bCHAPTER /b018

ADRIAN’S POV

“It was bad enough that you couldn’t keep yourself hidden, now one guy beats all four

of you?!” I said, rubbing my chin, trying to keep myposure.

Dan and his men stood in front of me, heads bowed in shame. My patience was already running thin, and their ipetence wasn’t helping.

“Boss, he came prepared with an iron rod, and we’re not really much of a fighter,” one of the guys mumbled hesitantly as if that would justify their failure.

Hearing that excuse only fueled my irritation. I pinched the bridge of my nose, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm myself down.

“You’re not much of a fighter?” I repeated slowly, letting the words sink in. “I pay you arge sum of money each every week, and that’s the bullshit you’re giving me?” My voice wasced with anger as I walked up ito /ithe man who spoke.

He flinched slightly when I stopped right in front of him.

“You know what? You’re all fired,” I said coldly, turning away from them.

“No, please, boss! We’re sorry! It won’t happen again,i” /iDan pleaded, desperation clear

in his voice.

I scoffed at his words. “It won’t happen again, huh?” I took a step closer, grabbed his chin, and forced him to look me in the eye. “Then tell me, do you know where Olivia is?” I asked, my tone dangerously low.

Dan swallowed hard ibefore /imuttering, “No, sir.”

“That’s what I thought.” I released his chin and straightened up. Useless.

“But we can still find her! We know people around who could help track her location! Please, don’t fire us,” Dan said quickly.

Iran a hand through my hair, letting out a long sigh. I hated relying on idiots, but right. nowi, /ithey were all I had. How could one man take down four of them? Who was he-

Jackie Chan?

I walked up to Dan again and adjusted the cor of his shirt. “I’ll give you one more chance,” I said in a slowi, /ideliberate voice. “Find out where she is. Keep a low profile. If you mess this up again, you’re done.”

“Yes, sir,” he answered quickly, nodding.

“Now get out.”

Sessfully unlocked!

They didn’t waste a second before turning around and leaving. As soon as they were gone, my maids entered, quietly cleaning up the broken ss and cing a new bottle of whiskey on the table.

I exhaled sharply, grabbing the bottle and pouring myself another drink.

“One guy,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head at how pathetic they were.

OLIVIA’S POV

My surroundings felt blurry as I walked through a familiar dark hallway. My steps were slow, and cautious, like I was moving through thick fog.

There was a faint glowing from a slightly open door at the end of the corridor. My heartbeat quickened as I reached for the handle, my fingers trembling slightly.

As I stepped inside, my breath hitched.

Dora was on top of Adrian, her body tangled with his. Their skin pressed together, the air filled with soft moans and whispers. My stomach twisted painfully.

I wanted to scream, to cry, to throw something–but all I could do was watch.

Adrian’s eyes met mine, and instead of guilt, a slowi, /isickening smirk spread across his face. Dora turned her headzily, looking at me with amusement.

My chest tightened, and I took a shaky step back–only to collide with something behind me.

I spun around.

Julian.

But something was wrong. His eyes were bleeding. His mouth, too. Blood dripped down his face, staining his shirt.

I tried to speak, to ask him what was happening, but no words came out. My throat was locked, suffocated by fear.

Then I heard a click.

I turned back ito /isee Adrian holding a gun, the barrel pointed directly at my forehead.

His smile widened as he pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang in my ears.

I jolted awake, gasping for air. My hands clenched the sheets, my heart hammering against my ribs.

It took me a moment to realize I was still in Julian’s house, not in that nightmare.

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, my body still trembling.

The pain of Adrian’s betrayal followed me like a ghost, haunting me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. I squeezed my eyes shutb, /bwilling the images to fade away.

The sudden ring of an rm startled me. I turned toward the nightstand and saw the clock shing–8:i00 /iAM.

With a deep breath, I reached over and turned it off.

Slowly, I got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. As soon as I entered, I felt

a wave of dizziness wash over me. I had to grip the sink for support, my fingers pressing into the cold marble.

What page

was wrong with me? Was it exhaustion? Stress?

I turned on the tap and sshed water on my face, hoping it would help.

As I lifted my head to look at my reflection, something caught my attention.

My breasts.

They looked swollen.

A small frown crept onto my face as I turned to the side, inspecting myself more closely. I pulled the strap of my nightgown down slightly, just to be sure.

There hadn’t been any impact on my chest–no bruises, no reason for them to feel tender. So why did they look…different?

I let out a soft sigh. Maybe I was overthinking.

Shaking off the thought, I grabbed my toothbrush and began my morning routine.

Once I finished showering, I stood in front of the mirror, towel wrapped around me, scanning through the clothes the maids had brought. They never asked for my size, so I wasn’t sure if they’d fit.

J picked out a simple top and a pair of shorts. Somethingfortable since I wasn’t

going anywhere

After a moment of hesitation, I decided against wearing a bra. My chest felt sensitive, and I didn’t want to deal with difort today.

To my surprise, the outfit fit almost perfectly, hugging my figure just right. I smoothed my hands over the fabric, pleased with the choice.

Then my stomach growled.

The smell of eggs and toasted bread drifted into my room, making my mouth water.

Breakfast was already being prepared and I was starving

I got my phone and started walking downstairs

Today, Julian and I had a lot to talk about.