5

Amelia’s POV I woke up to the sound of knocking. For one confused second, I forgot where I was. Then I saw the enormous bedroom, the ivory curtains, the untouched champagne from last night, and the wedding dress hanging across the room. Right. Mrs. Wellington. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. The knock came again. “Mrs. Wellington?” I still hated that. “Yes?” “Breakfast will be served in thirty minutes.” “Thank you.” Footsteps disappeared down the hallway. I sat up slowly and immediately remembered the man who had arrived last night. Adrian. Theo’s brother. The brother Theo had warned me about. I had expected some dramatic explanation after seeing him, but Theo had only said Adrian had been abroad for months and apparently decided to return the same night as our wedding. Convenient. I showered, dressed in a simple cream blouse and dark trousers, then stared at myself in the mirror. I looked normal. Which was ridiculous considering there was absolutely nothing normal about my life anymore. I walked downstairs. The dining room was already occupied. Victor sat at the head of the table reading something on his tablet. Theo was halfway through coffee. And Adrian sat across from him. I slowed. He looked different in daylight. Still intimidating. Maybe more so. Theo was handsome in a polished way. Calm. Controlled. Adrian looked harder. His dark hair was slightly messy, his jaw shadowed with stubble, his shoulders filling out the simple black shirt he wore. He looked like he had slept three hours and still somehow managed to make everyone else in the room seem less important. His eyes lifted. Straight to me. No smile. No warmth. Nothing. Theo noticed me first. “Morning.” “Morning.” I took the seat beside him. Theo poured coffee into my cup. “Milk?” “Yes, please.” Adrian watched the entire thing. Not casually. Closely. I hated that immediately. Victor lowered his tablet. “Amelia, you’ve met Adrian?” “Not properly.” Adrian leaned back. “Apparently not.” I looked at him. Was that supposed to mean something? Victor continued. “Adrian handles most of our international investments. Europe, Asia, some of our private equity holdings.” Adrian’s mouth shifted slightly. “I’m sure she’s fascinated.” “I’m trying very hard to be.” Theo choked on his coffee. Adrian looked at me properly then. For a second, I thought he might smile. He didn’t. “So,” he said, “how long did you know Theo before deciding to marry him?” Theo’s hand paused around his cup. I blinked. “Good morning to you too.” “I’m asking a question.” “At breakfast?” “Is there a better time?” “Yes. Never.” Theo lowered his cup. “Adrian.” “What?” “You arrived less than twelve hours ago.” “And somehow you managed to get married during the time I was gone.” Theo’s jaw tightened. I looked between them. Interesting. There was tension there. Old tension. “You could have called,” Theo said. “So could you.” Victor didn’t even look up. He clearly had no intention of stopping them. Adrian turned his attention back to me. “How long?” I sighed. “A few months.” Technically, that was the story everyone had been given. Adrian stared at me. I stared back. He didn’t believe me. I knew it immediately. “And you decided marriage was the logical next step?” “Some people move quickly.” “Some people have reasons.” My eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you asking?” Theo spoke again. “Adrian, enough.” But Adrian ignored him. “How much did your family receive?” Silence. Even Victor looked up. I felt something hot move through my chest. “Excuse me?” Adrian’s voice remained calm. “How much money changed hands?” Theo stood. “That’s enough.” I put a hand up. “No.” Theo looked at me. I turned back to Adrian. “If you have something to say, say it properly.” Adrian’s expression didn’t change. “Fine.” He leaned forward slightly. “Your father’s company was drowning in debt. Then you married my brother, and suddenly the debt disappeared.” My fingers tightened around my coffee cup. “You researched my family?” “I research everyone who becomes part of mine.” “That sounds healthy.” “It keeps problems away.” I laughed once. “So I’m a problem?” “I haven’t decided yet.” I stared at him. The arrogance. It was unbelievable. “You must have a very high opinion of yourself.” “No. I have a realistic opinion of people.” “That sounds even worse.” Theo stepped between us verbally again. “Can we not do this?” Adrian looked at him. “I’m protecting you.” “I didn’t ask you to.” “You never do.” That shut Theo up. For a second, something passed between them. Something deeper than the argument. Then Adrian looked at me again. “I’ve seen women attach themselves to this family before.” I smiled without humor. “And I’ve seen rich men assume every woman wants their money.” His eyes sharpened. “If you hurt Theo, you’ll regret it.” The room went very still. I pushed my chair back. “You know what your problem is?” Adrian lifted an eyebrow. “You think being rich gives you the right to interrogate anyone you want.” “I don’t need money for that.” “No. Apparently arrogance is enough.” Theo covered his mouth. I was almost certain he was trying not to laugh. I stood. “Enjoy breakfast.” Then I walked out before I said something worse. ⸻ I spent most of the afternoon avoiding