Wedcuffed

Chapter 60

Adrian's POV

I slammed my fist on the table as Alessandro walked away, the sound of the heavy metal door echoing through the small, suffocating room. My heart pounded with fury, and for the first time in my life, I felt the distinct sting of fear. 

Does he think he can do this to me? Cut off my power? No, Alessandro didn't know who he was messing with.

But as the guards led me back to my cell, the fire in my chest dulled, replaced by a growing sense of dread. I could feel the walls closing in, and the confidence I'd clung to began to waver. Alessandro had connections. Real connections. And as much as I hated to admit it, things weren't looking good.

They shoved me into the cramped cell, and I sat on the cold, hard bed, staring at the grey concrete walls. 

How had it come to this? I had always been in control.

 Always the one pulling the strings. Sarah had been mine. She was weak and vulnerable. She needed me, whether she admitted it or not. But now, she had Alessandro, and that bastard was using his influence to tear apart everything I had built.

Hours passed. Time blurred as I waited for my lawyer. He would fix this. There was always a way out. I just needed to remind myself who I was.

Then, the door to the cellblock creaked open, and I looked up, expecting to see my lawyer. But it wasn't him. It was my father.

My stomach twisted at the sight of him—Richard Hayes, a man who had built an empire and never let anyone forget it. His posture was as rigid as ever, but there was something different in his expression this time. He wasn't here to help. I could see that before he even spoke.

"Adrian," he said, his voice cold, distant. He didn't sit down. He stood there, looming over me, his hands clasped behind his back like a judge about to deliver a final sentence.

"Dad," I began, forcing myself to stand and meet his gaze. "It's all a misunderstanding. Alessandro—he's using his connections to—"

"Enough," my father interrupted, his tone sharp enough to cut through my words. "I'm not here to listen to your excuses."

I froze, the realization dawning on me. This was not the man who had rescued me from every problem, who had covered up my mistakes and made sure that I always landed on my feet. This was someone else entirely.

"I've given you every opportunity," he continued, his eyes narrowing. "I've cleaned up your messes. I've watched you make a mockery of our family's name. But this... this is beyond repair, Adrian."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, the fear creeping into my voice despite myself. "You can't just leave me in here. You can't—"

"I can," he said firmly. "And I will."

For a moment, the silence was deafening. I searched his face for any sign of compassion, for some hint that he would come to his senses and fix this. But there was nothing.

"Your mother doesn't even want to see you," he added, his voice softer but no less cutting. "She can't bear the shame you've brought upon us."

I took a step back, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. My mother? The woman who had always doted on me, always stood by me, no matter what I'd done?

"She's done with you. And so am I," he finished. "We're cutting all ties, Adrian. You're on your own."

I stared at him, disbelief coursing through me. "You can't do this," I hissed.

 "You're my father. You're supposed to—"

"I'm supposed to what?" he snapped, his eyes blazing with anger for the first time. "Clean up after your failures? Watch you destroy everything I've built? No. I've had enough. You made your choices, Adrian, and now you're going to live with the consequences."