14. Eliana
Eliana
When Adrian returned to the bedroom, his eyes flicked toward me, and for the briefest second, surprise crossed his face before he quickly recovered.
“Someone’s awfully early today. Good morning,” he said with a smile as he walked toward me and kissed my forehead.
I was still thinking about the phone call I’d overheard, but I tried to sound casual.
"Morning… Everything alright? Who called this early?" I asked casually.
"Work," he answered without hesitation, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "Nothing you need to worry about."
I nodded, even though his answer left me with more questions than it answered.
There was something about the way he'd spoken on the phone earlier, something in that softness I'd never heard from him before.
While he showered, his phone vibrated several times on the bedside table.
I glanced toward the bathroom, wondering whether I should hand it to him in case it was important.
I had no intention of going through his phone, but when I picked it up, a notification appeared across the screen.
Unknown
Meet me tomorrow. 10 a.m. We really need to talk.
I stared at the message.
Before I could put the phone down, another appeared.
Unknown
I'll be waiting for you.
Then another.
Unknown
It’s been a while since I met you.
My fingers tightened around the phone. Whoever this was, they clearly knew Adrian well. These weren't business messages. They sounded personal, and the fact that the number wasn't saved made me even more uneasy.
I quickly placed his phone back on the table.
I trust him.
I repeated the words to myself, even as my mind refused to settle. I looked toward the bathroom again. The shower was still running.
Don't do this, Eliana.
I placed the phone back where I'd found it, but the number remained in my mind. I told myself there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe it was someone from Adrian's past. Maybe a business matter had become personal. Maybe I was reading too much into three messages from a stranger.
I trusted Adrian. At least, I wanted to.
Yet before I could stop myself, I took out my own phone and saved the number in a private note.
I stared at it for a few seconds before locking my screen and setting the phone aside.
I had no idea why I was doing it. Perhaps curiosity got the best of me. But I also needed the truth.
Later that morning, Adrian finished getting ready for work and headed toward the door. He paused before leaving and looked back at me with a teasing smile.
Later that morning, after breakfast Adrian dressed for work while I sat at the edge of the bed, watching him adjust his cuffs. He looked completely normal again, the same confident man.
He gave me a peck on the cheek and took my hand in his. “I'm leaving for work, sweetie.” Then he picked up his coat and headed toward the door, but before leaving, he glanced back at me.
"You know..." A teasing smile appeared on his face. "We're already like a married couple."
I laughed. "We're barely surviving fake dating."
He leaned against the doorframe, looking far too pleased with himself. "Then let's upgrade to a fake marriage. What do you think?"
I stared at him. "You're ridiculous."
I grabbed the nearest cushion and threw it at him. He caught it easily, laughing as he placed it back on the bed.
"Think about it," he said, still smiling.
"I'll think about finding a less annoying fake boyfriend."
He placed the cushion back on the bed before giving me another amused look. "See you later, wife."
"Goodbye, my fake billionaire boyfriend."
He stepped into the hallway, but before he could leave, Cookie called from his perch in the living room. "Goodbye, stupid!"
Adrian stopped. I covered my mouth, already smiling. He slowly looked toward my bird. "Your bird keeps insulting me. We need a bird jail for him."
Cookie tilted his head and chirped proudly. Adrian looked back at me. "You taught him that."
"I absolutely did not. He picks up the words he likes.”
"He's been spending too much time with you."
Cookie flapped his wings once. "Stupid!"
Adrian shook his head, laughing under his breath. "I'll be back soon.”
The door closed behind him, leaving me smiling at their ridiculous banter.
But when I glanced back toward my phone, the smile disappeared.
Meet me tomorrow. 10 a.m.
Whatever was waiting for Adrian at that meeting, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be about work.
* * *
I spent the rest of the morning trying to convince myself that the messages on Adrian's phone meant nothing. By the time I arrived at school for my shift, I had almost succeeded. Almost.
My students needed my attention, so I focused on lesson plans, answered questions, and forced myself to smile whenever one of my students made a joke.
Still, every so often, my mind wandered back to the unknown number.
I hated how easily those words had gotten under my skin.
Just before my shift ended, my phone vibrated.
Ethan
I'll be waiting to meet you after your shift at the school.
Another message arrived before I could respond.
Ethan
Eli, please don't refuse to meet me. I'm worried about you.
I stared at the screen and sighed. Ethan had been persistent lately, but there was something different about his messages today. Beneath the concern, I could sense genuine fear.
I finally typed back.
