I woke up tangled in Adrian's arms.
For a moment, I didn't move. I just listened.
The rain had stopped. The forest outside was quiet, almost peaceful. The chaos from the night before felt distant—but his warmth against my body was very real.
His arm was wrapped around my waist, firm but not possessive. Protective.
Careful.
I shifted slightly, and his eyes opened immediately. Alert. Instinctive.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.
"No," I said softly.
Neither of us moved away.
The air between us felt different now. Less hostile. Less guarded.
But more dangerous.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep like that," he added.
"I know."
Silence settled, thick but not uncomfortable.
Then reality returned.
"We can't stay here long," he said, sitting up slowly. "My security team is checking for breaches. If Maya is behind this, she won't stop."
Hearing her name tightened something in my chest.
"You loved her," I said before I could stop myself.
He stilled.
"That was a long time ago."
"But you did."
"Yes," he admitted. "I thought I did."
The honesty hurt more than denial would have.
I slid off the bed and wrapped my arms around myself. "And what am I?"
His gaze followed me carefully. "You're my wife."
"That's not what I meant."
He stood, tension returning to his posture. "You're the woman I chose to protect."
"That still sounds like a responsibility," I said quietly.
Something flickered in his eyes.
He stepped closer, stopping just in front of me. Close enough that I could feel the heat from his body.
"You're the woman I can't lose," he corrected.
My breath caught.
"That's not the same thing as love," I whispered.
His jaw tightened. "Do you want me to say it?"
I didn't answer.
Because I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear it.
A sharp knock echoed against the cabin door.
We both froze.
Adrian's expression hardened instantly. He moved in front of me without thinking.
Another knock.
"Adrian Blackwood," a male voice called out. "Security clearance Delta."
Adrian relaxed slightly but didn't lower his guard. He opened the door halfway.
Two of his security men stood outside, soaked in mud.
"We traced the breach," one of them said. "It came from inside your corporate system."
Adrian's eyes darkened. "Maya?"
"We're still confirming. But there's something else. The board is pressuring you to return. The media has picked up rumors."
"Rumors about what?" I asked.
The guard hesitated.
"About your marriage," he said carefully. "They're saying it was arranged to cover financial crimes."
My stomach dropped.
"That's not true," I whispered.
Adrian's face turned cold as ice. "She's escalating."
The guards left after giving updates, and the silence inside the cabin felt heavier than before.
"This is what she wants," I said slowly. "To destroy your reputation. To make you choose."
"I already chose," he replied.
"Did you?" I shot back. "Because this started as a deal. I was part of a negotiation."
He stepped forward, frustration flashing. "You were never just a deal."
"Then what was I?" My voice cracked. "Because I spent three years feeling invisible."
That hit him.
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping in front of me again.
"I was trying to protect you from myself," he admitted.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does when you understand the kind of enemies I have," he said sharply. "Anyone close to me becomes a target."
"I'm already a target!" I cried.
The words hung between us.
He moved suddenly, cupping my face in his hands. Not rough. Not gentle either. Desperate.
"I didn't want to love you," he said quietly.
My heart stopped.
"I fought it. I kept my distance. I told myself it was easier if you hated me."
His thumb brushed under my eye, catching a tear I didn't realize had fallen.
"But somewhere along the way," he continued, "you stopped being an obligation. You became the only thing that felt real."
The world narrowed to just us.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" I whispered.
"Because loving me is dangerous."
Before I could respond, his phone buzzed again.
He glanced at it, and whatever he saw drained the color from his face.
"What?" I demanded.
"They froze your father's accounts," he said.
My legs nearly gave out.
"That means—"
"They're coming after you directly now."
Tears blurred my vision. "This is my fault."
"No," he said fiercely. "This is mine."
He pulled me into his chest again, but this time I wrapped my arms around him first.
"I'm tired of being afraid," I whispered.
He rested his chin on top of my head. "Then don't run."
I pulled back to look at him. "What are you saying?"
"We go back," he said. "We face it together."
Together.
The word felt unfamiliar. Powerful.
"And if this destroys us?" I asked.
His gaze softened in a way I'd never seen before.
"Then at least it'll be real."
The tension between us snapped.
This time when he kissed me, it wasn't restrained.
It was honest.
Years of silence, regret, and unspoken longing poured into that kiss. I responded without hesitation, gripping his shirt as if letting go meant losing everything.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
"This changes things," I said.
"Yes," he agreed.
Outside, the wind picked up again.
The storm wasn't over.
But neither were we.
And for the first time since our marriage began, I wasn't standing beside Adrian Blackwood because I had to.
I was choosing to.