Chapter 122
Alex’sPOV-
Two weeks earlier-
I watched her bolt, the door mming shut with a finality that echoed the hollowness blooming in
my chest. A million things buzzed in my head, a swarm of words begging to be released,
exnations I desperately wanted her to hear. But they all died on my tongue, choked by the
tangled mess of emotions churning in my gut.
Regret. Confusion. A yearning so deep it felt like a physical ache, a phantom limb I couldn’t quite
grasp. The taste of the kiss lingered on my lips, a forbidden fruit that had left me both wanting and
hollow. It was a glimpse into a world I once had but I had thrown away, a connection as thrilling as it
was terrifying.
Frustration wed at me as I ran a hand through my hair, the strands catching on the growing knots
of tension at the base of my scalp. What the hell was I doing? This whole thing felt like a twisted
game, a dance on the edge of a knife. One wrong move, and I could lose everything.
Pushing myself away from the door, I took a shaky breath. There was no point in dwelling on what
could have been. I needed a n, a way to deal with whatever chaos was going on in my head
before it spiraled further out of control. But every thought, every strategy, kept circling back to her.
With a heavy heart, I turned and headed out, the weight of the city pressing down on me. The
familiar roar of the engine as I pulled out of the parking lot did little to soothe the storm raging
inside. My mansion loomed ahead, a stark monument to a life that suddenly felt empty and
meaningless.
Stepping inside, the silence was deafening. The plush sofas and gleaming surfaces mocked me
with their sterile perfection. This wasn’t a home, it was a trophy case, a collection of achievements
that now felt hollow.
I sank onto the couch, the leather cool against my skin. Suddenly, a voice sliced through the
stillness, sharp and unexpected.
“Did someone have a bad day at work?”
My head snapped up immediately, my wolf standing in alert, ready to pounce as my eyes narrowed
at the person sitting cross legged in my living room. I’d been so lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t even
noticed him.
“Adrian.” My voice came out a low growl, suspicioncing every syble.
A slow smile spread across his face. “Seems like you forgot about me,
Alex.”
“What are you doing here?” The question came outced with irritation, a thin veil for the underlying
shock and confusion I felt.
He simply grinned, pushing himself effortlessly to his feet and strolling towards a corner of the room.
The mansion was practically a maze, with a damn bar stashed in almost every corner and he knew
every one of them. He stopped by one, a familiar glint in his eyes. Adrian used to be my best friend,
a bond forged and solidified by years of shared experiences.
Now, a bitter truth sat heavy in my stomach. The realization of Adrian’s innocence had been a slow,
painful process, one that chipped away at the walls I’d built around my heart. A sigh escaped my
lips, heavy with regret. I owed him an apology. More than that, I owed him a reckoning. Years of
selfishness had blinded me, leaving me unable to see the truth staring me in the face.
Adrian’s back was to me as he poured himself á drink, the clinking of ice cubes against ss
echoing in the silence.
“Adrian, we need to talk.” The words tasted like ash on my tongue. He turned, ss halfway to his
lips, his head tilted in a question. “Do we?”
“Look, Adrian,” I began, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry.” The apology felt hollow, a
meager offeringpared to the years injustice I’d inflicted on him.
of
A flicker of amusement danced across his features before dissolving into a humorlessugh.
“Sorry? Just like that? Do you think four years in
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16:25 Tue, 2 Jul G GQ
Chapter 122
jail can be erased with a single word? Am I supposed to forget how you took everything from me? I
was your best friend, Alex, your damn right-hand man! And you couldn’t even trust me enough to
believe I wouldn’t betray you.Your apology? It’s worthless to me, Alex. It will never be enough.”
Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Shame burned in my gut, a hot coal that
refused to be extinguished. There were no justifications, no excuses. My father’s cruelty had
damaged me, warped my perception of trust and loyalty. But that didn’t change the reality
of what I’d done.
“So, what brings you here?” I asked finally.
The unsettling calmness that had settled on Adrian when I visited him in prison returned. His eyes,
once filled with warmth, were now cold and calcting. He raised his ss in a sardonic toast.
“Well, Alex,” he said, a cruel smile twisting his lips, “I guess you could say I’m here to share onest
drink with an old friend.”
He took a long swig from his ss, his gaze never leaving mine. There was a chilling finality in his
words, a unspoken promise of a future where our bondy shattered, a casualty of my own making.
And as he settled back into his chair, the silence returned, heavier and profound than ever before.
re
I just sat there, locked in a silent stare with him. The air crackled with tension, thick enough to choke
on. Throwing him out flicker of a thought that died as quickly as it arose. I’d wronged him enough
already, piled enough misery on his te.
was
option, a
A chilling realization settled in my gut. How fragile friendship could be, how easily it could shatter
into a million pieces. One minute you’re practically brothers, sharing secrets andughter. The next,
you’re strangers, divided by a chasm of distrust and pain.
Adrian wasn’t my enemy. That was a trap I’d fallen into too many times, inherited from my father like
a bad habit. Now, looking at Adrian, I saw a reflection of my own mistakes, the destruction I’d left in
my wake.
He stared back, his gaze unwavering, a mixture of anger and a strange satisfaction that sent a joltUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
through me. He had every right to look at me that way. Every. Single. Right.
“Are you leaving anytime soon?” I finally broke the silence, my voice raspy. “Honestly, I have no clue
what’s going on here.”
He shot me a look of pure irritation, as if the question itself was an insult. “I’ll leave when I damn
well please,” he snapped.
I sighed, a heavy sound that seemed to echo in the vast emptiness of the mansion. Pushing myself
to my feet, I muttered, “Fine. Do as you wish.” Truthfully, what was the worst that could happen?
He’d steal a TV or some fancy gadget? Money was no object, I could rece it in a heartbeat.
Exhaustion gnawed at me, a desperate plea for sleep. I turned to head towards my room, ready to
leave him to his brooding, when his next words stopped me dead in my tracks.
“How’s Amaya?”