Chapter 6: The Second Lock
Celeste didn’t knock.
She entered the study like she still owned it.
“You’ve gone far enough.”
Adrian didn’t turn from the window.
“I haven’t started yet.”
“You froze my accounts.”
“I froze access pending review.”
“You humiliated me in my own home.”
Adrian finally turned.
“You hurt someone in front of witnesses.”
“She dropped a cup.”
“You raised your hand.”
Celeste’s expression hardened.
“You’re relying on surveillance footage?”
“I’m relying on patterns.”
She stepped closer.
“This is about control,” she said. “It always has been with you.”
“No,” Adrian said calmly. “This is about accountability.”
“You don’t care about that nurse.”
Adrian didn’t respond.
“You care about winning,” she continued. “About proving you were right to stay away. About walking back in here and tearing everything apart.”
Adrian held her gaze.
“If everything falls apart,” he said quietly, “it wasn’t stable to begin with.”
That landed.
Celeste felt it.
“You think Harold will thank you for this?” she asked.
“I think he deserves to know what’s happening around him.”
“He trusts me.”
Adrian’s voice dropped slightly.
“He’s afraid of you.”
May you like
For the first time—
Celeste didn’t have an immediate answer.
