ADRIAN’S POV
In the middle of the night, as I quietly made my way downstairs to grab a glass of water, I heard a faint sound–something subtle but noticeable coming from the direction of my library. The floorboards creaked softly beneath my feet, echoing in the silence. On my way down, I also noticed something else–Olivia wasn’t in bed.
Could she be in the kitchen?
the
I headed that way first, walking through the dimly lit hallway. But when I entered kitchen, it was completely empty. The light from the fridge cast long shadows as I opened it and grabbed a bottle of cold water. I reached for a glass from the shelves, poured the water, and took a slow sip, my mind already racing.
If she wasn’t here, then where was she?
I set the glass down carefully on the counter, I had a feeling–one I didn’t like. A place I prayed she hadn’t gone to. A place I had repeatedly warned her to stay away from.
Without wasting another second, I moved toward the library.
Why would she go there? What would she even want from that room? I had made it clear multiple times that she was not to step foot in there.
I turned the knob slowly, and as the door creaked open, my suspicions were confirmed.
There she was.
Standing with her back to me, scrolling through the books on one of the tall wooden shelves. Her fingers skimmed the spines like she was searching for something- something specific. But Olivia doesn’t read. Not books like these, anyway.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharp and low. She startled slightly and turned to face me, caught in the act.
“Oh, you’re up,” she said with a half–smile. But I wasn’t buying it. I could see right through her expression–she was hiding something.
“I said, what are you doing here?” I asked again, stepping further into the room.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came to look for a book to read,” she replied casually, gesturing
toward the shelf like it was the most innocent thing in the world.
“Since when did you start reading books?” I asked, my tone dry and skeptical. Her excuse didn’t sit right with me.
“There’s a lot you still don’t know about me, Adrian,” she said, her voice a little sharper now. “Because you weren’t there Successfully unlocked!
I paused. I didn’t want to argue–not about the past, not right now. Maybe she had picked up a reading habit, who knows? But I couldn’t shake the uneasiness crawling up my spine.
1A
CHAPTER 6n
“Okay,” I said slowly, still eyeing her. “Let’s just say you came here to read. This is the 21st century, Olivia. Almost everything’s digital now–including books. You could’ve used your phone or your tablet. So why come here? Especially when I’ve told you to stay out?”
“Not everyone likes staring at a screen 24/7 like you,” she snapped. “Some of us still enjoy the feel of a hardcopy novel.”
“Oh really?” I raised a brow. “And did you find what you’re looking for?”
She turned and picked out a random book. It was painfully obvious she didn’t care. what she grabbed. That book could’ve been upside down for all she knew.
That wasn’t what she came for.
“Here it is,” she said, holding it up with a fake smile.
“Great. Since you’ve got what you came for, you can leave now. And remember what I said–don’t come back in here.”
“Alright,” she replied quickly, too quickly.
As she turned to leave, her eyes flicked to my office desk.
That glance didn’t go unnoticed.
After she walked out and the door clicked softly shut behind her, I stood there for a moment, my instincts on high alert. I crossed the room and walked straight to my desk. Everything looked untouched… but just to be sure, I double–checked. Nothing was missing. My folders were exactly where I left them.
I let out a breath, then sat down and reached for my laptop, ready to resume what I’d been working on. But as soon as I touched it, I froze.
The laptop was warm–too warm. The only time it gets like this is when it’s been recently used.
I opened it quickly. Sure enough, the screen lit up, and a folder was still open–my folder. The one labeled with her parents‘ names
She had seen it.
Luckily, she hadn’t opened the actual file–at least not that I could tell–but the name alone was enough to raise questions. Knowing Olivia’s curious nature, I had no doubt she’d be back here again. That alone meant I needed to act fast.
First step–add a password. A strong one.
She might ask questions about it later, but I couldn’t risk exposure. Not now.
Not when I was this close.
I opened the file and stared at the contents. Everything I needed to bring her parents down was in there. Every shady deal, every covered–up crime, every lie. I had infiltrated their inner circle, and gotten close without them suspecting a thing. They had no idea I
CHAPTER 060
was watching. No clue that I had all the evidence ready.
But that wasn’t the hardest part.
The hard part was deciding how to punish them.
There were too many options. So many ways to hurt them. And I wasn’t looking for something simple. No, I wanted them to suffer.
Just like she did.
I still remember the pain in my mother’s eyes. The trembling in her hands. They didn’t give her a quick death. They made her suffer–emotionally, and mentally–until she broke. Until she pulled the trigger.
So why should I give them mercy?
Burning their skin slowly with a low heat didn’t sound like a bad idea. Skinning them piece by piece… well, that would be poetic justice.
1 let out a long, slow breath, my arms resting on the desk as the thoughts danced through my mind.
Olivia was curious. Too curious for her own good. And as the old saying goes- curiosity killed the cat. If she dug too deep, if she ever discovered the full truth…
Then I couldn’t let her walk away.
I wouldn’t leave any witnesses. Not even her.
I leaned back in my chair, still smiling. The thoughts of revenge filled me with a dangerous kind of joy.
I was so close now.
So close to finally avenging you, Mother.
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