The Truth About Adrian​

Three hours later, Evelyn sat numbly at her kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea that had long gone cold.

The news played on her laptop.

"...Whitmore Corporation’s stock has plummeted 40% following allegations of insider trading. CEO Adrian Whitmore is expected to—"

She muted it.

So that’s what he’d meant by "before the storm."

He’d known. Known his empire was crumbling. Known he’d soon be exposed as a fraud.

And he’d planned to give her "one sweet night" out of pity?

Her stomach revolted.

All these years, she’d loved a ghost. The real Adrian—the one who’d spoken to her today—was a stranger.

A knock at the door.

Evelyn froze.

He wouldn’t.

But when she peered through the peephole, her breath caught.

Alexander Blackwood stood in her hallway, holding a familiar pearl earring between his fingers.

"Open the door, Evelyn."

His voice, even muffled through wood, sent a traitorous shiver down her spine.

"We need to talk."