Soren's Pov

Control. It had always been my weapon and armor

But since that wedding night, since Adrian Vega crashed into my world, control had slipped through my fingers like smoke.

The morning after Celeste's performance on live television, the headlines were merciless. Knight Heir Betrays Bride. CEO's Secret Husband Exposed. Vegas Scandal Could End Empire.

I sat in my office, the blinds half drawn, the city humming far below. My phone lit up nonstop with calls from board members, clients, journalists. I ignored all of them.

Nathan, of course, didn't. He strolled into my office without knocking, tossing a newspaper onto my desk.

"She's good," he said lightly. "Almost convincing."

The front page showed a picture of Celeste, tears streaking down her flawless face. She looked fragile, heartbroken. A perfect performance. And the world believed her.

Nathan leaned back in the chair opposite me, crossing one leg over the other. "The sympathy vote works wonders, doesn't it? Investors are pulling out. Partners are asking questions. And all because of your... husband."

The way he said it, mocking, poisonous, made something cold coil in my chest.

"You came here for a reason," I said flatly.

His smile widened. "I did. You see, your father hates weakness, and right now, you reek of it. He'll cut you off, let the sharks devour what's left. But me?" He spread his hands, all charm. "I could help. I have contacts. I can stabilize what's falling apart. All you need to do is sign over a little control."

I stared at him. "You want my company."

"I want a share," he corrected smoothly. "A seat at the table. A chance to prove I can do what you clearly can't."

I didn't move. Didn't speak. Because if I did, I might break the glass between us.

Nathan tilted his head, reading the silence as carefully as always. "Or maybe," he murmured, "I just want to see how far you'll fall for that boy. Because you will fall, Soren. And when you do, I'll be there to take everything."

I rose slowly. His smile didn't falter, but his eyes sharpened.

"Get out," I said.

For once, he obeyed. But not before leaning close enough for his breath to brush my ear.

"You can't protect him forever."

The door clicked shut behind him.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

I pressed my hands against the desk, fighting the urge to shatter the glass wall behind me. Nathan was right about one thing, Adrian was my weakness. Not because he was fragile, but because I couldn't ignore him.

I told myself it was strategy. If I let him break, the media would tear him apart and drag me down with him. But the truth was sharper. It wasn't strategy. It was something I didn't want to name.

A knock broke the silence. The door opened before I could answer. Adrian stepped in.

His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight, but his eyes... they weren't broken. Not yet.

"You've seen it?" he asked.

"Every angle."

He swallowed hard. "My mom's crying nonstop. My friends won't answer my calls. People are digging up everything-my debts, my jobs, even old photos from school. They're calling me a gold digger, a scammer, worse."

I forced my voice steady. "You'll survive it."

His laugh was harsh. "That's easy for you to say. You've lived in this storm your whole life. Me? I'm drowning."

The words struck deeper than I wanted to admit.

I moved around the desk, standing close enough to see the exhaustion in his face. "Do you regret it?"

He blinked. "What?"

"This marriage." My voice was low, steady. "Do you regret it?"

His eyes searched mine. "I didn't choose it."

The answer shouldn't have stung. But it did.

"You think I planned this?" I asked.

"You plan everything," he shot back. "You control, you command, you destroy anyone in your way. But that night, you didn't control it. You lost control. And now I'm paying for it."

I should have pushed him away. I should have reminded him this was temporary, that the contract was all that mattered. But instead, the words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Then let me carry it."

His lips parted. "What?"

"I'll take the fire. The headlines. The board. Victor. Nathan. All of it. You don't have to stand alone."

For a long moment, he just stared at me, something unreadable flickering in his gaze.

And then he whispered, almost too soft to hear: "You don't know how."

The words hit harder than any of Nathan's taunts. Because maybe he was right. I'd never carried anyone. I'd never let myself.

The room felt too small, too heavy. I turned away, forcing steel back into my voice. "We have a press conference tomorrow. You'll stand beside me. We'll end Celeste's story before it destroys us."

Adrian didn't answer. He just nodded stiffly and walked out.

The door closed, leaving me alone with my reflection in the glass wall. For the first time, I didn't look like the man I'd built. I looked like someone... uncertain.

************

That night, I didn't sleep. I sat in the dark, watching the city lights flicker like stars too far away to touch. My phone buzzed with messages I ignored.

Until one caught my eye. From an unknown number.

If you want to protect him, meet me. Alone.

No name. Just an address.

And I already knew who it was.

'

Nathan.

---

The next morning, Clara stormed into my office before dawn, slamming files on my desk.

"The board is demanding answers. Investors want to pull everything. If you don't handle this perfectly, we're finished."