everyone. Which wasn’t difficult in a house the size of a hotel. Theo found me in the library later. “You called Adrian arrogant.” I looked up from the book I wasn’t really reading. “He is.” Theo sat across from me. “You said it to his face.” “Was I supposed to send a letter?” He laughed. I stared at him. “What?” “Nothing.” “No, say it.” “Most people are terrified of him.” “Well, I’m not.” “That became very clear.” I closed the book. “Why is he like that?” Theo’s expression changed slightly. “Adrian has always been protective.” “That wasn’t protective. That was rude.” “He’s suspicious.” “Of me.” “Of everyone.” I looked toward the windows. “He thinks I married you for money.” Theo didn’t answer. I turned back to him. “That means he knows about my father’s debt.” “He probably looked into it.” “Of course he did.” Theo leaned back. “He doesn’t know the details.” “Meaning?” “He doesn’t know our marriage is an arrangement.” That got my attention. “You haven’t told him?” “No.” “Why?” Theo looked away. “Because Adrian has a habit of fixing things nobody asked him to fix.” I almost laughed. “That sounds accurate.” “He’d start asking questions. Too many.” “About Ethan?” Theo’s eyes snapped back to mine. I lowered my voice. “Sorry.” “No. It’s fine.” “Does Adrian know about him?” “No.” That surprised me. “You said he practically raised you.” Theo was quiet for a moment. “He did.” “But he doesn’t know.” “No.” I wanted to ask more. I didn’t. Some things were clearly complicated. ⸻ Dinner was worse. Not because Adrian questioned me again. Because he didn’t. He barely spoke to me. Which somehow felt more irritating. Victor discussed business for most of the meal. Theo seemed bored. Adrian seemed interested. I focused on the food. Then Victor said, “Adrian will remain here for the next several months.” My fork stopped. I looked up. Adrian glanced at me. Slowly. Then he smiled. Cold. Tiny. Infuriating. I nearly groaned aloud. Theo noticed. He looked down quickly, probably hiding another laugh. “Several months?” I asked before I could stop myself. Victor looked at me. “Yes. Is that a problem?” Adrian answered before I could. “I’m sure Amelia is delighted.” I forced a smile. “Overjoyed.” “Good.” I wanted to throw my water at him. ⸻ After dinner, I escaped outside. The air was cooler than I expected. The estate grounds were quiet, the pool glowing softly beneath the lights. I breathed in. Finally. No cameras. No Victor. No marriage questions. No Adrian. “Running away?” I closed my eyes. Of course. I turned. Adrian stood near the far side of the pool with one hand in his pocket. “You really do appear everywhere.” “This is my house.” “That explains the ego.” He walked closer. “You’re very defensive.” “You’re very invasive.” “I asked questions.” “You accused me of marrying Theo for money.” “Did you?” I stared at him. He stared back. I could have lied. Technically, I had married Theo because of money. But not in the way Adrian believed. “That’s none of your business.” “My brother is my business.” “Your brother is an adult.” “He can still make bad decisions.” “And apparently you’ve appointed yourself judge of all of them.” He stopped a few feet away. “You don’t know Theo.” “And you don’t know me.” “I know enough.” “No. You know numbers.” His expression shifted slightly. I continued. “You know my father had debt. You know your family paid it. You know I married Theo afterward.” “That’s more than enough to ask questions.” “No. It’s enough to make assumptions.” He looked at me for a long second. Then he said, “You don’t act like newlyweds.” My stomach tightened. “What?” “You and Theo.” I forced myself to remain calm. “What about us?” “You don’t touch unless someone is watching.” My pulse jumped. “That’s ridiculous.” “Is it?” “Yes.” “He left you alone with me this morning.” “You’re his brother.” “Exactly.” I laughed. “What does that even mean?” “If I’d spoken to another man’s wife the way I spoke to you at breakfast, most husbands would have reacted.” “Theo did react.” “Barely.” My throat felt dry. He was watching too closely. Theo had been right. Adrian noticed everything. I stepped backward. “You’re imagining things.” “Am I?” “Yes.” My heel slid. The stone beneath my foot was wet. Everything happened quickly. I lost my balance. Adrian moved. One second I was falling. The next, his arm was around my waist. Hard. Secure. My hands landed against his chest. We froze. My breath caught. He was closer than he had ever been. Much closer. I could feel the warmth of him through his shirt. His hand was still around my waist. My fingers were still pressed against his chest. Neither of us moved. The anger between us disappeared for one strange second. Something else replaced it. Something sharper. More dangerous. Adrian’s eyes dropped to my mouth. Only for a second. But I saw it. My heart kicked hard. I pulled in a shaky breath. His eyes lifted back to mine. “What?” I whispered. He seemed to remember himself. Slowly, his grip loosened. He helped me stand properly. Then he stepped back. The space between us felt colder now. I hated how much I noticed. Adrian looked at me differently. Not softer. Just more certain. That was worse. “You’re hiding something, Amelia,” he said quietly. My stomach tightened. “And I’m going to find out what it is.”