Eliana
Fine. I'll meet you after work.
By the time I left the school in the late afternoon, the early-summer sun had begun to soften, casting a warm glow over the streets as a gentle breeze moved through the trees. Ethan was waiting nearby, leaning against his car. The moment he saw me, he straightened and gave me a concerned look.
"You look exhausted," he said as I approached.
"It's been a long day."
He studied my face for another moment. "Have you been sleeping?"
"Mostly."
"Mostly isn't exactly reassuring."
I gave him a tired smile. "Are we having dinner or are you planning to interrogate me in the parking lot?"
His mouth twitched. "Dinner."
We ended up at a small restaurant not far from the school. It wasn't crowded, which suited me perfectly.
"You've been staring at that plate for five minutes," he said.
"I've been thinking," I said, quietly.
"About Adrian?"
I looked up at him. Ethan didn't look surprised. "You don't have to answer. I can tell."
I pushed my fork around my plate before finally admitting, "He's been acting strange lately."
Ethan's expression changed immediately. "What kind of strange?"
"I don't know." I hesitated. "Secretive. He gets phone calls he doesn't explain. There are things about him that I feel like I'm not supposed to ask about."
Ethan leaned forward slightly. "I told you before, Eliana. That man isn't who you think he is."
"I don't know that."
"You don't know that he isn't, either." His voice wasn't accusatory. If anything, he sounded genuinely worried.
I looked away. "Adrian has never given me a reason to be afraid of him."
Ethan was silent for a moment before lowering his voice. "I've been trying to find more information about him. Especially about his former girlfriend."
My stomach dropped. "What about her?"
"There's a file connected to the case, but I can't access it."
"Why?"
"Because someone has restricted it."
I frowned. "Someone?"
"Higher-ups inside the department can make information disappear from places it shouldn't disappear from." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "I can't prove Adrian has people protecting him, but I wouldn't rule it out."
I stared at him. "You're saying he's a murderer now?"
"I'm saying you don't know what he's capable of." His expression softened. "Eli, listen to me. Maybe he's innocent. Maybe every rumor you've heard is completely false. But there was a woman who was once close to him, and she died under circumstances that still leave questions."
"He loved her."
"That's what everyone believed."
I felt irritation rising inside me. "And what do you believe?"
Ethan hesitated. "I believe Adrian knows how to control what people see."
The words unsettled me because, despite everything, they sounded possible.
"He could be hiding anything," Ethan continued. "He could be a womanizer. He could be obsessive. He could have people watching his back. He could even be dangerous in ways you haven't seen yet."
"You're making him sound like some kind of monster."
"I'm trying to make you understand that you shouldn't assume you know him just because he's been kind to you."
I looked down at my hands. The truth was, I didn't know Adrian. Not completely.
But I knew the way he remembered the smallest things about me. I knew how he made sure I ate when I was too nervous to think about food. I knew how his voice changed when he spoke to me privately. And I knew the sadness in his eyes whenever he thought I wasn't looking.
"I care about you," Ethan said softly. "If something happens to you because I didn't warn you, I'll never forgive myself."
I looked at him.
"Until I find out what's really going on with Adrian, please keep your distance from him."
I didn't promise. I couldn't. But Ethan's words followed me all the way home.
Later that night, I sat on my bed with my phone in my hand, staring at the number I'd written down that morning.
I should have deleted it. Instead, I pressed call.
A woman answered after several rings.
"Hello?"
"Hi." I swallowed. "I'm sorry to bother you. Who is this?"
There was a brief pause. "This is Doctor Lara's clinic. I'm her assistant. How may I assist you?”
Doctor.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"I'm sorry," she continued. "This is a private number. Only emergency contacts are usually given access to it. May I ask who you are?"
I quickly gave her a vague explanation, pretending I'd been given the number by mistake.
Before ending the call, I asked casually, "Could you give me the clinic's address? I may have written the number down incorrectly."
There was a brief hesitation on the other end before the assistant finally gave me the address. I quickly wrote it down, repeating the street name under my breath to make sure I had it right.
"Thank you," I said, forcing my voice to remain casual. "That's all I needed."
I ended the call and stared at the number I'd just written.
Doctor Lara. Who was she to Adrian?
I barely had time to gather my thoughts before I heard something behind me.
Footsteps. I froze.
Slowly, I turned toward the bedroom doorway. Adrian was standing there. But I hadn't heard the door open. When did he come back? And judging by the way he was looking at me, I had no idea how long he'd been there.