Chapter Sixteen
1165 Words
Chapter Sixteen
(Adrian’s POV)
“How did it get out?”
Daniel stood in the sitting room at Blackwood Manor with his hands clasped in front of him, his face pale and damp with sweat.
I held my phone up, the article still open on the screen.
The headline had been everywhere by morning.
Breaking scandal.
My private life, the one thing I had always kept locked behind walls, had been dragged out for strangers to pick apart before breakfast.
All of it was public.
“How did your photo end up in the media?” I demanded. “And how the hell did they get an image of the divorce papers?”
Daniel swallowed. “Sir, I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not.”
“You were the one who took the photo.”
“Yes, but I didn’t leak it.”
“The papers were in my office. The photo was on your phone. Now both are on every gossip page in the city.”
Daniel’s eyes darted away.
I noticed.
My grip tightened around the phone.
“Blackwood Group shares dropped this morning at opening because of this,” I said. “Reporters are calling the board. Investors are asking whether my divorce is going to affect the shared projects with Caldwell Group. Do you understand what will happen?”
His face drained of color.
“Mr. Blackwood, please. I would never do that.”
“If I find out you leaked any of this, I’ll fire you so fast no company in this city will touch you again. You wont be able to find work in this city again.”
Daniel took a step forward. “It wasn’t me. I swear. I made a mistake, but I didn’t send it to the press.”
My eyes narrowed. “What mistake?”
He opened his mouth.
Then the front door opened.
Daniel shut it again before a word came out.
I turned.
Sienna walked into the sitting room as if my house belonged to her.
She wore a soft cream coat and the same wounded expression she always seemed to know how to use at exactly the right time.
“Adrian,” she said. “I came as soon as I saw the article.”
I stared at her.
“What are you doing in my house?”
Her steps faltered.
Daniel looked down.
Sienna’s eyes filled instantly. “I was worried about you.”
I took a breath through my nose.
I did not apologize.
I forced my voice lower.
“What are you doing here, Sienna?”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “I’m your friend. Where else would I be when something like this happens?”
I glanced at Daniel.
He still wouldn’t meet my eyes.
That bothered me.
Sienna moved closer. “I’m so sorry for my sister’s behavior. Mom and Dad are furious with her too. She should have never let things become this humiliating for you.”
“This is between Nia and me.”
Her lips parted.
“You need to stay out of it,” I said.
A flash of something crossed her face.
“I’m only trying to help.”
“I didn’t ask for help.”
Silence stretched through the room.
I looked away first, irritated by the tightness in my chest.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Sienna had been part of my life for as long as I could remember. She knew my family, my habits, the world I belonged to. I had protected her because that was what I had always done.
But I had never loved her.
And Nia.
I wasn’t in love with Nia either.
I couldn’t be.
Love did not feel like suspicion, anger, and the kind of sleeplessness that left a man staring at his phone until morning.
Still, when I thought of her standing in front of me and saying she chose the babies over me, something in me twisted hard enough to hurt.
Sienna stepped closer.
“I understand your pain,” she said softly. “I know what it feels like to be betrayed by someone who was supposed to be family.”
I looked back at her.
She gave me a careful smile.
“The article is terrible, but we can fix the damage. You and Caldwell Group need to show unity. People need to see that the families are still connected.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“That we appear together.” Her voice warmed, hopeful now. “You and me. Publicly. Just enough to show everyone that the relationship between the Blackwood and Caldwell families hasn’t broken. I can stand beside you, Adrian. I’ve always known how.”
My jaw tightened.
There it was.
The offer wrapped as loyalty.
Before I could answer, laughter came from behind me.
Real laughter.
Sharp and amused.
I turned toward the doorway.
My best friend, Luca Harrington walked in like he had been invited, one hand in his pocket and a grin on his face.
“Sorry,” he said, though he did not sound sorry at all. “I couldn’t listen to that from the hall without coming in.”
Sienna’s face hardened.
“Luca,” she said.
“Sienna.” He smiled at her. “Still appearing exactly where no one invited you, I see.”
Her ears turned red.
I exhaled. “Luca.”
He ignored my warning and walked farther into the room.
“Let me make sure I understand this,” Luca said. “Your brilliant plan for damage control is for Adrian to parade you around the city.”
Sienna lifted her chin. “It would show both families are united.”
Luca laughed again.
“No, it wouldn’t. It would continue to spread those rumors about you and him.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t understand our families.”
“I understand enough.” Luca stopped near the coffee table and looked her over. “You aren’t a real Caldwell.”
Sienna went still.
“You’re just the adopted daughter trying to step into Nia’s place before the ink on the divorce papers is dry.”
“Enough,” I said.
Luca looked at me then.
The humor vanished from his face.
“No, not enough.” He pointed toward the phone in my hand. “Your wife is being dragged through the mud. Instead of worrying about her and your children, your making plans with this imposter to make things much worse.”
Sienna’s face paled.
I looked at Daniel.
He was sweating again.
Luca stepped closer.
“And you’re standing here acting like you can’t see what’s right in front of you.”
My patience snapped. “Careful.”
“No.” Luca’s voice hardened. “You need to hear it.”
The room fell silent.
Luca stared at me like I was a stranger he was disappointed to recognize.
“You’re an idiot.”
- Writer
