Page 25 of Goldrage
I glance at Bianca, so pissed that she’s been here with him, but I barely have time to think about her before my attention is back on the man I love.
He’s crying.
Adrian Harrow is crying.
They aren’t careful, controlled tears from someone trying to maintain their dignity. These are jagged, naked sobs that shake his entire frame. His mask hasn’t just slipped, it’s been ripped away entirely, leaving nothing but the man underneath.
Our eyes lock across the short distance, and I see everything. I see a relief so profound it borders onreligious. A love so fierce it could burn down the world. Questions and hurt and desperate, aching hope.
My feet itch to run to him. I want to drop this charade and throw myself into whatever embrace those chains will allow; I’ll kiss away those tears and promise him everything will be okay.
But I don’t move. I can’t. Not with Julian watching. Not with a new game starting.
Julian finally steps into my line of sight, blocking me from seeing Adrian so vulnerable.
I hear Bianca cooing to Adrian, “Are you okay, my love? What’s wrong? Is it pain? Do you need more medicine?”
Julian is blocking my view, but I can just picture Bianca’s hands all overmyAdrian. I’m ready to punch the bitch, but find a sliver of patience. I need to play this game first and then Adrian and I will never be apart again.
“Julian.” Lady Harrow’s voice cuts through the moment. She glides into view with all the warmth of a glacier.
Julian’s head snaps toward his mother. The look he gives her could peel paint. It’s pure venom distilled into a glance. Something has definitely shifted here. The puppet strings aren’t pulling quite right anymore.
Interesting.
“You found some trash outside?” Lady Harrow asks.
“Yes,” Julian responds. “And it’salive.”
For the first time, I see Lady Harrow squirm. She only pales a little, only shifts her weight once, but she’s definitely been caught and she knowsit.
Now it’s on Julian to keep peeling back the layers to see the truth of who his mother really is.
Julian takes one step away from his mother, and Adrian comes back into view. His eyes immediately find mine again. Bianca places her manicured hand on his shoulder—a gesture that screamsminelouder than any words. My jaw clenches so hard my teeth ache.
But Adrian doesn’t even notice her touch. His eyes never leave my face. All those tears, all that raw emotion—it’s all for me.
“Well?” Lady Harrow’s composure is back and she’s glaring at me. “What’s this about? Come to beg for mercy? Finally ready to confess your crimes?”
I take a breath that fills my entire body. My hand moves to my stomach, fingers splaying protectively over the empty space beneath my dress.No point in delaying this.
“I’m pregnant with the Harrow heir.”
The foyer becomes a vacuum. All the air is sucked out in one impossible moment.
Then Bianca screams.
It’s not a human sound, and the over-the-top drama of it almost makes me laugh. It tears from her throat like she’s dying, echoing off the marble and multiplying until it feels like the whole house is screaming with her. She staggers backward, grabbing blindly for support. Her fingers find the edge of an ornate column and she hugs it while her face contorts into something ugly.
Adrian’s chains rattle. He strains forward, muscles bunching beneath his shirt as he fights against his restraints. The initial shock on his face has transformedinto something else: a protectiveness so fierce it makes my chest tight.
Julian hasn’t moved. He’s staring at the floor like it holds the secrets of the universe. The muscle in his jaw works overtime. When he finally looks up, the hostility from earlier has been replaced by something worse.
Uncertainty.
“Whose?”
I meet Julian’s gaze steadily. My voice remains low and calm; Lorenzo helped me practice this lie until my voice stopped rising at the end. Now, it sounds natural. “I don’t know. It… could be either of yours.”
