Chapter 4 Questions He Won't Answer

Clara stared at the phone long after the screen went dark.

Ask him what happened five years ago. Ask him about the accident.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the device. She didn't recognize the number, and she had no idea who could've sent it. But the words burned in her mind like a spark ready to ignite something bigger.

Five years ago...

Clara racked her brain, but she couldn't think of any connection. She hadn't even known Adrian back then. So why would an accident from his past matter to her?

And why would someone feel the need to warn her about it now?

She chewed on her bottom lip, pacing the room. She should ignore it. This was Adrian Wolfe's problem, not hers.

But the way the message was worded - "Do you really think Adrian Wolfe married you to save your father?" - made her chest tighten.

Because if this person was telling the truth, then Adrian hadn't just married her for revenge, or for her father's debt. There was something deeper, something far more dangerous.

And Clara hated being left in the dark.

When she finally stepped out of the guest room, the sun was streaming through the tall windows, bathing the hall in golden light.

Clara followed the faint sound of clinking silverware until she found the dining room.

Adrian was already seated at the long marble table, dressed casually in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looked infuriatingly relaxed, sipping his coffee as if nothing in the world could touch him.

The sight of him - calm, composed, smug - only fueled Clara's anger.

She marched toward the table, ignoring the two maids who bowed slightly and retreated at her approach.

Adrian glanced up when she stopped across from him, his dark eyes briefly scanning her.

"You're awake," he said smoothly. "Sit. Eat something."

Clara didn't move. "We need to talk."

Adrian set his cup down, tilting his head slightly. "About what?"

"About why you married me," Clara said bluntly.

His gaze sharpened, but his tone remained calm. "We already discussed this."

"No," Clara shot back. "You told me part of the truth. You said it was about my father's debt, about revenge against Daniel and Barrington. But that's not the whole story, is it?"

Adrian's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Clara-"

She cut him off, stepping closer. "What happened five years ago?"

The question hung in the air like a live wire.

Adrian's expression hardened instantly, the calm mask slipping just slightly.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked, his voice lower now, more dangerous.

Clara's heart raced, but she didn't back down. "Answer me."

Adrian stood slowly, his full height towering over her.

"Who sent you that message?" he demanded.

Clara lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated. "So there was an accident. What happened, Adrian? And what does it have to do with me?"

Adrian's eyes darkened, but his voice stayed controlled. "Delete whatever message you got. It's none of your concern."

Clara's anger flared. "None of my concern? Are you serious? I'm your wife now-whether I wanted to be or not. And if there's something from your past that's going to blow up in my face, I deserve to know!"

Adrian's jaw flexed, his hands tightening slightly at his sides.

"You don't need to worry about my past," he said after a tense pause. "It has nothing to do with you."

Clara's chest tightened painfully. "You keep saying that, but you're lying. Whoever sent that message thinks it has everything to do with me."

Adrian's gaze burned into hers for a long moment before he finally spoke again, his tone lower now, almost softer - but no less firm.

"I'm not lying to protect myself, Clara. I'm protecting you."

Her breath caught. "Protecting me from what?"

Adrian didn't answer.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension between them was thick, almost suffocating.

Clara's anger wavered, replaced by something else - frustration, confusion, and a tiny, unwanted pang of hurt.

"Do you think I'm that fragile?" she asked quietly. "That I can't handle the truth?"

Adrian's expression softened just a fraction, but he shook his head. "It's not about you being fragile. It's about keeping you out of something that could ruin you."

Clara stared at him, her pulse pounding. "You can't keep me out forever. I'm already involved. You dragged me into your life, Adrian. You don't get to decide what I can or can't handle."

Adrian looked at her for a long moment, and something unreadable flickered in his eyes - regret, maybe, or guilt.

Then he stepped closer, his voice dropping low.

"I promised myself I wouldn't let you get hurt because of me," he said quietly.

Clara's heart skipped, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. "You already did."

The words hit harder than she expected, and for a split second, she thought she saw something flicker across Adrian's face - a crack in that cold, untouchable exterior.

But then it was gone, replaced by the same unreadable calm.

"I'll handle this," he said firmly. "Stay out of it."

Clara shook her head. "No."

Adrian raised a brow, almost amused despite the tension. "No?"

"I'm not going to sit quietly and smile while you keep secrets that could destroy both of us," Clara said, her voice steady now. "You might think you can control everything, but you can't control me."

For a moment, Adrian just stared at her, his dark eyes locked on hers.

Then, slowly, a faint, almost reluctant smile curved his lips.

"You're going to make this very difficult, aren't you?" he murmured.

Clara folded her arms. "You have no idea."

Adrian's smile lingered for a second before fading again.

"Fine," he said finally. "I'll tell you... eventually. But not now."

Clara opened her mouth to argue, but before she could speak, his phone buzzed sharply on the table.

He glanced at it, his expression instantly darkening.

Clara frowned. "Who is it?"

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Work."

But Clara didn't believe him, not for a second.

---

Later that afternoon, Adrian left the house for a meeting. Clara tried to distract herself by wandering through the enormous mansion, but her mind kept circling back to the mysterious message and the look on Adrian's face when she'd asked about the accident.

When she passed his study, she noticed the door slightly ajar.

The phone on his desk buzzed.

Clara hesitated, her heart racing. She shouldn't. It was wrong. But curiosity clawed at her until she finally stepped closer.

The screen lit up with a text notification.

She froze when she read it.

Leo: Barrington knows. He's going to tell her everything. We need to act now.

Clara's stomach dropped.

Tell her everything...?

Before she could think further, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house.

Adrian was back.

Clara panicked, backing away from the study just as Adrian's footsteps approached. She slipped around the corner, heart hammering, hoping he wouldn't notice she'd been there.

When Adrian walked past, his expression was unreadable, but his phone buzzed again in his pocket, and Clara saw his jaw tighten.

He knew something was coming.

And now, so did she.

That night, Clara sat on her balcony, staring at the city lights.

Her phone buzzed again, and her heart jumped. Another message from the unknown number appeared.

"Barrington will tell you the truth soon. But be careful. If Adrian finds out you're digging, he won't forgive you."

Clara stared at the screen, her chest tightening.

She had two choices: trust Adrian and wait, or find Barrington herself and uncover the truth, even if it meant risking everything.

Clara tightened her grip on the phone.

She already knew what she had to do.