Wedcuffed

Chapter 51

Adrian's POV

The guilt gnaws at me the second Sarah rushes upstairs after Alessandro. I sink back into the couch, rubbing my hands over my face as the weight of what just happened settles in. I never should've kissed her—not like that, not when she was clearly conflicted.

But now that it's done, I can't help but see the opportunity it presents. Maybe this is the crack I need to wedge myself back into Sarah's life, to remind her that what we had isn't completely gone. Maybe, just maybe, Alessandro's presence isn't as strong as I feared.

It's a terrible thought, selfish and manipulative, but it's there all the same. I know what Alessandro means to her, and I know I can't compete with the way he's been there for her and Gabriel, but if there's even the slightest chance that I can tip the scales in my favour, I'm going to take it. I've already lost so much—my wife, my place in her life. I can't stand the idea of watching from the sidelines while she builds a future with someone else.

I get up and pace the room, trying to figure out what my next move should be. The smart thing would be to back off, to let them sort things out. But that would mean giving up, and I'm not ready to do that. Not yet.

I can hear their muffled voices upstairs, the tension so thick it practically radiates through the walls. Alessandro's back early, and that's a problem for me. If they work things out now, I'll be right back where I started—on the outside looking in.

But what if they don't?

What if this is the moment that pushes them apart for good?

I find myself moving toward the stairs before I can talk myself out of it. I pause at the bottom, straining to catch any bit of their conversation. It's mostly hushed murmurs, but then I hear Alessandro's voice—cold, distant, laced with hurt.

"Maybe I was wrong to think we could build something real here. Maybe I'm just fooling myself."

My heart skips a beat. I can't see his face, but I can imagine the look in his eyes—the doubt, the betrayal. This is it. This is the opening I need.

I take a deep breath and start climbing the stairs, making sure to be as quiet as possible. I know it's risky, but if I can catch them at the right moment, it could be enough to plant the seed of doubt in Alessandro's mind. I'm not proud of it, but I've never been above playing dirty when it comes to getting what I want.

As I reach the top of the stairs, I hear Sarah's voice—soft, pleading.

"We can work through this. We've come so far, Alessandro. Please don't let one mistake ruin everything."

I wince at the desperation in her tone. Part of me feels like a complete scumbag for exploiting her dignity and degrading Sarah and when she is finally moving on I ruined her life again, but another part of me is focused, calculating. I've already crossed a line, that created a misunderstanding between them and this gives me hope to get Sarah back.

I linger by the bedroom door, just out of sight, listening to Alessandro's response. His voice is clipped, edged with the kind of controlled anger that tells me he's barely holding it together.

"Right now, I don't know if I can trust you—not with everything that's at stake."

Bingo.

This is exactly what I was hoping for—a rift big enough for me to slip into. I take a step back, ready to make my move. But I need to be careful. I can't come off too eager, too opportunistic. I have to play this just right.

I head back downstairs and settle on the couch, waiting for them to finish. I need to give the impression that I've been here the whole time, stewing in my guilt and regret. It's not entirely an act—I do feel bad about how things escalated—but I can't let that stop me from taking advantage of the situation.