Adeline Carter's POV:

I finished dinner, told Brock I was tired, and went to lie down in the bedroom.

A few minutes later, Brock walked in, his footsteps light.

He whispered my name, checking to see if I was asleep. I held my breath, eyes closed.

He leaned over me, his breathing heavy, suppressing a yawn. “I'm tired too,” he muttered.

He whispered in my ear: “Addie, even if you're with someone else, I'll still love you.”

“You won't remember a thing. You'll think it was me.”

“As long as we can make money, as long as we're okay, as long as no one knows, that's enough. The world laughs at the poor, not the fallen.”

“We shouldn't feel ashamed, Addie. We've worked so hard; we shouldn't feel ashamed.”

“I've been honest and upright my whole life, and what did it get me? Nothing! I'm bullied at work, crushed by the mortgage. I can't even quit.”

He sobbed. “I'm sorry, Addie. I'm so, so sorry. But this is for our future. This is for us.”

Then, his breathing became deep and rhythmic.

He was out.

I snapped my eyes open and looked at his peaceful face. A storm of emotions swirled inside me.

I remembered his kindness, his small sacrifices. When we were at our poorest, he'd give me the meat from the buns, saying he preferred the bread. He had always been so good to me.

As I was trying to sort through my thoughts, the doorbell rang.

My heart plummeted.

Adeline Carter's POV:

I suppose ordinary people, when pushed to the brink by the powerful, are capable of anything.

The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time.

I walked to the door, heart racing, and pulled it open.

Gill Webb was standing there. My boss.

And right behind him was Alvin Thompson, Brock's boss.

My mind raced, trying to make sense of the scene.

Alvin's presence was a shock. He had warned me not to accept Gill's proposal, yet here he was.

Gill and Alvin stared at each other, surprise and a flicker of realization passing between them. It was a bizarre, unexpected collision of two worlds.

My love for Brock, once pure and tragic, felt like a distant echo now.

I was caught in a brutal moral trap, struggling to understand Brock's desperation while condemning his actions.

The sudden arrival of both bosses, and the shift in power dynamics, ratcheted up the tension.

I had to stay calm.

Adeline Carter's POV:

I knew I couldn't let on that I knew anything. Not a word. I forced a brittle, fake smile.

Alvin spoke first, his voice steady. “I was just in the neighborhood, Adeline. Thought I'd stop by.”

“Mr. Webb, Mr. Thompson,” I said with an unnatural cheerfulness. “Please, come in. Brock is resting. He's always exhausted after dinner.” I gestured to our cramped living room. “Sorry for the mess.”

I poured them some tap water.

Gill turned to Alvin, his tone sharp. “Alvin, you should head out. I need to discuss some corporate personnel matters with Adeline.”

Alvin arched an eyebrow. “Personnel matters? Hardly confidential, Gill. I don't see why I can't stay.” He shot me a meaningful look, a silent warning.

The two began a subtle, dangerous verbal duel, each trying to outmaneuver the other and establish dominance. They traded barbs disguised as hollow pleasantries.

I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me. The milk Brock had given me was still in my system. I pinched myself repeatedly, hard, to stay awake and alert.

But the sedative was powerful. Soon, both Gill and Alvin began to nod off, their eyelids heavy.

They slumped onto the sofa, fast asleep.

Yes, I had spiked their water.

I watched them for a long moment before a sense of relief washed over me. I crept back into the bedroom and locked the door. I lay down beside Brock, listening to his light snoring.

A pang of regret surfaced.

I had briefly considered "selling" Brock to Gill, using him the way he intended to use me.

But I couldn't. I couldn't sink that low.

I loathed Gill's crudeness, his hideous proposal. If I went through with it, what would I become? Once you cross that line, there's no coming back.