Page 59 of His Dark Desires

The roses Adrian sent earlier today sit on my nightstand, their blood-red petals a reminder of his calculated affection. Their perfume fills the air, sweet and suffocating.

Three days. That's all it took for Daniel's life to implode. His gallery showing canceled. His commissions withdrawn. His reputation shredded. I watched it happen in real-time.

The memory of my own downfall is still fresh: the canceled commission, the smear campaign, the eviction notice. All orchestrated by the man who now claims to be in partnership with me.

I push myself up from the bed, unable to lie still with these thoughts churning. The plush carpet absorbs the sound of my feet as I pace. Back and forth. Back and forth, from window to door.

"God, I was stupid," I whisper to myself. I actually thought I could outmaneuver him, Adrian Vale, the man who built an empire on knowing everyone's secrets. Who can destroy lives on a whim. Who watched me for two years before making his move.

I pause at the window, pressing my forehead against the glass. Forty stories below, the city sparkles like scattered diamonds. From up here, everything looks small, controllable. Is this how Adrian sees the world? Like a game board where he can move pieces at will?

The roses catch my eye again. He brought them himself, handed them to me with that slight smile. "To brighten your day," he'd said, as if I couldn't see the headlines exploding across my phone. As if he didn't know exactly what message he was sending.

My reflection stares back at me from the window—wide-eyed, pale, trapped. I thought I was being clever, meeting Daniel in secret. But Adrian's retaliation wasn't just swift. It was surgical. A demonstration of what happens to anyone who dares interfere with his plans.

The truth stabs into me: I never had a chance at outsmarting him. Every move I made, every secret plan, every attempted rebellion, he was always three steps ahead, watching, waiting, calculating.

Suddenly, I'm storming out of my room, rage burning through my veins. Adrian sits in his leather armchair, a book open in his lap. The sight of him—so composed, so untouchable—makes my blood boil.

"What did you do to Daniel?"

Adrian looks up from his book, his face a mask of indifference. "Good evening to you too, Sophia."

"Don't." I step closer, fists clenched. "I know it was you. All of it."

He closes his book with deliberate slowness. "If you have something to say, say it."

"The accusations? The canceled shows? His entire career falling apart in three days?" Each question comes out sharper than the last. "That's your handiwork, isn't it?"

"He chose to interfere in matters that don't concern him."

"Don't concern him?" I laugh, the sound harsh and bitter. "You've been watching me for two years. You manipulated my life, drove me into bankruptcy, and now you're destroying anyone who tries to help me. How is that not his concern?"

Irritation washes over his face. "How many times do I have to tell you? I do this all for you."

"For me?" My voice rises. "You stalked me! You have an entire room dedicated to monitoring my every move. My social media, my location, my private photos—"

"Which your ex-boyfriend took without your consent," he cuts in, standing up. "Photos he kept despite your requests to delete them. Tell me, Sophia, did Daniel mention that part when he was warning you about me?"

The question catches me off guard. "That's not—"

"Not the point?" Adrian steps closer. "The point is that I ensure your safety. I remove threats to your well-being."

"By becoming the biggest threat yourself?" I meet his eyes. "You're not protecting me, Adrian. You're controlling me."

"And what would you have me do instead?" His composure cracks slightly. "Stand back and watch while others take advantage of you? While they steal your work, damage your reputation, exploit your talent?"

"That's not your decision to make! It's my life, my career—"

"Your career?" His laugh is cold. "The career you were barely sustaining? Living paycheck to paycheck, accepting scraps from galleries that undervalued your work?"

"At least it was mine! At least I earned it honestly!"

"Honestly." Adrian's eyes flash. "Was it honest to meet Daniel behind my back?"

I step closer, refusing to back down. "Why are you doing this? What could possibly justify destroying people's lives just to keep me here?"

Adrian's expression shifts. The cold mask slips, revealing a flash of pain that stops me short.

---