Chapter 57
Adeline West.
I reached my room and shut the door behind me, leaning again it as I tried to catch my breath. The memory of his hands
drowning in a sea of emotions I didn’t want to on me, the way he had held me so tightly–it was all too much. I felt like I was feel–emotions I had buried long ago.
With a frustrated sigh, I pushed myself off the door and went to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. The coolness helped clear my mind, but it didn’t erase the image of Killian’s face, the way he had looked at me with such intensity.
“Get a grip, Adeline,” I whispered to myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror. “You can’t let him get to you like this. You can’t let him back in.”
But even as I said the words, I knew it wasn’t that simple. There was something between us, something I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much I wanted to. It was like a thread, thin and fragile but unbreakable, pulling us together even when we tried to tear each other apart.
And that scared me more than anything.
I turned off the light and went to bed, hoping that sleep would bring some relief, some clarity. But as I lay there in the dark, the memory of Killian’s kiss kept replaying in my mind, over and over, until it was all I could think about.
Why did he do it? Why now? After all these years, after everything that had happened, why did he kiss me like that? Was it just a moment of weakness, a slip of control? Or was there something more?
The questions gnawed at me, refusing to let me rest. And with each passing minute, the anger that had fueled me began to wane, replaced by something else–something.I didn’t want to acknowledge.
I hated him. I had to hate him. But…
The thought hung in the air, unfinished, unresolved. And as much as I tried to push it away, it lingered, like a shadow in the corner of my mind.
Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I drifted into a restless sleep. But even in my dreams, Killian was there, haunting me, his kiss a burning memory that I couldn’t escape.
I woke up the next morning with a headache, the events of the previous night still weighing heavily on me.’I didn’t want to face the day; I didn’t want to deal with the consequences of what had happened. But there was no avoiding it. Life went on, whether I was ready for it or not.
As I got dressed and prepared for the day, I tried to push Killian out of my mind and tried to focus on the tasks ahead. But it was no use. His presence lingered, like a ghost that wouldn’t leave me alone.
I went through the motions, checking on the kids, making sure everything was in order. But I felt disconnected, like I was moving through a fog, my mind still tangled up in the past.
It wasn’t until I was on my way to the office that I finally forced myself to confront the truth: I couldn’t avoid Killian forever. I couldn’t keep pretending that last night hadn’t happened. I needed to face it, figure out what it meant, and find a way to move forward.
But as I pulled into the parking lot of the office, I felt a sense of dread settle over me. I had a feeling that today wasn’t going to be any easier than last night.
The moment I stepped inside, I knew something was wrong. The air was thick with tension, the usual chatter of the office
1/3
<
Chapter 57
replaced by a tense silence–People were avoiding my gaze, whispering to each other as 1 passed by. Something had happened, and it wasn’t good.
I hurried to my office, my heart pounding in my chest. When I opened the door, I found Sophia waiting for me, her face pale and worried.
“Adeline,” she said, her voice trembling. “You need to see this.”
She handed me a tablet, and I took it with a sense of foreboding As I looked at the screen, my heart dropped. There, on the front page of the news, was a picture of Killian and me locked in that heated kiss from last night. The headline screamed out at me, the words blurring together as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing.
“Ceo of Volkov Companies, Killian Volkov, and Adeline West, CEO and Founder of Moonluxe companies, Caught Kissing!!”
My stomach churned as I read the article. The details of our encounter are laid out for the world to see. Someone had been watching us; someone had taken pictures, and now everyone knew.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
At the bottom of the article in bold letters was a quote that sent a chill down my spine.
“Rumors swirl about the connection between Killian Volkov and Adeline West. What secrets lie behind this unexpected display of passion? How will this revelation impact their companies and the fragile balance between their packs?”
I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me.
This was a disaster.
This was exactly what I had been trying to avoid, and now it was out of my control. How did they get these pictures? Who leaked this?
My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. No one knew about our past–our marriage, our divorce. To the world, we
a complicated history. But now, the media had their hands on a story that could
were just two powerful business figures with blow everything wide open.
This was exactly what I didn’t need. I had worked so hard to build a life for myself and my kids, away from the shadow of my past with Killian. And now, with one impulsive kiss, he had managed to unravel everything.
What the hell was Killian thinking? He had to know this would get out. Did he do this on purpose? Was this some twisted game to him, a way to mess with my head and make me vulnerable again?
Or was it Laurel?
But no, that didn’t make sense. Why would Killian risk his own reputation like this? Unless… unless he wanted to paint me as the villain.
And Laurel, she’d benefit from this, wouldn’t she? With this scandal, she’d have all the ammunition she needed to turn the pack against me and solidify her place by Killian’s side.
Who was it?
Who did this?
Fri, Dec