The world seemed to stop spinning as Adrian stepped fully into the warm light of the private study. Valerie’s heart pounded so hard against her ribs it felt like trapped lightning. On the floor between them lay Daniel Morgan, the estate's top security expert, completely knocked out cold. And standing over him was Valerie, a counterfeit bride caught red-handed with stolen corporate data on her wedding night.
Adrian did not look angry. Instead, his dark eyes crawled over her with a terrifying, calm curiosity. He walked past Daniel’s unconscious body as if it were nothing more than a discarded piece of furniture, stopping just a few feet away from her.
"I must admit, you are full of surprises," Adrian said, his deep voice smooth and entirely devoid of fear. He looked down at Daniel, then back up at Valerie’s fierce face. "Daniel was trained by elite military personnel. To knock him down with a single strike requires not just strength, but perfect technique. Chloe Prescott cannot even open a tight jar of jam without hurting her wrist."
Valerie did not retreat. She stood her ground, her jaw clenched, keeping her hand clamped firmly over the hidden pocket containing the flash drive. "You saw the whole thing. You were standing out there the entire time."
"Most of it," Adrian admitted, a cold, mocking smile playing on his lips. "I came back the moment I realized the vase didn't fall on its own. I watched Daniel attempt to blackmail you, and I watched you put him to sleep. You saved me the trouble of firing him tomorrow. He was always far too greedy."
"If you are going to call the police, just do it," Valerie snapped, dropping all pretense. Her voice was sharp, a complete contrast to her sister's usual whisper. "But do not waste my time with mind games."
Adrian chuckled, a low, dark sound that sent a strange shiver down her spine. "Call the police? And ruin my own wedding night? The press would have a field day. Besides, a police investigation would freeze the Prescott trust fund immediately, which is exactly what neither of us wants."
He took another step forward, his towering frame completely eclipsing her under the study lights. The scent of his expensive cologne mixed with the faint smell of rain hanging on Valerie’s skin.
"You want the trust fund money to keep your sister alive," Adrian stated calmly, his eyes narrowing. "And I need this marriage to remain perfectly intact so my grandfather, Orion Thorne, does not strip me of my CEO title. We have a shared interest, Valerie."
Hearing her real name on his lips again made her flinch. "How long have you known?"
"From the very second you walked down the aisle," Adrian replied smoothly. "Chloe always looks at the floor when she walks. You looked straight at me, as if you wanted to challenge me to a duel. Physical similarity can fool the world, but it cannot fool a man who analyzes details for a living."
He extended his large hand toward her, palm upward. "Now, give me the flash drive. It contains the encrypted financial routing codes for Thorne Enterprises. If that data leaves this room, my empire falls."
Valerie gripped the drive tighter through the silk fabric. "If I give it to you, Levi Black will pull the plug on Chloe's life support. He gave me twenty-four hours to deliver it to a drop point. I cannot let her die, Adrian."
Adrian’s expression hardened, his eyes turning to absolute ice. "Levi Black is using you as a disposable pawn. If you give him that drive, he will ruin me, and then he will kill your sister anyway to erase the evidence. He does not leave loose ends."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Valerie demanded, desperation finally cracking through her fierce facade. "I cannot just do nothing!"
"We fight back together," Adrian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, commanding whisper. "You give me the real drive. I will have my tech team create a counterfeit duplicate with corrupted data that looks perfectly identical. You will deliver the fake drive to Levi’s drop point tomorrow. It buy us time, and it keeps your sister safe."
Valerie stared at his open palm, her mind racing through the options. She didn't trust Adrian Thorne. He was a ruthless tycoon who cared only about his corporate power. But he was right about one thing: Levi Black was a monster who would never let them go alive. Working with the devil in front of her was her only chance of survival.
Slowly, reluctantly, Valerie reached into her pocket. She pulled out the sleek black flash drive and dropped it into Adrian’s hand. Their fingers brushed for a brief second, and a jolt of pure heat flared between them.
"Smart choice," Adrian murmured, slipping the drive into his pocket. "Go back to the west wing and rest. I will handle Daniel, and I will have the duplicate drive ready for you by sunrise."
Valerie didn't say another word. She gathered her heavy wedding gown and hurried out of the study, her mind spinning with exhaustion and fear.
An hour later, Valerie was finally alone in the massive, opulent master bedroom of the west wing. She had stripped off the suffocating wedding gown and changed into a simple silk robe. Sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed, she stared out the grand glass windows at the dark woods surrounding the estate.
Suddenly, her burner phone buzzed violently on the nightstand.
Thinking it was another threat from Levi Black, Valerie snatched it up quickly. But the message wasn't a text. It was a restricted video call.
She pressed answer, and the screen flashed to life, showing a dimly lit hospital room.
Valerie gasped, dropping the phone onto the bed sheets. On the screen, the medical monitors around Chloe's bed were violently flashing red, and a masked figure was standing directly over her comatose sister, holding a massive, gleaming syringe right above Chloe's IV line.
