The distance between them was no longer subtle.
Lydia no longer sought his presence, no longer met his gaze with defiance or curiosity. Instead, she drifted away like mist on a cold morning silent, elusive, untouchable.
And Adrian hated it.
It was worse than the fights, worse than the tension. At least when she fought him, he could feel something her anger, her resistance, her fire. But now? Now she was slipping into shadows, and he had no idea why.
But he would find out.
Even if he had to drag the truth from the darkness himself.
Lydia knew Adrian was watching her.
She felt his gaze on her like a weight, pressing against her skin whenever she turned away from him. She wasn't stupid she knew Adrian wasn't the kind of man to let things go unanswered.
And yet, she couldn't bring herself to stop.
She had started questioning things his words, his actions, the whispers that had begun to reach her ears. Subtle remarks from the staff. A strange letter left on her desk. A conversation cut short when she entered the room.
And worst of all, the feeling.
The feeling that something was lurking beneath the surface of their marriage. Something dark. Adrian was a powerful man, but power came at a cost.
And Lydia was beginning to wonder if she was that cost.
Late one evening, she sat by the window of her private sitting room, staring at the moonlit gardens below.
A storm was coming she could see it in the way the clouds gathered, thick and heavy, in the night sky.
A soft knock at the door. Lydia stiffened.
It was late. Too late for anyone but The door creaked open, and Adrian stepped inside.
He didn't speak. He simply walked toward her, his presence filling the space between them with a quiet, unshakable intensity.
"You've been avoiding me."
Lydia's fingers curled against the fabric of her dress. "I've been thinking."
"About what?"
She hesitated.
Tell him. Tell him what you've heard. Ask him if the whispers are true.
But when she looked up at him, saw the shadows in his eyes, the storm brewing behind them she hesitated.
"I just need time," she said instead.
Adrian exhaled, slow and controlled, but she could see the tension in his jaw. "Time for what, Lydia?"
She looked away. "To figure things out."
For a long moment, he was silent. Then
"You're lying to me."
The words were soft, but they cut through her like a blade.
Lydia's breath hitched. "No, I..."
Adrian took a step closer. "Yes, you are."
She swallowed, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Why does it matter? You don't trust me either."
Silence.
Then, a dark chuckle. "Oh, Lydia." He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch deceptively gentle. "You have no idea how much I trust you."
A shiver ran down her spine.
And for
the first time, she wondered
Was that a promise? Or a threat?