Chapter 7 Hidden Lies

Paparazzi. Of course, they'd spin some ridiculous narrative about me and Adrian the moment I was spotted near him.

My jaw tightened as I placed the tablet back on the desk.

"You're a billionaire," I said flatly, crossing my arms. "You shouldn't expect to go unnoticed. People follow you, it's practically a sport at this point."

Adrian's emerald eyes bore into me, unflinching. "I'm used to being followed. But this? This feels deliberate. You are not the first woman I have had meeting with."

"And you think I have something to do with it?" I asked, my voice sharp.

He didn't answer right away, his gaze unreadable. That was Adrian's specialty, giving nothing away unless he wanted to.

"I'm not accusing you," he said finally, his tone measured. "But it's suspicious. The timing. The sudden appearance of a writer who just so happens to have a history with me."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Trust me, Adrian, I'd rather not be dragged into your soap opera of a life. This job pays, that's all. You think I want to be here, writing about your 'sacrifices' and your glittering empire?"

He didn't flinch, his expression as cold as ever. "Then why are you here?"

"Because some of us don't have the luxury of turning down a paycheck," I snapped.

Adrian's phone buzzed again, but he ignored it. Instead, he leaned against his desk, arms crossed, his piercing gaze fixed on me. "How have you been?"

The question hit me like a slap. I froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.

"No," I said quickly, raising a hand to stop him. "No. Don't go there. Don't ask about me."

He frowned, his gaze narrowing slightly. "Why not?"

"Because you don't get to pretend to care," I replied, my voice harder than I intended. "Not after everything."

Adrian didn't respond right away. He stood there, staring at me like he was trying to unravel a puzzle he couldn't solve. His silence was infuriating.

"Why are you working with me?" he asked finally, his voice calm but cutting. "If you hate me so much for what I did to you, why take this job?"

I bit my lip, torn between anger and the truth I wasn't ready to admit. His words stung because they weren't entirely wrong.

"You know why," I said after a moment, my voice quieter now.

"No, I don't," he replied, his tone challenging. "Explain it to me."

I turned away from him, staring out the window instead. The view was breathtaking, the city sprawling below us, but I couldn't focus on it. My mind was racing.

"I'm here for the same reason anyone else would be," I said finally. "The money."

His voice softened, almost imperceptibly. "Is that all?"

I turned back to him, my glare sharp. "Don't do that. Don't act like you're interested in my reasons. We both know you don't care."

Adrian's gaze darkened, his jaw tightening. For a moment, I thought he might say something else, but he stayed quiet.

"Let's keep this professional," I continued, trying to regain control of the conversation. "You're paying me to write, and that's all I'm here to do. Anything else is irrelevant."

Adrian studied me, his expression unreadable again. He had a way of making you feel like you were under a microscope, like he could see through all the walls you'd built around yourself.

"Fine," he said finally. "But don't expect me to ignore the obvious."

"Which is?"

"That you're here for more than just money," he said simply.

I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "You're wrong."

"Am I?"

"Yes," I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.

The silence between us was heavy, charged with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. I hated how he could still get under my skin, how he could twist the simplest conversations into something complicated.

Finally, I turned to him, my voice colder now. "My grandmother. Where is she?"

Adrian's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes-something I couldn't quite read.

"Answer me," I said, my voice firm. "Where is she?"

The tension in the air was unbearable as Adrian stared at me, his expression calm, unbothered, infuriating. I waited, hands clenched at my sides, for him to say something about my grandmother. Anything.

"Well?" I demanded.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, his gaze cool and calculated. "That's not your concern right now."

My mouth fell open in disbelief. "Excuse me? Not my concern? She's my grandmother!"

"And I'm handling it," he replied smoothly, like we were discussing the weather.

I slammed my hands on his desk, leaning forward. "What does that even mean, Adrian? Why are you being so cryptic? Just tell me where she is!"

Adrian didn't flinch. Of course he didn't. His lack of reaction only made my blood boil more.

"You're wasting time," he said simply.

"Gosh I fucking hate you," I snapped, spinning on my heel and storming out of his office.

---

I drove to the hospital, my fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.

I have been here a while ago I wasn't allowed.

Until I gave up.

When I arrived, I practically ran to the reception desk, luckily it wasn't the one with a green wig. Rude and never answering my question.

Hopefully she was fired. With her hair that hasn't been brush for ages.

"I'm looking for Martha Quinn," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

The nurse gave me a confused look. "She's no longer here."

I frowned, "What?"

"Her caretaker took her some time ago."

"What caretaker?" I asked sharply.

The nurse hesitated. "The man who's been handling her medical bills. Mr. Sterling."

