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Eva’s breath caught in her throat as her back hit the wall with a sharp thud. The cold, smooth surface sent a shiver down her spine, and for a moment, everything around her seemed to blur except for Adrian, who stood inches away, his grip tight on her shoulder.
She tried to push him away, but his presence was like an immovable force, and her words caught in her throat, tangled with the sudden rush of emotions. She hadn’t expected this—a confrontation, a standoff of sorts—but she wasn’t about to back down.
Adrian’s eyes were dark, his expression unreadable, and his voice was low, almost dangerous. “What was that supposed to mean, Eva? You think I don’t see what you’re doing?” His words came out in a soft growl, as if laced with frustration that he could no longer contain.
Eva’s chest rose and fell with her breathing, but she stood her ground. She narrowed her eyes, her tone biting. “What am I doing, Adrian? You really want to play this game? Or is it something else you’re upset about?”
His hand on her shoulder tightened, not painfully, but enough to make her aware of the tension between them. He leaned in slightly, his lips almost brushing her ear. “You know exactly what I mean. You think you can make a little jab and then walk away like it’s nothing?”
Eva bit her lip, fighting the urge to let her anger slip through. She wanted to push him away, to assert her boundaries, but there was something in the way he was looking at her, something raw and vulnerable beneath his usual cold exterior, that made her hesitate.
“You don’t get to manipulate me like that, Eva. I won’t just let you walk away from this.” His voice was quieter now, almost a whisper, but it carried a weight that made Eva’s heart race.
She stood still, her mind racing as she processed his words. Manipulate him? Was that how he saw it? Eva could feel her own frustration boiling over now. She wasn’t trying to manipulate him—she was simply defending herself, protecting her own space. Yet, here he was, cornering her, forcing her to confront something she wasn’t ready to face.
She met his gaze, her voice icy as she said, “You’re the one who’s always been so damn unreadable, Adrian. You expect me to act according to your whims, to read your mind like some damn puzzle. But guess what? I’m not playing that game anymore.”
For a brief moment, there was silence between them. Adrian’s grip loosened, but he didn’t step back. His eyes searched hers, something flickering in his gaze—something almost pleading. “Eva…” he started, but his voice faltered, like he didn’t quite know how to continue.
Eva felt her heart soften for a brief moment, but she quickly masked it with an almost imperceptible sigh. She straightened up, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “I’ve had enough of this. Of you. Of everything.”
She pushed past him again, this time with more force, but as she reached the door, Adrian’s voice called out, low and firm. “Don’t walk away from me, Eva.”
She paused, her hand on the doorknob, and without turning around, she spoke. “I’m not walking away, Adrian. I’m just done with the games. So you can keep playing them with Vivian, for all I care.”
A beat of silence.
Then, Adrian’s voice, quieter, almost regretful. “Eva, I don’t want to play any games. Not with you. Not with her.”
She didn’t respond, her back still to him, her fingers tightening around the knob. The words hung in the air like a weight neither of them wanted to bear.
But before she could leave, she felt Adrian’s presence behind her, much closer now. His hand was on her arm, and his voice came again, softer but with an undeniable edge. “Please, don’t go yet.”
Eva froze. She wasn’t sure if it was the desperation in his voice or the feeling of him so close, but she knew one thing: she couldn’t run away from this. Not anymore.
She slowly turned to face him, her chest tight with anticipation. “What do you want, Adrian?”
His eyes locked with hers, and for a moment, there was only the sound of their breathing, their proximity palpable. “I need to figure this out. I can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine, like I don’t care about you, like I don’t care about… us.”
Eva’s breath caught. The air between them crackled with unspoken tension. She searched his face, looking for the sincerity behind his words.
But before she could say anything, the moment was shattered by a sharp knock at the door.
“Miss Eva, sir, the guest room is ready,” came the butler’s cold voice from outside.
Adrian’s grip loosened, and he stepped back, his expression unreadable once again. Eva stared at the door for a second, then back at him. There was so much left unsaid, but she couldn’t bring herself to stay and unravel it now.
“Good night, Adrian,” she said softly, her voice steady, though her heart was pounding in her chest.
Without waiting for a response, she walked out the door, her footsteps echoing in the hallway. Adrian stood there for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the door she had just walked through, before finally letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
