Page 76 of His Obsession
I see the crack in his armor as I say it. He wasn’t expecting this. He didn’t think I’d have someone else who cares about me.
“He doesn’t love you,” Adrian says. “Men like him don’t love women like you. They use them.”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
His hand moves so fast I barely track it. He grabs my jaw, fingers digging into the skin hard enough to hurt. Not a slap. Not yet. Just the reminder that he can overpower me whenever he wants.That he thinks this room and my body and the air between us all belong to him because he dragged me here. I force myself not to flinch.
“I let you leave once,” he says.
I speak carefully because his grip makes it hard. “You didn’tletme do anything.”
His fingers tighten. “You humiliated me.”
“You did that yourself.”
For one second, I think he’s going to hit me. His breathing changes. His eyes go almost flat. Then he lets go abruptly, like he’s decided I’m not worth the effort yet. I stumble back a step, but I stay upright.
“Don’t get comfortable,” he says, smoothing the cuff of his shirt. “We’re only staying here until I can move you.”
My pulse kicks hard. “Move me where?”
He looks at me like I’m stupid. “I told you,” he answers flatly. “I’m taking you home.”
“I would rather die.”
He smiles without any warmth at all. “That can be arranged.”
I believe him. It isn’t the first time he’s threatened me. It isn’t the first time he’s hurt me. But this time feels different because he doesn’t even bother pretending he wouldn’t. He doesn’t want me back. Not really. He wants to win. And if he can’t win, I’m not sure he cares what happens next.
I keep my face as steady as I can. “Your family doesn’t know you’re here. Do they?”
He goes still. I almost smile. Not because anything about this is funny, but because finally, something makes sense.
“You don’t have any security,” I say, glancing toward the door. “No staff. No driver hovering in the hallway. No working electricity, which feels like a real step down for you. This wasn’t sanctioned.”
His mouth flattens. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, I do.” My voice is too shaky to sound as confident as I want, but I keep going anyway. “Daddy didn’t approve of this trip. He’s probably sick of your obsession with me. He never really thought I was good enough for you, anyway. He’d probably cut you off if he knew what you’re doing.”
“I don’t need his approval.”
“Of course you do. He’s your personal bank.”
He crosses the room before I can move, and this time he shoves me back against the wall. Not hard enough to knock the breath out of me, but close. One hand pins my shoulder, the other braces near my head. I smell stale coffee on his breath. He’s too close. Too warm. Too familiar.
“You always thought you were smarter than me,” he says.
“No,” I say honestly. “I always knew I was.”
His face twists. Then he steps back. Again, he chooses not to hit me. That should comfort me. It doesn’t. It tells me he’s measuring himself. Trying to keep enough control to preserve whatever plan is still rattling around in his head.
If he intends to move me, Sebastian has less time than I thought. Adrian picks up the water bottle from the dresser and tosses it onto the bed.
“Drink. You’re no use to me sick.”
“I’m not much use to you alive either.”
“Don’t test me, Valentina.”