I froze, my mind racing. "Adrian took her?"

"Yes, ma'am."

My teeth clenched, and I thanked the nurse curtly before leaving the hospital.

I was right. My intuition was right. For the past six years I didn't see my grandmother. I had no idea where she was while in prison.

I came out and yet I couldn't find her. I knew though, deep inside me that Adrian had her.

Adrian Sterling was playing games with me, and I wasn't going to let him win.

---

Back in the conference room, Adrian was leaning against his desk alone, flipping through some papers as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"You took her," I said without preamble, my voice sharp.

Adrian didn't look up. "I'm ensuring she gets the best care."

"Without telling me?" I crossed my arms, glaring at him.

"You were indisposed," he replied, his tone maddeningly indifferent.

"Indisposed? You mean rotting in prison because of you?"

Adrian finally looked up, his emerald eyes narrowing slightly. "I handled what needed to be handled."

"You had no right!"

"I had every right," he shot back, his voice colder now. "She needed help, and you weren't in a position to provide it."

His words hit harder than I wanted to admit, but I refused to let him see it.

"I'm getting her back," I said, my voice firm.

Adrian smirked, his gaze sharp. "Good luck finding her."

---

We didn't speak as we made our way to his office. The silence between us was thick with unresolved anger and tension. When we walked in, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Nina was there, perched on the edge of Adrian's desk like she owned the place. She looked up, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw me.

"Lyra?" she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

I didn't trust myself to speak. My fists clenched at my sides as I fought the overwhelming urge to punch her in the face.

She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her designer dress, and turned to Adrian. "You didn't tell me she'd be here."

Adrian barely glanced at her. "It didn't seem relevant."

Nina pouted, but her expression changed in an instant. She walked up to Adrian and placed a hand on his chest, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. "I've missed you," she said softly.

I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn't fall out of my head.

Adrian didn't push her away, but he didn't reciprocate either. His indifference only seemed to encourage her.

"I didn't know you were hiring ghosts from the past," Nina said, her gaze flicking to me.

I forced a tight smile. "And I didn't know you were still haunting him."

Her eyes narrowed briefly before she turned back to Adrian, all smiles again. "We need to finish discussing the event next week. It's important."

Adrian's phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. "I need to take this," he said, already walking out of the room.

The moment the door closed behind him, Nina's fake smile vanished. She turned to me, her expression icy.

"You have some nerve showing up here," she said, her voice low and sharp.

"Trust me," I replied, matching her tone, "I'm not here for you."

"You're pathetic," she sneered. "Clinging to a man who's clearly moved on."

I laughed bitterly. "Oh, honey, I wouldn't touch Adrian with a ten-foot pole."

Nina stepped closer, her gaze full of malice. "Oh please, people like you just want money. Obsessed with his money. Willing to open your legs for money. Shame on you. You're nothing. A nobody. You should've stayed in whatever hole you crawled out of."

Her words stung more than I wanted to admit, but I didn't let it show. "At least I'm not faking an illness to keep him around," I shot back.

Her eyes flashed, "Who told you?'

I smirked, "Scared? Don't worry you gladly put the person in prison. Just like you did to me. And here you are trying to be the good guy. You look ugly with that sneer on your face."

She growled, "If you dare tell Adrian..."

"Oh trust me darling. I don't care about your fake relationship."

Nina quickly masked her anger with a condescending smile. With the way her expression quickly changes, she would pass as a psychopath.

"Thats what they all say. Enjoy your little job while it lasts, Lyra. You won't survive long in Adrian's world."

Before I could respond, the door opened, and Adrian walked back in. Nina's demeanor shifted instantly, her smile back in place as if the last few minutes hadn't happened.

"Everything okay?" she asked sweetly.

Adrian didn't respond, his gaze briefly flicking between the two of us.

"I'll leave you two to work," Nina said, brushing past me with a smug smile. "See you later, Adrian."

When the door closed behind her, I let out a frustrated breath.

"She's delightful," I said sarcastically.

Adrian ignored my comment, moving to sit at his desk.

I frowned. Looking at Nina. She was dangerous. And I wanted to be careful away from danger.

Angry jealous girlfriends are danger #1.

"Look," I said, my tone more serious now. "I can't do this. You aren't answering my questions and this...you are boring. I'll find another job, another way to make money."

"No, you won't," Adrian said calmly, not even looking up.

I frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You're staying," he said simply.

"Like hell I am."

He leaned back in his chair, meeting my gaze. "If you walk away, you'll never find out where your grandmother is."

My breath hitched, and I froze, his words hitting like a sucker punch.

"You wouldn't," I whispered.

Adrian's gaze didn't waver. "Try me."