The Vale estate loomed before Adrian like a fortress, its marble walls and tall iron gates gleaming in the morning sun. Once, this place had been his sanctuary. Today, it felt like enemy territory.
He parked, jaw tight, and strode up the steps. The heavy doors opened before he could touch them, as if the house itself anticipated his arrival. The butler's cautious bow was unnecessary; Adrian's boots echoed across the marble foyer with a determination that silenced the staff.
They were waiting.
The council chamber — a grand, wood-paneled room lined with portraits of generations of Vales — smelled faintly of cigars and polished oak. At the long mahogany table sat Richard Vale, patriarch of the family empire, with Evelyn at his side, regal and cold in her pearl necklace. Around them, uncles, aunts, and distant cousins filled the seats like judges on a throne.
Adrian didn't hesitate. He pushed open the double doors and entered, eyes blazing.
"Adrian," Richard said smoothly, though his voice carried a razor's edge. "You've kept us waiting."
"Then let's not waste more time." Adrian's gaze swept the table. "If this is about Maya, I'll make it simple. I'm not leaving her."
A murmur rippled through the room. Evelyn's lips tightened. "Adrian, we warned you. That girl does not belong in this family. She's a liability."
"She's the woman I love," Adrian shot back, his voice reverberating through the chamber. "And I will not allow you to dictate who I spend my life with."
Richard leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "Love is a weakness. Empires are not built on feelings. They're built on alliances, strategy, power. You would throw it all away for a… passing infatuation?"
Adrian's fist slammed onto the table, rattling glasses. "Don't you dare call her that. Maya is worth more than every dollar in this empire combined. She's the only person who sees me, not the name, not the fortune. Me."
Aunt Lucille sniffed. "Romantic nonsense. You'll regret it when the board removes you."
Adrian turned, his blue eyes flashing like ice. "Let them try."
Richard rose slowly, the room falling into silence as the patriarch stood. His towering figure radiated authority. "If you continue down this path, Adrian, you are no son of mine. You will be cut from the inheritance. Stripped of every privilege you take for granted. The Vale name will no longer protect you."
Adrian's chest heaved, but he didn't flinch. "Then take it. Take your wealth, your name, your empire. I never wanted it if it meant living on your leash."
Gasps echoed around the table. Evelyn paled, her pearls trembling against her collarbone. "Adrian, think of what you're saying—"
"I have thought about it," he snapped. "Every night, every moment I've watched Maya suffer because of your cruelty. If this empire demands I sacrifice the only woman I've ever loved, then burn it. I won't bow to you."
Richard's eyes darkened. "You foolish boy. Do you think this is a game? Do you think walking away makes you free? You may abandon us, but you cannot erase the power we hold. We will destroy her reputation, Adrian. By the time we're finished, Maya will wish she had never crossed paths with you."
The threat hit like a physical blow. Adrian's knuckles whitened against the table. For a moment, his control nearly snapped. "If you touch her—"
Richard cut him off, his voice a whip. "She will be nothing. The press, the investors, the public — all will see her as a gold-digging parasite. We will bury her so deep she'll never claw her way back."
Adrian's breathing turned ragged, fury trembling in every muscle. His father's words weren't just threats; they were promises. He pictured Maya's face, her tear-stained eyes that morning when she begged him not to walk away. He remembered the way she held him like he was her world.
And something inside him hardened.
"You've underestimated me, Father," he said, voice low, dangerous. "I'm not the boy you can bend anymore. You think you can destroy her? Then you'll have to go through me. And I promise you, I will tear down everything you built before I let you touch her."
The chamber erupted in chaos — voices overlapping, cousins shouting, Evelyn rising in horror. But Adrian didn't stay to listen. He turned sharply, the weight of his decision burning in his chest, and strode toward the doors.
"Adrian!" Richard's booming voice followed him. "If you walk out now, you are no longer a Vale!"
Adrian paused at the threshold, his back rigid. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, his gaze locking on his father.
"I'd rather be no one than be the son you want me to be."
And with that, he left, the heavy doors slamming shut behind him.
The hall felt colder, emptier, but Adrian's heart burned with defiance. He knew what awaited him now: war. The Vales would unleash every weapon at their disposal. They would come for Maya.
But as he strode out into the sunlight, Adrian swore he would be ready. For once in his life, he wasn't fighting for the empire. He was fighting for love. And this was one war he refused to lose.