Stolen by Fate

Chapter 20: A Plan Uncovered

Chapter 20: A Plan Uncovered

It had been a few weeks since Adrian and I settled into this new routine—one that felt normal, like we were building something real. But lately, he'd been distant. There was a shift in the way he acted around me, and no matter how many times I asked if everything was okay, he brushed it off. He claimed he was just stressed, busy, or tired. I wanted to believe him, but there was this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that wouldn't go away.

That feeling only grew stronger when he left his phone unlocked on the couch one afternoon.

He had just stepped into the bathroom, leaving it sitting there, the screen still lit up. I wasn't the type to go through his things, but something felt off. Before I could talk myself out of it, a notification popped up on the screen.

It was a message from a number I didn't recognize: "How long is this supposed to take?"

My heart raced. Curiosity got the better of me. Against my better judgment, I reached for the phone and opened the message thread. What I saw made my stomach drop.

The conversation was a back-and-forth between Adrian and this unknown person. The latest messages read:

"She's almost there. How much longer do I need to keep this up?"

"Just a little longer. Once she's completely hooked, we can move on to the next phase. The ransom will be easy once she's fully in love with you."

I stared at the screen, my hands shaking. My vision blurred as the words repeated in my head. Ransom? Plan? Make me fall in love? I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Rage bubbled up inside, mixing with hurt and betrayal so deep it nearly made me sick.

He had been playing me this whole time. This wasn't love. It was manipulation. He made me believe he cared about me—made me give him something I couldn't take back—my virginity, my trust, my heart. And it was all part of some twisted plan.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I stormed to the bathroom door and pounded on it, my voice shaking with fury. "Adrian! Get out here!"

There was silence on the other side for a moment, and then the door opened. He stood there, looking at me with a mixture of confusion and concern. "What's wrong? What happened?"

I shoved his phone toward him, the screen still showing the messages. "This is what's wrong! What the hell is this?!" My voice cracked as anger and betrayal mixed together. "You've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you? Was this your plan all along? To make me fall in love with you just to use me as ransom?!"

Adrian's eyes widened, and he reached for the phone, but I yanked it back, holding it tight. "Don't you dare touch it! Explain yourself! Why did you take my virginity if this was just some game to you? How could you do this to me?"

I was shaking now, my hands trembling as I held the phone. I had given him everything—trusted him with the most vulnerable parts of myself—and he had used me.

"I—Ni, it's not what it looks like," Adrian started, his voice calm, almost too calm. "Let me explain."

I took a step back, my body stiff with rage. "I don't want to hear your lies, Adrian! You let me believe you cared about me. You made me think this was real!"

"I do care about you," he said, stepping closer, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "I swear it's not what you think."

My heart was racing, but my head was spinning with too much emotion to think clearly. "How can you say that when I've seen the messages? I've seen the plan!"

Behind me, I heard footsteps, and before I could react, Alyssa appeared in the doorway, her eyes blazing with anger. "What the hell is going on here?"

She must've heard everything. She looked between me and Adrian, her fists clenched at her sides. "Did he seriously do what I think he did?"

I couldn't even answer her. I was too focused on Adrian, who still hadn't given me a straight answer. I wanted to scream, to cry, to hit something—but mostly, I just wanted the truth.

Adrian looked from me to Alyssa, then back to me, his expression unreadable. "Please, just listen—"

"No," I snapped, cutting him off. "You don't get to explain anything until you tell me the truth. Why did you do this? Why did you let me fall for you if this was all some sick plan?"

Alyssa stepped closer, her voice low but furious. "You better start talking, Adrian. Because if this is what it looks like, you've messed with the wrong girl."

Adrian ran a hand through his hair, visibly frustrated. "It's complicated. I can't explain everything right now."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My chest tightened, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. "You have to be kidding me."

Before I could say anything else, Alyssa stepped in front of me, her gaze sharp. "I think you need to leave, Adrian. Now."

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine, but I couldn't look at him anymore. I turned away, my body shaking with a mix of fury and heartbreak.

Alyssa crossed her arms, her voice cold. "I said leave."

Adrian glanced at me one last time before he turned and left the room, the sound of the door clicking shut behind him echoing in the silence.

As soon as he was gone, Alyssa turned to me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I've got you," she whispered. "We'll figure this out."

But in that moment, all I could feel was the crushing weight of betrayal, and the anger boiling inside me at the man I thought I could trust with everything.