“I don’t lie,” he said calmly.
“Everyone lies.”
“Not about numbers.”
My heart pounded violently against my ribs.
“Why do you care?” I demanded.
“Because I prefer clean victories.”
“And destroying my fiancé isn’t enough?”
His jaw flexed.
“This isn’t personal.”
“Then stop making it feel that way.”
Silence stretched between us.
Then, quietly, “You’re smarter than he thinks.”
That caught me off guard.
“What?”
“You ask the right questions,” Adrian continued. “You don’t blindly defend.”
“That doesn’t mean I believe you.”
“No,” he agreed. “But it means you’re thinking.”
His hand slid from the railing.
Freedom.
I stepped back, needing space.
“If what you’re saying is true…” My voice faltered. “Then what?”
“Then you protect yourself.”
“And how exactly do I do that?”
“Separate your assets. Delay the wedding. Don’t sign anything.”
My pulse thundered in my ears.
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m warning you.”
“Why?”
A beat.
Because I don’t want you destroyed.
He didn’t say it.
But I saw something flicker in his eyes.
Something dangerously close to truth.
Instead, he said, “Because when this ends, I don’t want you hating me for something I didn’t do.”
My breath caught.
“You’re the one causing this.”
“I’m exposing it.”
The distinction felt razor-thin.
“You’re asking me to betray him.”
“I’m asking you to open your eyes.”
My phone buzzed in my clutch.
Dylan.
I stared at the screen.
Adrian watched me carefully.
“Answer it,” he said.
I did.
“Where are you?” Dylan asked immediately.
“At home,” I lied.
The word felt heavy on my tongue.
Adrian’s expression didn’t change.
But his eyes darkened.
“Board meeting ran late,” Dylan continued. “We need to talk when I get back.”
“About what?”
A pause.
“About the prenup.”
The word slammed into me.
Prenup?
“We already discussed it,” I said slowly.
“Yeah, well. There are… updates.”
My chest tightened.
“What kind of updates?”
“I’ll explain later.”
He hung up.
The rooftop suddenly felt too high.
Too exposed.
Adrian’s voice was quiet when he spoke again.
“Updates.”
I swallowed hard.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
I looked at him, anger and fear tangling together.
“You orchestrated this.”
“No.”
“But you’re benefiting from it.”
“Yes.”
The honesty was brutal.
I ran a hand through my hair, mind spinning.
“Why me?” I whispered. “Why does this feel like I’m in the middle of a war I didn’t start?”
“Because you are.”
“And what if I choose him?” I challenged.
Adrian’s gaze sharpened.
“Then I’ll still win.”
The confidence in his tone should’ve enraged me.
Instead, it terrified me.
“You’re arrogant.”
“I’m prepared.”
He stepped closer again, but this time it felt different.
Less strategic.
More personal.
“When this collapses,” he said softly, “and it will collapse… you can come to me.”
“For what?” I breathed.
“Protection.”
The word lingered between us.
“You think I need saving?”
“I think you deserve honesty.”
“And you’re the honest one?”
“Yes.”
My heart pounded violently.
“Why does this feel like a trap?”
“Because you don’t trust me.”
“Should I?”
A beat.
“No.”
The answer stunned me.
“But you should verify what I’ve told you.”
His honesty disarmed me more than manipulation ever could.
“I hate that you might be right,” I whispered.
“I know.”
The city wind lifted my hair, brushing it across my face.
Adrian reached out instinctively—
Then stopped himself.
The restraint was louder than any touch.
“You should go,” he said finally.
“Why?”
“Because if you stay any longer, this stops being business.”
My breath caught.
“And what does it become?”
His jaw tightened.
“Complicated.”
My phone buzzed again.
Dylan: I’m coming home early.
Panic flickered in my chest.
“I have to go.”
Adrian nodded once.
“Serena.”
I paused.
“Don’t sign anything without reading the fine print.”
“And if I do?”
His eyes hardened.
“Then I won’t be able to help you.”
I turned toward the elevator.
“Why would you help me?” I asked quietly, without looking back.
Silence.
Then—
“Because I don’t lose what I want.”
My pulse stumbled.
I didn’t respond.
I stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close.
The last thing I saw was Adrian Vale standing alone under the city lights.
Watching me leave.
And for the first time since this war began—
I wasn’t sure which side I was on.