Lies Between Us

The closer the truth gets, the more dangerous the lies become

Celeste.....

The drive back from the warehouse was thick with unspoken tension. The leather seat beneath me felt too stiff, my pulse too loud in my ears. Adrian sat beside me, his expression unreadable as he stared out at the dark city streets passing by.

The interrogation replayed in my mind—his cold precision, the way his voice never wavered. He had fired that gun without hesitation, not to kill, but to break. And it had worked.

I should be disgusted. I should feel reaffirmed in my mission. Instead, all I felt was unease.

Someone was pulling the strings, someone who knew how Adrian's empire worked, how to strike without leaving a trace. Whoever it was, they weren't just trying to hurt him. They wanted him to be paranoid, to doubt the people closest to him.

And I was standing right in the middle of it.

I exhaled sharply and turned to him. "Do you ever wonder why someone would go through all this trouble to destroy you?"

He didn't look at me. "You tell me, Ogonëk. You seem to have all the answers."

I bristled at the name. I still didn't know why he called me that. "It's not just about you. Someone inside your circle is feeding them information. That means you're not the only target. They're setting you up for something bigger."

His jaw ticked, but he remained silent.

I pressed on. "What if this isn't just about power plays? What if this is personal?"

Adrian finally turned, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Everything in my world is personal."

The car slowed as we reached the estate. Adrian got out first, the cold night air wrapping around us as we stepped onto the driveway. I followed him inside, but before I could turn and tell him that I am going back at my place, as if he knew what was I gonna say his voice stopped me.

"Stay."

I turned back, frowning. "Excuse me?"

His gaze was sharp, calculating. "You're too involved in this to walk away now. You said it yourself—someone inside my circle is working against me. That means if they know I trust you, they'll watch you too."

My heart skipped. "You trust me?"

He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No. But you're useful."

I swallowed down the strange sting that came with that answer. "And what do you want me to do?"

"Stay close. Watch. Tell me if you see something I don't." His expression darkened. "And Celeste—if I find out you're keeping anything from me… you won't like the consequences."

I met his gaze without flinching. "Then you better make sure you're asking the right questions."

Adrian....

She was right. And that pissed me off more than anything.

As I stood in my office, staring at the swirling amber in my glass, I couldn't shake the weight of her words. This wasn't just a business move. Someone wanted me to fall apart from the inside out.

I had built my empire on control—calculated moves, alliances forged in blood. If someone was betraying me, it had to be someone who knew my habits, my weaknesses.

And now Celeste was tangled in it, whether I liked it or not.

Sound of someone's footstep pulled me from my thoughts. Dante stepped in, his expression tight. "We traced some of the missing shipment. It was funneled through a port on the east side."

I clenched my jaw. "Who was responsible for that route?"

Dante hesitated. "Marco."

My blood turned to ice. Marco had been with me for years. Loyal. Efficient. Reliable.

Until now.

I set my glass down, standing slowly. "Bring him to me. Now."

Dante nodded and left without another word. I turned back to the window, the city stretching before me like a kingdom I refused to lose.

A soft shuffle behind me made me tense. I didn't turn. "You should be asleep, Ogonëk."

Celeste leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "So should you."

I smirked. "I don't sleep well when someone's trying to kill me."

She studied me, something unreadable in her eyes. "So what's your plan? Find the mole and make an example out of them?"

I walked toward her slowly, stopping just close enough to watch her breath hitch. "Do you have a better idea?"

She didn't move away, but her chin lifted in defiance. "Maybe don't jump to conclusions before you put a bullet in someone."

I chuckled, low and dark. "You think I'm too quick to spill blood?"

She hesitated. "I think you're so used to betrayal that you forget to question your own instincts."

The words cut deeper than they should have. I stepped even closer, close enough to see the way her pulse thrummed at her throat.

My fingers brushed against her wrist, the briefest contact, but it was enough to send a current through my veins. Her breath hitched, her lips parting slightly, her gaze flickering to mine. The space between us was nothing. All it would take was a single movement—a decision neither of us were ready to make.

For a second, just a second, the world held its breath.

"You keep testing me, Celeste," I murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "One day, you might not like the answer." 

For a second, just a second, something flickered in her eyes. A hesitation. A thought she didn't say out loud.

She pulled away, stepping back, breaking whatever moment had existed between us.

"Goodnight, Adrian."

Then she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, more frustrated than I had been all night.

Damn her.