"I know."

She hesitated, studying me. "You're different, Soren. Since him. Since Adrian. You're making choices you never would've made before."

I met her eyes, unflinching. "Maybe that's not a weakness."

Her mouth pressed into a thin line. "Or maybe it's exactly what will destroy you."

Before I could reply, the door opened again. Adrian stood there in a dark suit, nervous but unbroken.

He looked at me, his voice steady despite the tremor in it.

"Tell me the truth, Soren," he said. "If tomorrow, the press tears me apart and I fall... will you let me burn, or will you fall with me?"

Adrian's Pov

"Keep your head up."

That's what Soren said right before we stepped out of the car and into a sea of flashing lights.

The noise hit me first, shutters clicking, voices shouting my name, questions flying like bullets. I froze for half a second before his hand brushed against mine. It wasn't a touch, not really, just a small, grounding reminder that I wasn't walking into this alone.

Except... I was.

Because this was Soren Knight's world, not mine. The marble steps, the cameras, the expensive suits, it all belonged to him. I was just the headline that wouldn't go away.

He walked ahead, straight-backed and calm, his face carved from stone. I followed half a step behind, doing my best to look like I belonged beside him.

We reached the podium. A dozen microphones waited, red lights blinking like warning signs. The room fell into a heavy silence.

Soren adjusted his tie, then leaned forward. "Good afternoon," he began, his voice smooth and cold, every syllable controlled. "I know there's been speculation about my marriage and about my relationship with Celeste Moreau. I'll make this clear once...."

"Did you cheat on her?" a reporter yelled. "Was this marriage to Adrian Vega part of a cover-up?"

Soren didn't even blink. "No. My marriage to Adrian Vega was impulsive, yes. But it's real. And it's private."

Real. The word hit me like a slap.

Everyone turned their cameras toward me. I felt the heat of a hundred stares. Some curious, some cruel.

"Mr. Vega," another reporter said sharply, "what do you say to accusations that you targeted Mr. Knight for his money?"

I swallowed hard. "I didn't......."

"Did he pay you?" another shouted. "Are you in this for the publicity?"

The room buzzed louder, questions blurring together. I opened my mouth again, but Soren's hand rested on my arm, stopping me.

"That's enough," he said firmly. His voice carried authority, the kind that silenced a room.

But it didn't stop what came next.

The doors at the back opened. I didn't need to turn to know who it was. The sharp click of heels was enough.

Celeste Moreau.

She moved like she owned the air. Her white suit was pristine, her hair gleaming under the lights, her expression heartbreak carved into perfection.

"I'm sorry for the interruption," she said sweetly, though her eyes were knives. "But the public deserves the truth."

Soren's shoulders stiffened. "Celeste, this isn't your platform......"

"Oh, but it is." She turned to the cameras, voice trembling just enough. "I loved Soren Knight. We were engaged. Until I discovered his affair with Adrian Vega."

Gasps rippled through the room.

I felt my chest tighten. "That's a lie."

Celeste's lips curved. "Really? Then maybe you'd like to explain this."

She pulled out a sleek tablet and lifted it so everyone could see the video playing. My stomach dropped.

It was footage from the Vegas chapel, me and Soren laughing, slurring, stumbling toward the altar. My voice rang out, loud and drunk: "Come on, Mr. Knight. Scared to marry me?"

The crowd erupted. Cameras flashed like lightning.

I couldn't breathe.

Celeste's voice cut through the chaos. "He trapped Soren into this marriage for money. For fame. And now he's ruining everything Soren's father built."

The reporters shouted again, all at once. "Mr. Vega! Did you seduce him for his money?" "Mr. Knight, are you being blackmailed?"

Soren's face was unreadable, his jaw tight, his hand still gripping the podium.

I wanted to speak. I wanted to scream that it wasn't true. That none of it was planned. But the words stuck in my throat.

"Enough!" Soren's voice thundered through the room, silencing everything. "This press conference is over."

He turned sharply, grabbing my wrist. "We're leaving."

He pulled me through the crowd, ignoring the flashes, the shouting, the chaos. I stumbled after him, blinking against the lights. My heart felt like it was being crushed in my chest.

By the time we reached the car, my pulse was a drum.

He didn't speak. Neither did I. The car door slammed shut, trapping us in heavy silence.

"Adrian," he said finally, voice low. "Don't believe a word she said."

I laughed bitterly. "You think anyone else won't?"

His jaw twitched. "This is what she does. She manipulates, she twists....."

"She showed proof, Soren! Video proof! Do you realize how that looks?"

He turned to me, eyes burning. "I don't care how it looks."

