The truth was–I was concerned. And that irritated the hell out of me.

“She’s fine,” I muttered to myself. “I’m just taking things too far, again.”

There’s no way she’s… no. I couldn’t even finish the thought. I forced a smirk to my lips, as if that would silence the worry building in my chest.

But then, why did I care? Why was I suddenly acting like her well–being had anything to do with me? I didn’t owe her anything–not anymore. We had made our choices. She walked away. Twice.

Still… would it really hurt to know she was okay?

I sighed and was just about to leave the kitchen when my phone buzzed in my hand. Dan. Already?

That was fast.

I picked up the call. “She’s still living in that apartment, right?” asked, almost hoping he’d say yes so I could put this all to rest.

“I’m afraid not, sir,” Dan replied. His voice was calm, but his words struck me like a punch in the gut. “I didn’t have to wait long. There are people moving in–new tenants. I asked around discreetly. No one named Olivia lives there anymore.”

I froze, gripping the phone tighter. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, sir. Positive. The neighbors say someone new just signed the leasest week. She’s gone.”

Gone?

I lowered the phone from my ear, staring nkly at the kitchen tiles. If she wasn’t at her apartment… where was she? Back with Julian?

A thousand worst–case scenarios flooded my head.

I didn’t want to believe it, but the uncertainty in my chest started to feel like panic. And I hated that.

Could the worst have happened?