17

17

Adrian's POV

I wasn't in the mood for family drama, but business had a way of dragging you into things you'd rather avoid. Unfortunately, today's business involved Mason. Just when I was planning on avoiding Mason with everything I had as I recently just found out that Bethany was indeed his fiancé and he was the one that cheated on her.

That little bastard. And to make it all worse, Bethany and I had round after round of sex that night and this would make everything damn awkward. As much as I wanted to kill that little shit. I still had shame and self respect. How was I supposed to act around him knowing that I had slept with his fiancé?

But Inhad no choice but to be here today even though my wolf roared at me that it was a bad idea.

The Grant Corporation thrived on power plays and politics, and my involvement had always been minimal. I preferred the shadows—where control wasn't dictated by boardroom dynamics but by the moves you made behind closed doors.

Still, when my signature was required, I showed up.

I strode into Mason's office without knocking. Let him seethe about it later. The man loved his theatrics, but I didn't have the patience to cater to his ego today.

What I didn't expect was the scene waiting for me.

Bethany stood by Mason's desk, her fists clenched, her face flushed with fury. Mason, ever the smug bastard, leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smirk, as if her anger was a performance meant for his amusement. And a lady standing by the window, watching everhing that was going on with a scowl.

The tension hit me like a wall.

Bethany spun around at the sound of the door opening, her eyes locking on mine. Her breath hitched audibly, and the color drained from her face.

Shit.

Her expression said it all—shock, confusion, and a dawning horror that mirrored my own.

She didn't know.

Her eyes darted between me and Mason as she pieced together something I wasn't ready for her to understand.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mason's voice cut through the silence, oblivious to the looks Bethany and I were exchanging.

I didn't answer him. My focus was on Bethany, whose trembling hands betrayed her effort to maintain composure.

I should have walked away. Should have come up with an excuse to leave and avoided the fallout.

But I didn't.

"I have business with you," I said flatly, tearing my gaze from her to meet Mason's sharp eyes.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" he snapped.

Bethany's breathing grew uneven as she took a shaky step back.

"Adrian…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Mason's head snapped toward her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Oh, so you do know each other." His smirk widened, dripping with malice. "How cute."

Bethany stiffened, her face paling further. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Mason's chair creaked as he stood, circling his desk with the deliberate pace of a predator.

"You didn't tell me you were screwing my uncle."

The air in the room shifted, heavy with accusations and I narrowed my eyes at him for the disrespect.

Bethany flinched, her face a mask of disbelief. "What?"

"Watch your mouth, Mason," I growled, my tone low and warning.

Mason laughed bitterly. "Don't act so noble now, uncle. You really think she didn't know who you were?"

Her horrified expression was all the answer he needed.

Bethany's voice wavered. "Wait… uncle?"

Mason turned his full attention to her, relishing her reaction. "Bethany, meet Adrian Grant. My dear uncle."

The silence that followed was deafening. Her knees seemed to buckle slightly as his words sunk in.

Fuck. I shouldn't have come here in the first place to begin with. Bethany staggered backward, shaking her head as though trying to will the truth away.

"No… no, this isn't…"

"It is," Mason said coldly, crossing his arms. "And let me guess—he didn't tell you, did he?"

Her wide, broken eyes met mine. How could I tell her that I didn't tell her about it because I was just finding out as well? I opened my mouth, searching for words, but nothing came.

"Of course not," Mason continued, his tone mocking. "Because Adrian only cares about Adrian."

"That's enough," I said sharply.

"Oh, I don't think it is," Mason sneered. "You think this is over, Beth? You think walking in here and throwing a tantrum ends things between us?"

Bethany's voice trembled. "I… I didn't know."

"Like that changes anything," Mason spat, his words laced with venom.

I stepped forward, putting myself between them.

"Mason, if you have a problem, take it up with me."

He tilted his head, a wolfish smile playing on his lips. "Oh, I do. But not now. Not here."

Bethany's breathing hitched as she turned toward the door, clearly overwhelmed.

"Bethany—" I started, but she brushed past me, her movements stiff and mechanical.

The door slammed shut behind her, and the silence that followed was suffocating. Mason leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms with that same infuriating smirk.

"Well, that was entertaining."

I clenched my fists at my sides, struggling to hold back my temper.

"This isn't a game, Mason."

"Oh, but it is. And you just handed me the perfect play."

"You're making this worse than it needs to be," I warned.

"Am I?" His grin widened. "Or did you just hand me exactly what I need to destroy you?"

I didn't respond. The truth of his words cut deeper than I cared to admit. But his next words sent a ripple of unease through me.

"Funny thing, though," Mason mused, his tone casual but his gaze sharp. "Your scent. It's… familiar. Almost like hers."

My spine stiffened, but I kept my expression neutral.

"Maybe you're imagining things," I said coldly. "Nothing happened between Bethany and I. We know each other, yes. But nothing happened."

Mason raised a brow, his smirk faltering briefly. "Maybe."

But the suspicion in his eyes told me he wasn't convinced.