"Well, I do!" I snapped. "Because it's my name being dragged through hell. My mom's crying herself sick. Everyone thinks I used you. Do you even care about that?"

His silence was answer enough.

I stared at him. "You don't, do you? You just care about control. About winning."

"That's not true."

"Then tell me what this is," I said quietly. "Tell me what I am to you."

His lips parted, but no sound came out.

I shook my head. "You can't even say it."

I turned toward the window, my chest tight, my throat burning. The city blurred by in streaks of light.

When we reached the penthouse, I got out before he could open his door. I didn't look back as I slammed it shut behind me.

The elevator ride felt endless. When the doors opened, the quiet of the apartment almost hurt.

I walked straight to my room, but stopped halfway. My phone was buzzing. Dozens of missed calls. Dozens of messages.

And one new text. From an unknown number.

He's lying to you, Adrian. Meet me if you want the truth.

Below it was an address.

My stomach twisted. I knew that tone. That manipulation. It had to be Nathan Cross, the man who'd smirked through every scandal and smiled like a vulture.

I should've deleted it. I should've ignored it. But I needed answers.

Because Soren wouldn't give me any.

The place was an abandoned restaurant near downtown, windows covered, lights dim. I stepped inside slowly.

Nathan was already waiting, sitting at a table like he owned the shadows.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his smile sharp. "But I'm glad you came."

"What do you want?" I asked.

He gestured to the chair opposite him. "I want to help you. You deserve to know who you married."

"I already know," I said.

He laughed softly. "Do you?"

He slid a thin folder across the table. I stared at it, hesitant.

"Inside," he said smoothly, "are contracts, emails, payments-proof that Soren's marriage to you wasn't just a scandal. It was his strategy. He used you to sabotage Celeste's deal, to provoke Victor, and to secure full control of his shares. You were never his mistake, Adrian. You were his weapon."

I froze. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?" He leaned forward. "You think a man like Soren does anything without purpose? You were convenient. Disposable. And now you're the perfect scapegoat for his downfall."

The words cut deeper than I wanted them to.

Nathan saw it. He smiled wider. "He'll destroy you, Adrian. Just like he destroys everything he touches. You could walk away now... or you could help me end him before he ends you."

I pushed back from the table, shaking my head. "You're lying."

"Am I?" His voice dropped. "Ask him about Project Helix. Ask him why your name is listed in his private files. Then decide who's lying."

I turned and walked out, his voice echoing behind me.

"Careful, Adrian. You're playing with a man who doesn't know how to lose."

By the time I got back, the penthouse was dark except for the city lights spilling through the windows. Soren was there-waiting, sitting on the couch, his sleeves rolled up, his eyes shadowed.

"Where were you?" His voice was calm, but the edge was sharp.

"I needed air."

"Don't lie to me."

I clenched my jaw. "Why? You lie all the time."

He stood, slow and dangerous. "What did he tell you?"

I met his gaze. "He told me about Project Helix."

The change in his expression was instant, a flicker of surprise, then cold steel.

I stepped closer, my heart pounding. "Tell me, Soren. Is that why you married me? Was I part of your deal? Your plan?"

He didn't answer.

That silence was louder than any confession.

My throat tightened. "Say something!"

He moved closer until we were inches apart, his eyes burning into mine.

"You wouldn't understand," he said finally.

SOREN'S Pov

"I said I don't want the press near the building," I snapped, my voice echoing through the glass conference room. "If they try again, have them removed. No exceptions."

Nathan nodded, tapping on his tablet, but his tone was sharper than usual. "They're not backing down. Your sudden disappearance after the wedding scandal has made the situation worse. People are wondering if you've... gone soft."

I gave him a look. "Soft?"

"You've been avoiding meetings, missing events, and hiding in your penthouse with your new husband," he said carefully. "The board is starting to notice."

My grip tightened on the edge of the table. "Watch your tone."

Nathan met my eyes, unflinching. "I'm your assistant, not your enemy. But you can't ignore the fact that your father's already moving. Victor's been calling everyone he can. He wants the company back under his control."

That was what truly irritated me, not the press, not the gossip, but the thought of Victor Knight circling like a vulture, waiting for my next mistake.

"Let him try," I muttered, straightening my tie. "He won't get it."

"Then stop acting like you're already defeated," Nathan said. "If you're going to stay married to Adrian Vega, at least make it look intentional."

The name hit me like a quiet jolt. Adrian.

He'd been asleep when I left this morning, curled on his side with the blanket tangled around his waist. There was something strange about seeing someone like him in my space, too bright for the sharp edges of my world. Every time I told myself I'd send him away, I didn't.

