Chapter 5 - Adrian's Mother Had Planned Their Marriage Long Before They Met
Adrian finally understood why his mother had always wanted him to marry Naomi.
She had known Naomi's mother.
She had known the truth.
She had known about Marcus.
And she had believed Naomi and Adrian could survive what the family had started.
But there was one secret she had never revealed.
Naomi's mother had been pregnant when she disappeared.
Not with Naomi.
With another child.
A child who had been stolen.
The child was alive.
And he was connected to Marcus.
Naomi stared at the documents.
“Why would Marcus care about me?”
“Because your mother left him something.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
The ledger contained evidence of every illegal transaction in the Vale family.
It also contained the names of people who had been paid to murder competitors.
If Marcus obtained it, he could destroy Adrian.
But Naomi's mother had hidden it.
Inside the locket Naomi wore.
Naomi touched her neck.
“The locket?”
Adrian nodded.
She removed it.
Inside was a tiny chip.
The data contained the full ledger.
Marcus wanted it.
The government wanted it.
And Adrian needed to decide whether to surrender it.
Naomi looked at him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Give it to the authorities.”
“Even if it destroys your company?”
“Yes.”
“What about your family?”
“They can answer for themselves.”
She smiled sadly.
“You really changed.”
“No.”
He took her hand.
“You changed me.”
Then a gunshot shattered the window.
The chip fell.
Someone had shot at them.
Adrian pulled Naomi down.
Security responded.
But the attacker escaped.
The chip was gone.
Naomi stared.
“Someone took it.”
Adrian's face became cold.
“Marcus.”
Then another message arrived.
MIDNIGHT. THE OLD CHURCH. BRING THE PREGNANT WOMAN.
Adrian looked at Naomi.
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“This is about me.”
“No.”
“It is.”
He looked at her.
She stepped closer.
“This marriage started with you protecting me without telling me the truth.”
She held his face.
“This time, we do it together.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Then nodded.
May you like
Together.
---
Related Stories
