The storm began on a Tuesday morning, quiet and unassuming, the kind of morning where Liana genuinely believed things might finally settle. The scandal from the gala had slowly begun dying down. People had found newer stories to obsess over. The bruise on Adrian's jaw had almost faded. Even the office whispers had softened into occasional glances instead of constant murmurs.
For the first time in weeks, Liana had woken up with something that resembled peace.
She made her coffee, tied her hair into a loose bun, and took a deep breath before leaving her apartment. She didn't expect the day to change anything. She didn't expect the past to crawl back. She didn't expect to be tested again.
But the universe wasn't done with her.
She felt the first crack in that fragile peace the moment she arrived at the office and noticed the strange silence. People weren't whispering today—they were avoiding looking at her altogether. Some offered tight smiles. Others stared at their screens as if she was invisible.
Her pulse quickened.
When she reached her desk, she found her phone buzzing relentlessly. Messages from unknown numbers. Notifications. Mentions. Articles.
Her heart dropped as soon as she opened the first headline:
"EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Contract Reveals Liana Rivera's Arranged Marriage With CEO Ethan Cole."
Her vision blurred.
Another headline:
"Was Liana Rivera Paid to Be the CEO's Wife? Contract Details Suggest Cold Agreement."
Her hands shook as she clicked on the screenshots. There it was, her signature next to Ethan's. Clauses written in sharp legal language. Expectations. Boundaries. Responsibilities. Financial terms. Public appearances. Emotional distance disguised as professionalism.
Everything she thought she had buried had been dragged into the light.
Her chest tightened painfully. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no-"
She didn't realize Adrian had approached until his hand landed gently on her shoulder.
"Come with me," he said quietly.
She followed him into his office, numb, barely able to breathe. He closed the door, circled around, and placed a printed copy of the leaked contract on his desk. The bold headlines were like knives.
"I didn't know it was this bad," Adrian murmured, his voice low with disbelief. "I knew he hurt you… but this… Liana, this is-"
"A nightmare." Her voice cracked. "This was supposed to stay in the past."
Adrian hesitated. "I'm sorry, but… someone intentionally leaked it. And Ethan Cole is the only person who had access to the original."
A sharp inhale tore from her chest as reality crashed down. "He wouldn't…"
Adrian gave her a look that made the truth impossible to avoid.
"He's desperate," Adrian said. "And desperate men do stupid, dangerous things."
Liana sank into the nearest chair, head in her hands. "Why would he think this would help him? Why would he think dragging me through this again would bring me back?"
"Because he believes losing you is temporary," Adrian replied, leaning on the desk. "He thinks you need to be reminded of the life you came from. The life you escaped."
Her throat burned. "But this doesn't just affect me. My company… my coworkers… my job…"
Adrian's jaw tightened. "And I won't let anything happen to you here."
She looked up at him, eyes swimming with fear and anger. "You shouldn't have to fix this because of me."
"Let me worry about that," he said softly. "Liana, you deserve protection. You deserve someone who stands between you and the fire, not someone who throws you into it."
He meant Ethan.
She felt the weight of those words settle in her chest.
Before she could speak, the office intercom crackled, and someone's voice, nervous, strained, announced, "Mr. Hale… the board wants an emergency meeting. It's about the scandal."
Adrian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Of course they do."
He stood up, then turned back to her. His eyes softened instantly. "Stay in my office until I return. Don't read anything. Don't open anything."
"Adrian-"
"Please," he said, almost pleading. "Let me handle this."
She nodded.
He left quickly, his stride steady, but she could see the controlled fury in every movement. She remained still, surrounded by silence, her breath shallow and uneven. The contract on the desk seemed to glare at her, taunting her, reminding her of every moment she had fought to forget.
She hated this. She hated feeling exposed again. She hated that Ethan still had this power over her life. And in the deep, bruised part of her heart, she hated that a piece of her still cared enough to hurt.
Three hours passed slowly.
The door opened, and Adrian finally returned, exhaustion etched across his features. But there was resolve in his eyes.
"I shut it down," he said, loosening his tie. "The board wanted a statement from you. I refused. I told them if they tried to make you address a scandal that wasn't your fault, I'd walk out and take half their investors with me."
Her eyes widened. "Adrian, you can't threaten-"
"I didn't threaten," he corrected gently. "I promised."
She didn't know what to say. Gratitude swelled in her chest so powerfully it almost hurt.
"You're safe here," Adrian said quietly. "I made sure of it."
She swallowed hard, voice trembling. "Thank you."
He walked closer, kneeling down in front of her the same way he had weeks ago, his hand resting over hers. "I told you I'd prove you deserve better."
Her chest tightened, but this time from warmth, not fear.
Before she could say another word, her phone buzzed again. She stared at it, refusing to open anything. But Adrian gently reached for it.
"Let me check."
She nodded shakily.
He unlocked it, expecting another article, but instead his expression darkened sharply.
"It's from Ethan." Her heart stuttered. "What does it say?"
Adrian took a slow breath. "He wants to meet. He says he can 'explain everything.' That you're misunderstanding his intentions."
She exhaled shakily. "I don't want to see him. I can't-"
"You don't have to," Adrian said firmly, placing the phone on the table.
Another message appeared almost instantly. The screen lit up with Ethan's angry desperation.
"Liana, please. I need to fix this. You're twisting everything. I'm doing all of this for us."
Her stomach turned.
Adrian's jaw locked. "Forcing you back into a contract through public humiliation is not love."
She nodded weakly.
Adrian picked up her phone again. "He needs a response. And since you're not going to talk to him… I will."
"Adrian, wait—"
But he was already typing, expression cold in a way she had never seen from him before. His gentleness vanished, replaced by something sharper, more dangerous.
He finished typing and showed her the message before sending it.
"If you can't let her go, I'll destroy you completely."
Liana's breath caught.
Her heart thudded painfully.
"Adrian… what did you just do?"
He hit send without hesitation.
Then he looked at her with a calm, steady expression that sent a shiver down her spine, not of fear, but of realization.
Adrian Hale was done playing nice.
And Ethan Cole had just made an enemy far more powerful than he expected.