Behind Closed Doors
Country: Eldoria
Adrian
“Adrian, how could you not know? She’s been missing for days, and you have no idea?” My father’s voice cut through the silence like a whip, sharp and unforgiving.
“How was I supposed to know? I have a lot of things to take care of. Was I supposed to drop everything just to stay glued to her side all the time?” I shot back, trying to keep the sting of panic from my voice.
“Your arrogance is dangerous! Do you even know what happens under your roof?” Mom’s anger rattled the walls of the sitting room.
“I never wanted this marriage in the first place! You both forced me into it, knowing I never loved her!” I snapped, heat rising along with the tension.
“Shut up! You didn’t love her, but you got her pregnant?” Dad bellowed, his face a storm of disbelief and fury.
“I’m sure nothing is wrong with her,” I said, grasping at the only explanation I could hold. “Maybe she just went to her mother’s for a few days. She’s so dramatic, always craving attention..it’s impossible she’s gone for real.”
“That’s not the only option, Adrian! Her mother is gone too! They’re all gone. What would the media say? What if she goes to the press? What do you think will happen to our company?” Mom’s voice trembled slightly, betraying the panic she tried to mask with fury.
“She’s not that stupid to do that. After all, I’ve done nothing to her,” I muttered defensively.
“Maybe if you had spent more time managing your household and less obsessing over contracts, none of this would have happened!” Isla, my younger sister, chimed in, her tone sharp, almost venomous.
“Shut the hell up! You do not speak when adults are talking! No one asked for your stupid opinion!” I barked, my patience snapping.
“Jokes on you, Adrian,” she shot back, unafraid. “You can’t shut me up. I can say whatever I want whenever I want. I’m no longer ten years old, and I am definitely not Alvara!”
“So you’ve grown up… to challenge me?” I asked, scoffing, trying to mask a flicker of unease.
“Go to hell, Adrian Vale. Do your worst; not like you can do shit,” she said, the defiance in her voice almost tangible.
“Shut up, Isla! How dare you talk to your brother in that manner?” Mom snapped.
“Yes, you’ll always side with him. Anyway, I’m done listening to this nonsense.” She stood up, leaving the room without another word.
I watched her climb the stairs, a smirk curling on my lips despite the chaos. She had fire, I had to admit it..even if it infuriated me.
“I want her found immediately. I do not care how, but I want her found immediately. I will not allow anyone to tarnish the image I built for years. Find her, Adrian! Do not make me repeat myself!” Dad’s order hung in the air like a guillotine, slicing through every thought. He left without another glance.
“I can’t believe the ungrateful girl has been planning her escape all this time.
After I took her in, gave her a life as one of mine…
this is how she repays us?” Mom’s voice softened only slightly, but her wrath lingered.
“I don’t care how long it takes, Adrian.
You must locate them before this spirals out of control.
” She left as abruptly as she had entered.
The Vale mansion always felt suffocating, even in my teenage years. Every corner reminded me of my father’s unyielding presence, his expectations etched into every wall.
“You cannot fail,” my father had barked decades ago, eyes sharp as knives. I had swallowed my fear, nodded, and promised a perfection I did not feel. That promise had shaped me, tightened my chest with invisible chains. Even now, memories of those demands are pressed down like stones.
Something unaccounted for had slipped past me.
Something I could not control.
There was no way she had escaped.
.but if she had, I would find her. It didn’t matter where she was.
She would pay for the embarrassment, for the chaos she had caused.
Nothing..had ever escaped my control. This would not be the first, nor the last, test of that truth.
I reached my office from the family estate, Workers whispered as I passed; none dared approach. They knew better.
“Good morning, sir,” my assistant greeted, her voice tentative, almost fearful.
I ignored her, stepping into my office, the door clicking shut behind me. She followed immediately.
“These are your schedules for today, sir,” she said, placing a stack of papers neatly on my desk.
I listened in silence as she recited every meeting, every call, every item demanding my attention. When she finished, I looked up, my patience already thinning.
“So… where’s my coffee?” I asked calmly, forcing restraint.
“I…I’m so sorry, sir. I thought you wouldn’t be needing it since you arrived late,” she stammered.
“Are you insane? You tell me what I can and cannot do in my own company?” I shouted, my voice cracking the veneer of calm I tried to maintain.
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said again, bowing, as if that would erase her misstep.
“You should be sorry for your miserable life,” I spat, anger coiling in my chest. “I would have fired you a long time ago, but I know the reason I still keep you here.” My words were sharp, deliberate.
“Get out.”
She fled, tears staining her cheeks, but I did not care. Her feelings were inconsequential. My mind was consumed by the one thing that mattered: finding her.
My phone rang, breaking my concentration. Hilliard, my tech-savvy friend..and only friend by convenience..was on the line.
“So… you’re saying the phone is switched off?” I asked, disbelief and frustration mingling in my voice.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “It can’t be tracked down.”
I ended the call, anger radiating in waves. Why was she so determined to ruin me? How had she slipped from under my roof without my knowledge? One thing was certain: I would find her, no matter what it took. And when I did… she would regret ever existing.
The phone , and this time, it was Eliora. Relief washed over me as I saw her name on the screen.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.
“Aren’t you coming home yet? It’s boring with just me here,” she replied. Her voice held a note of playful reproach.
I checked the time…hours had passed, swallowed by meetings and reports.
“I’m on my way. Coming right now.”
As I drove, my mind replayed everything that has happened the past few days, Mrs. Whitmore leaving…
it had to be connected to Alvara’s disappearance.
She had mentioned needing to see her mother, but I knew better.
If only I had known earlier, I would have realized Alvara had escaped with her.
That the chaos was happening under my roof, and I hadn’t known, stung bitterly.
Eliora waited when I arrived. My heart tightened at the thought of her sitting alone, surrounded by silence. I approached her, letting the tension of the day melt in her presence.
I kissed her deeply, feeling the weight of everything lift just slightly.
“How was your day?” I asked, letting the question hang in the air.
“Boring,” she said, pouting slightly, her expression softening the harsh edges of my day.
“You know… you look so cute when you pout, right? I’m sorry for leaving you here by yourself,” I murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I know you’re obsessed with work,” and she pressed her lips to mine in a small, reassuring kiss.
“You know,” she said, climbing the stairs, “I really can’t believe she ran away.”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I underestimated her. And one thing that feels off… Mrs. Whitmore may have helped her. Maybe she left with her.”
“I think so too,” Eliora replied quietly, sensing the truth.
It was just a matter of time. I would track her down. No matter where she ran, no matter how clever she thought she was, I would find her. And when I did… she would regret every choice she had made.
“Nothing escapes my control,” I muttered under my breath, eyes hardening with resolve.
The city stretched around me, oblivious to the storm gathering in my life. But one thing was certain: I would restore order. I would reclaim what was mine. And anyone who thought they could defy me would soon learn the cost of crossing Adrian Vale.