Maybe because he didn't treat me like everyone else.

He didn't flatter or fear me. He challenged. He annoyed me. He made me feel, something I hadn't in years.

But that was a weakness.

"I'll deal with it," I said.

Nathan sighed, but he knew better than to push further. "Fine. You have a meeting with the investors at noon. I'll handle the press."

He left the room, and I was finally alone with my thoughts, not that I wanted to be. Silence never stayed quiet long enough around me. It always brought ghosts.

When I looked out the window, I saw the reflection of a man who'd built an empire on control, and suddenly, I didn't feel like that man anymore.

*********************

By the time I got home that night, the penthouse lights were dim, and the faint sound of a movie played from the living room. I stepped inside, and the smell of something warm, pasta, maybe, hit me.

Adrian sat cross-legged on the couch, a plate balanced on his knee. He looked up, surprised, as if he didn't expect me to actually come home.

"You're back early," he said.

"It's past eight."

"For you, that's early," he said with a small grin.

He wasn't wrong. Normally, I didn't come home at all.

My gaze flicked to the kitchen counter, where two plates were set. "You cooked?"

"I was hungry," he said. "And you didn't leave anything edible here. You seriously live on black coffee and nothing else?"

I ignored his tone and loosened my tie. "I don't have time to cook."

He shrugged, turning back to the TV. "Then it's a good thing one of us knows how."

I didn't reply. I should've walked past him, gone straight to my study, buried myself in work. But my feet didn't move.

"Are you going to stand there, or are you actually going to sit?" he asked without looking up.

I hesitated, then walked over and sat down beside him. The couch dipped slightly between us. The movie, some old comedy, played softly, laughter filling the quiet space.

I didn't care for it, but I found myself watching anyway.

After a few minutes, he spoke again. "You look tired."

"I'm not."

"You lie like you breathe."

My head turned sharply. "Careful."

He smirked faintly. "There it is, the CEO tone. I was starting to miss it."

"Adrian......"

"I'm just saying, you don't have to keep acting like everything's fine." His voice softened. "You got humiliated on live television, your father's trying to destroy you, and you're stuck with a stranger as your husband. Anyone else would've cracked by now."

I didn't answer. I didn't know how to.

Instead, I looked at him. Really looked. He wasn't dressed like someone trying to fit into my world, just a plain shirt, soft hair falling into his eyes, a faint bruise near his jaw from where a camera had hit him during the chaos last week.

He'd been thrown into my life by mistake, but somehow, he fit here better than I wanted to admit.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"That you talk too much."

He laughed, low and easy. "You're welcome for dinner, by the way."

"I didn't thank you."

"You should."

The faintest curve tugged at the corner of my lips before I caught myself.

He noticed. "Was that almost a smile?"

"Don't push it."

He chuckled and went back to eating, but the quiet between us wasn't heavy this time. It was... strange. Comfortable.

And that was dangerous.

Later that night, after he fell asleep on the couch, I stood by the window with a glass of whiskey in hand. The city stretched beneath me, bright, endless, demanding.

Nathan's words echoed again: Make it look intentional.

If I wanted to protect what I'd built, I needed to turn this accident into strategy.

An idea began forming, reckless but possible. If I made this marriage look real enough, long enough, I could control the narrative. Turn scandal into opportunity.

But to do that, I'd have to keep Adrian close. Too close.

I looked back at him. He shifted in his sleep, the blanket sliding down his shoulder. The soft light caught on his skin, the faint rise and fall of his chest.

Something twisted in my chest, something I didn't like.

I wasn't supposed to feel anything. Not for him.

I finished the whiskey, setting the glass down quietly. Tomorrow, I'd fix everything. I'd meet the board, silence Victor, and make the world believe this marriage was my choice.

Because the moment I started believing it myself, I'd lose.

Still, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

Maybe Nathan was right. Maybe I was going soft.

The thought made me scoff under my breath.

And yet, when Adrian murmured my name in his sleep, just once, quiet and unguarded, I froze.

For a long second, I couldn't move. Couldn't even breathe.

I told myself it was nothing. Just a dream. Just noise.

But it didn't sound like nothing. It sounded like danger.

Because if he could say my name like that without meaning to...

Then what would happen when he did mean it?

I turned away, forcing my voice back to its usual steel.

"This changes nothing," I muttered to the empty room. "Absolutely nothing."

But the city outside didn't believe me. And deep down, neither did I.

He shifted again, mumbling softly before going still.

I should've left him there, but I didn't. I reached down, pulled the blanket over his shoulder, and stood there for a second longer than I should have.

Then I whispered something I couldn't take back....

"You're going to ruin me, Vega."