Chapter 30 – The Confrontation
The silence in the car was unbearable.
Nathan drove cautiously, his hands steady on the wheel, but his eyes kept flicking nervously to the rearview mirror. Behind him sat two people who were worlds apart in their expressions: Lila, quiet and uneasy, staring out the window, and Adrian, his jaw locked tight, a storm brewing in his dark eyes.
Lila twisted her fingers in her lap, replaying everything in her head—the café, Tristan's hand on hers, Adrian's voice cutting through the air, the commanding way he ordered her to leave. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since.
She stole a glance at him. He looked composed on the surface, but she could feel it. Beneath that polished exterior, he was simmering.
When they finally pulled into the driveway of their home, Adrian didn't wait for Nathan to open the door. He stepped out briskly, coming around to Lila's side. He opened the door himself, his hand extending, but not gently.
"Inside," he said curtly.
Lila blinked at him. "Adrian—"
"Inside," he repeated, his voice low, controlled, but sharp as a blade.
She sighed, stepping out carefully. Nathan pretended not to notice the tension, his eyes fixed forward. Adrian didn't even glance back at him as he took Lila by the wrist, guiding her firmly through the front door.
The moment they stepped inside, Adrian shut the door with a quiet but decisive thud. The air between them thickened instantly.
Lila pulled her hand free and turned to him. "Why are you acting like this?" she asked, her voice soft but tinged with frustration. "You stormed in back there like—like I was doing something wrong."
Adrian stood tall, his eyes locked on hers, unreadable yet burning with something she couldn't quite name.
"What were you doing with him?" His voice was low, dangerously calm.
Lila frowned. "Tristan only wanted to talk about the script. That's all."
"Talk?" Adrian took a slow step toward her. "In a café, alone, with his hand on yours?"
Lila's cheeks flushed. "That was nothing. He was just—"
"Don't," Adrian cut in sharply. His tone made her fall silent. "Don't tell me it was nothing. I saw the way he looked at you."
She blinked at him, confusion and a strange flutter in her chest battling inside her. "Why does it matter to you how he looked at me?"
Adrian didn't answer right away. His hands were clenched at his sides, his breathing steady but heavy. Finally, he spoke, his words clipped. "Because you're mine, Lila."
Her heart stopped.
She stared at him, her lips parting, unable to form words. Mine. The word echoed in her head, leaving her dizzy.
"Adrian…" she whispered.
He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him, close enough that her breath hitched. "I won't stand by while another man touches what belongs to me."
Lila's chest tightened, torn between indignation and the strange thrill his words ignited. She forced herself to hold his gaze. "I don't belong to anyone."
For a moment, silence hung heavy between them. Then Adrian let out a low laugh, humorless and edged with something darker. "You think you don't. But you do."
Lila swallowed hard, shaking her head. "You can't just claim me like that. I agreed to this marriage for reasons you know. That doesn't give you the right to—"
"To what?" Adrian cut in, his voice rising slightly, though still controlled. "To protect you? To get angry when I see another man holding you like he has a right to you?"
She looked away, her pulse racing. "You're overreacting."
"Am I?" His voice dropped lower, rougher now. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her chin, tilting her face back up to meet his eyes. His touch was firm but not rough, sending shivers down her spine. "Tell me, Lila. If it was really nothing, why did you pull away from him the moment I came?"
Her eyes widened. "I—"
"You didn't want him to drive you home. You walked to me instead." His gaze bore into hers, dark and intense. "Why?"
Lila's lips trembled, her words faltering. "Because… because it was the right thing to do."
Adrian smirked faintly, though his eyes remained hard. "No. Because you wanted to."
The truth in his tone unsettled her, and she stepped back, needing space, needing air. "You're twisting everything."
Adrian followed, his steps slow, predatory, his presence overwhelming. "Am I? Or are you just afraid to admit it?"
Her back hit the edge of the couch, leaving her no escape. She pressed her palms against it, trying to steady herself.
"I don't know what you want me to say," she whispered.
"I don't want you to say anything." His voice was husky now, his control fraying at the edges. "I want you to understand one thing."
He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "You are my wife. And whether you like it or not, that means no one else gets to touch you, to look at you, to claim even a piece of you."
Lila's entire body trembled. She wanted to argue, to tell him he was being unreasonable, but her voice betrayed her, shaky and weak. "Adrian…"
His name left her lips like a plea, and that was his undoing.
Before she could blink, his hand cupped the back of her neck, and his lips crushed against hers.
The kiss was fierce, demanding, fueled by frustration and possession, but underneath it, there was something else—something raw and unspoken.
Lila gasped, her hands instinctively pressing against his chest, but instead of pushing him away, they clutched at his shirt. Her resolve melted as his mouth moved against hers, pulling her deeper into the storm that was Adrian.
When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, both of them breathing heavily. His eyes searched hers, dark and searching.
"You drive me insane," he whispered hoarsely. "Do you know that?"
Lila's chest rose and fell rapidly, her own emotions tangled and overwhelming. "Adrian…" she started, but her voice broke.
His thumb brushed against her cheek, softer now, almost tender. "Don't ever let Tristan near you again."
She blinked at him, torn between anger and the warmth that blossomed in her chest. "You can't control who I talk to."
His lips curved faintly, dangerously. "Watch me."
And with that, he pulled her back into another kiss, leaving her no space to argue, no room to think.
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The night stretched on, filled with unspoken emotions and unanswered questions. And though neither of them said it aloud, both Adrian and Lila knew—something had shifted between them.
The lines they had drawn were no longer clear.
And neither of them could pretend anymore.
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