Ruthless

18

Stephanie and he stood there, wearing expressions of confusion. What I mean is Stephanie appeared perplexed, while he seemed bored. What is she doing here?

As an unfamiliar hand brushed the side of my thigh, I suddenly became aware of our compromising position. Quickly disentangling myself from him, as if caught in an inappropriate act, I settled onto the couch.

Simultaneously, I pulled my shirt down, ensuring that I was not exposed.

"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to stay put? I don't want anything jeopardizing the safety of the baby," the unfamiliar man queried, fixing Stephanie with a displeased expression.

"You've been absent for over a week," Stephanie says, mirroring the man's expression and infusing her tone with a hint of accusation.

"I'm not a child," the man's tone softened a bit, but irritation lingered.

"The last time you stormed out of the mansion, you were seething with anger, and since then, no one has been able to reach you. When Hades informed me that you were coming today, I couldn't resist coming here myself," she spoke softly, almost in a whisper.

The man snorted, and I strained to piece together the unfolding situation. Who was this man, and what was his connection to Stephanie?

"I'm your wife, Adrian, and I can't help but worry about you. Please, stop being so distant," she implored when he remained silent.

Wait... what? Did Stephanie just mention that he's her husband? But the other day, she told Adam that he was her husband. Is she married to both of them? How could that be? What is going on here?

"I'll grant you a minute. I expect you to be out of here," the man asserted, his voice stern and frigid.

"But—" Stephanie began to argue.

She promptly silenced herself, bowing her head in submission and murmuring an apology as Adrian shot her a cautionary glance. She appeared visibly unsettled.

"One minute is all you have," he declared with finality when Stephanie hesitated.

Tears welled up in her expressive brown eyes, and a single tear trickled down which she wiped angrily and then turned and exited the room.

With Stephanie gone, Adrian's attention shifted to him, and a sly grin adorned his face.

"Good job, Hades," he commended, confirming the man's name. "You not only took care of the old hag but also took Adam's attractive wife. I'm sure he's losing his mind right now. My poor baby brother."

After Adrian referred to Adam as his younger brother, I noticed a clear resemblance between them, though Adrian appeared more mature. Like Adam, he possessed honey-brown hair and wide gray eyes, though his were darker.

"He doesn't care about me," I blurted out inadvertently.

"Sorry," I quickly added, realizing my mistake.

After witnessing Adrian berate Stephanie, whom he asserted was his wife and pregnant, I understood not to provoke him.

"Oh, no, no, sweetheart, don't be sorry," Adrian responded. "You're right; he doesn't care about you. But we've bruised his ego, and until he reclaims you, he won't remain quiet," he explained, and I acknowledged it with a somewhat awkward nod.

It made sense; men, often driven by their egos, could resort to extreme measures to maintain their pride.

I shifted my focus to my hand, tightly clenched into a fist and resting on my lap. It's a sentiment I've expressed before, and here I am, reiterating it. The less I'm entangled in all this, the better my chances of making it out of here alive.