It had been a week since Adrian's discovery about Emily's past. His mind had not been at peace. Every time he saw her, his emotions flared. He had to confront her, but she always managed to slip away, always so composed, so unaffected.
But today was different.
The evening was quiet, and Adrian's office was dimly lit by the glow of the city lights outside. He had requested Emily to meet him after work hours. He needed answers. He couldn't let her hide anymore.
Emily entered his office, her gaze not meeting his. She had learned to be detached from him, to guard her heart, but her pulse quickened as soon as she stepped inside.
"Ms. Harper," Adrian's voice was icy. "Please, take a seat."
Emily sat down across from him, her posture stiff but her heart racing. She knew what this meeting was about. She had been waiting for this confrontation for days, but now that it was here, she felt the weight of her secret pressing down on her chest.
"You wanted to talk to me," she said, her voice calm but betraying a hint of anxiety.
Adrian's gaze was unyielding, like a predator closing in on its prey. "I don't like being kept in the dark, Emily. You owe me an explanation. Why didn't you tell me about our son?"
Her breath hitched. The question hung in the air like a thunderstorm waiting to break. Emily fought to keep her composure, her hands trembling slightly as she folded them in her lap.
"I had no choice," she whispered. "I didn't want to drag you into this mess. I thought it was better to keep him away from all this… all the complications."
Adrian leaned forward, his eyes burning with intensity. "You think I wouldn't want to be part of his life? Part of yours?"
Emily's lips trembled as the emotions she had locked away for so long began to resurface. "You had a right to know. But I couldn't. I couldn't give you the chance to choose between me and your career. And I couldn't put him through that."
Adrian's anger flared. "You didn't trust me?" His voice was low and dangerous.
"I trusted you," Emily said, her voice thick with emotion. "But I couldn't bear to see you walk away from us. And I couldn't live with the guilt of ruining your life."
Adrian stood up abruptly, walking to the window, his hands gripping the edge of the glass. "So, what now, Emily?" His voice was harsh, but his heart ached in ways he couldn't explain. "Are you going to keep hiding from me? From us?"
Emily stood up, too, her gaze fixed on him. "I never wanted to hide. I wanted to protect him. And I wanted to protect you from me."
He turned around, his eyes locking with hers. There was no denying it anymore. His feelings for her, the woman who had left him, were still alive. More than alive. He couldn't fight it any longer.
"You can't keep running away from me, Emily," Adrian said, his voice softer now. "And you can't keep running away from us."
Emily's chest tightened. She had been running for so long, trying to bury her feelings, trying to convince herself that she could live without him. But now, standing in front of him, everything she had tried to forget came rushing back.
"I don't know how to fix this, Adrian," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for leaving."
Adrian walked toward her, his eyes softening with understanding. He reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands. "You don't have to fix anything, Emily. Just stay. With me. With our son."
The walls she had spent years building around her heart began to crumble. For the first time in years, Emily felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could have the life she had always dreamed of. A life with Adrian and their son.