Page 48

“My grandfather passed away that night,” he said, his voice cracking. “I was at the funeral.”

Sienna’s body stilled, completely thrown. She stared at him, shocked, but he continued.

Adrian didn’t stop. His gaze pierced into her soul. “That call you made—my maid answered. I had fallen terribly sick and passed out. She picked up because you were calling over and over, and she was worried it might be serious. She didn’t tell me about it until I came awake.”

Sienna’s breath hitched. Her anger faltered, but she didn’t speak. She just stared at him, her hands trembling. He continued, his voice quiet, stripped of pride.

“I was depressed. That man was the only family I had. After the funeral, I collapsed. I didn’t even remember anything… I wasn’t myself. I didn’t wake up properly until two days later.”

Sienna blinked rapidly, her chest rising and falling as she tried to process it. All this time, she thought he had abandoned her, ignored her.

She looked at him in disbelief, her lips parted. “There was no news of his death…?”

Adrian shook his head. “He was a very private man. He didn’t want a public funeral. No press. No people. Just me. I did everything. Every ritual. Every prayer,” he said, his grip tightening on her shoulders as his voice turned hoarse. “I was unconscious. I didn’t even have the strength to call anyone.”

“Then… why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, her voice trembling, her eyes shining with a sudden ache. “You didn’t say a single thing.”

“I didn’t want to look weak in front of you,” Adrian said without hesitation. “I didn’t want anyone to see that side of me. Not even you.”

Sienna’s hands trembled against his chest. Her heart twisted. He wasn’t the type of man who opened up, he was always guarded, always in control. Seeing him this raw, this open… it hurt in ways she didn’t expect. Her body remained stiff, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Then why now?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

“Because I don’t want to hide from you anymore,” he said, his voice deep with honesty. “I want to tell you everything. I want you to know the real me, not the man who pushes you away, but the man who loves you.”

Her lips parted in surprise.

“I was a fool before,” he continued, his hand cupping her cheek. “I didn’t know I loved you back then. But when you left, everything shattered. My world broke. And now I know. I love you, Sienna. And showing you my weakness doesn’t make me weak… not in front of you.”

Sienna's fingers clenched around his shirt. Her heart ached, torn between anger and emotion. Adrian had never opened up to her like this. Never let her see beneath his perfect, impenetrable surface.

Was he just saying this to win her back? Or was this truly a changed man standing in front of her?

She couldn’t see through his thoughts, but she could see the truth written all over his face. His words weren’t rehearsed, they were spilling straight from his heart. And that made it even harder.

It hurt.

“I didn’t even know who was in your family,” she whispered. “You never told me anything. I waited for you to open up on your own. But now, it’s been two years. We’re so far apart.”

Adrian took her hands. “Sienna,” he whispered, voice almost pleading now. “Let’s forget the past. Let’s start over. Just this once… let me do it right. Let me make it up to you. Everything I ruined, I’ll fix it. Everything I missed, I’ll give you ten times more. I’ll make you forget every bit of pain I caused.”

He dipped his head lower, his lips barely hovering over hers. “Alright?” he whispered.

She didn’t say a word. Her body was completely wrapped in his arms, her back pressed to his solid chest. Adrian's powerful arms tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer. Then, he turned her around to His lips captured hers, deep and hungry. He kissed her like he couldn’t wait another second, like every second without her had driven him insane.

His mouth moved over hers, rough but controlled, stealing her breath and giving her something deeper in return. His tongue slid past her lips, claiming her with a slow, greedy sweep that made her knees weaken.

“Mhmmm…,” she melted into him, fingers clutching his shoulders, her body pressing up to his like she needed the heat of him to survive. He groaned into her mouth, the sound low and raw, and kissed her harder, his tongue stroking every corner of her mouth to lick away her essence and taste.

He angled her head and deepened it again, slower now but no less intense, like he was savoring every second, every sound she made. His hand slipped to her jaw, thumb brushing her cheek as he kept her close, refusing to let her pull away.

Then her phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

At first, she ignored it, lost in the overwhelming sensation of his mouth on hers. But it rang again, louder this time, persistent.