I squared my shoulders. "Focus on your own mess, Mason. Leave her out of it."

His laughter was low and mocking. "Oh, Uncle Adrian, you really think you're in a position to give orders?"

I didn't dignify his taunt with a response. I didn't want to make matters worse.

Bethany's POV

The walls of Mason's office seemed to close in, the weight of the revelation suffocating. Adrian was Mason's uncle.

The man I'd spent the night with. The man who made me feel alive in a way I hadn't felt in years—was part of his family.

My stomach churned violently, and I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth.

How could Adrian not tell me?

Had he known all along?

The look on his face said he hadn't. But that didn't erase the betrayal I felt simmering beneath my skin. Of course he was just like Mason. They were all the same. I stumbled toward the elevator, desperate to get out of this place.

"Bethany."

Adrian's voice stopped me in my tracks, low and rough.

I didn't turn around.

"Bethany, wait," he said again, his footsteps closing the distance between us.

"I didn't know," he added softly, his words laced with regret.

I froze, my hand hovering over the elevator numbers. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

His silence was deafening.

"No," he admitted after a pause. "But it's the truth."

I closed my eyes, willing myself to breathe. "What do you want from me, Adrian?"

There was a long pause before he answered.

"I don't know."

His honesty was a knife to my chest, cutting deeper than any lie could.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head as I finally turned the handle.

"Yeah. Me neither." I replied, deciding to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I walked away from him.

The hallway felt endless as I moved further away from Mason's office, my legs trembling with every step. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating me. Adrian's words—his tone, his regret—they all echoed in my mind, making it impossible to focus.

How had everything gone so wrong?

"Bethany!"

Lily's voice rang out behind me, pulling me out of my haze. I froze mid-step, my fingers gripping the edge of a nearby wall for support. I hadn't even noticed her following me.

She reached me quickly, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floors. "Beth, what the hell happened back there?"

I turned to face her, blinking back the tears threatening to spill. Lily's brows furrowed as her sharp eyes scanned my face. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Hey, are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Worse," I whispered. My voice cracked under the weight of it all.

Lily's frown deepened, and she placed a comforting hand on my arm. "Come on, let's sit down." She gestured toward a bench at the end of the hallway.

I hesitated, but my legs were too weak to carry me any further. Reluctantly, I followed her and sank onto the cold wooden surface. My hands trembled in my lap, and I clasped them together in an attempt to still them.

Lily sat beside me, her presence grounding. "Talk to me," she said gently, but there was an edge of urgency in her tone. "What's going on with Mason? And what happened with Adrian? What did Mason mean when he said…"

I stared at my hands, debating how much to say. But the truth was clawing at my throat, desperate to come out.

"I slept with him," I blurted out, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lily blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Wait… you what?"

I swallowed hard, the guilt bubbling up in my chest. "I slept with Adrian. I didn't know who he was, Lily. I swear I didn't know he was… he was Mason's uncle."

Lily's jaw dropped, and she stared at me like I'd just confessed to a crime.

"Oh my god," she said, leaning back against the bench. "Bethany…" She shook her head, her expression a mixture of disbelief and concern. "Are you serious right now?"

"I didn't know!" I repeated, my voice breaking. "I had no idea. He didn't tell me his last name, and it's not like I ever thought—" I stopped, burying my face in my hands.

Lily was silent for a long moment, and when she finally spoke, her tone was softer. "Okay. Let's take a step back. When did this happen?"

I exhaled shakily, my voice muffled against my hands. "It was… two days ago. We met at that bar downtown. You remember when I went out to clear my head after that big fight with Mason?"

She nodded, her expression unreadable.

"Adrian saved me from the bartender who was trying to take advantage of me. He was… charming. Easy to talk to. And at the time, I was so frustrated with Mason, I just wanted to forget everything."

"So you hooked up with him," Lily finished for me, her voice low.

I nodded, lowering my hands to look at her. "I didn't think it would mean anything. I didn't even plan to see him again."

Lily let out a low whistle, running a hand through her hair. "Damn, Beth. That's… a lot."

"You think I don't know that?" I snapped, the guilt and frustration bubbling over. "Mason's already furious with me for calling off the engagement. If he finds out about this…"

Lily tilted her head, her expression softening. "He won't. Not if we play this carefully. But Bethany, you need to figure out what you want to do. Adrian clearly didn't know who you were either, or he wouldn't have looked so shocked."

I laughed bitterly. "Does it matter? Mason's already suspicious. We both heard him say Adrian's scent was… similar to mine. He knows."

Lily's eyes widened.

I nodded miserably. "You know Mason. He doesn't let things go. If he decides to dig into this…"

Lily swore under her breath. "We need to be careful, then. You can't let him see you spiraling, Beth. He'll pounce on it."

"Exactly," I murmured and rubbed my forehead. "Lily can you give me some time and wait for me in the car? I just, I need some space. I need to clear my head."

"Sure," she replied and got up from the chair and ran a hand through her hair, looking at me with concern before leaving.