Beneath the Surface

Chapter 10: A Bitter Fight and Years of Silence

The fight between Adrian and Daniel was inevitable. It had been building for weeks, the tension thickening every time their paths crossed, every time Adrian looked at her with that possessive fire in his eyes. The conflict finally erupted one afternoon when Daniel arrived at the office to confront Adrian again, and Amelia was caught in the middle once more.

This time, it wasn't just words exchanged. It was a brutal clash of bodies.

Adrian had been in his office, seething with frustration. The moment Daniel stormed in, his face red with anger, Amelia knew trouble was coming. She could feel it in the air, thick with the weight of their rivalry. She tried to speak, tried to intervene, but before she could say anything, Adrian stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back with a loud scrape.

"I told you to stay away from her," Adrian's voice was like ice, but his anger was unmistakable.

"You don't control her, Adrian!" Daniel shouted, stepping closer, his fists clenched. "You never will."

Before anyone could stop them, Adrian moved forward with lightning speed, throwing the first punch. Daniel was quick to retaliate, blocking Adrian's blow and landing a punch of his own. The room was chaos as the two men grappled, fists flying, both desperate to assert dominance.

Amelia screamed, her hands covering her mouth as she watched, frozen. This wasn't just about her anymore. It was about their egos, their pride. And she couldn't stand it.

"Stop it! Stop fighting!" she cried, rushing toward them, but neither Adrian nor Daniel seemed to hear her.

In the blink of an eye, Adrian's fist connected with Daniel's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Daniel staggered back, blood dripping from his lip, but he was still determined to fight. He swung a wild punch at Adrian's chest, but the force of it wasn't enough to knock him down.

The two men continued their brutal exchange, neither willing to back down, until Daniel finally collapsed onto the floor, his vision blurry from the pain and blood loss. Adrian stood over him, chest heaving, his knuckles bruised and swollen.

"Get up," Adrian spat, his voice laced with venom. "Get out of my sight."

Daniel slowly rose to his feet, his face twisted with pain and fury. His eyes locked onto Adrian, and for a moment, it seemed like he was about to lunge at him again. But instead, he turned toward Amelia, his expression softening.

"This isn't over, Amelia," Daniel said, his voice hoarse. "I'll always be here for you."

Amelia's heart ached at the sight of Daniel, his body bruised and battered, yet he still cared for her. But she couldn't ignore the pain in Adrian's eyes as well—the raw jealousy, the possessiveness that threatened to consume him.

"I'm done," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Without another word, she turned and fled the office, leaving both men behind.

The next few days passed in a blur. Amelia couldn't look at Adrian without feeling the weight of the past, the way he had taken over her life, the way he'd controlled her. She had tried to love him, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't live in the shadow of his jealousy, his obsession.

She handed in her resignation letter the following week. She needed space—space from Adrian, from the chaos that had followed her since the day she'd started working for him.

Adrian tried to contact her. His calls went unanswered. His texts went unread. But Amelia was resolute. She had made her decision, and she wasn't going to look back.

Years Later

Amelia had built a new life. After leaving the corporate world, she had found peace in the quiet, simple life she now shared with Daniel. They lived together in a cozy apartment in the city, far from the world Adrian had dragged her into.

Daniel had recovered from his injuries. Over time, the physical pain faded, but the emotional scars remained. Yet, he had been there for her, offering her comfort and stability. Their relationship had grown stronger with time, and Amelia thought, for the first time in years, that she was finally free.

She smiled as she looked at the man beside her, his dark hair messily falling into his eyes, his smile warm and genuine. They had built a life together, a life far removed from the intensity and possessiveness that had marked her past with Adrian.

She had moved on. At least, that's what she told herself every day.

But there was always something nagging at the back of her mind—a nagging feeling that she couldn't shake. Every so often, she'd find herself looking over her shoulder, as if expecting Adrian to appear from the shadows. She had tried to convince herself it was just the memories, just the remnants of the past that hadn't quite disappeared. But deep down, she wondered if she would ever be truly free from him.

One afternoon, as Amelia and Daniel walked hand in hand down the street, she felt it again—a strange sensation of being watched. She paused, scanning the crowd, but saw nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, his voice filled with concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Amelia shook her head, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a weird feeling. I'm probably just tired."

But as they continued their walk, a shadowy figure watched them from across the street. His face hidden in the shadows, his eyes never leaving Amelia's figure. Adrian had never truly let go.

He had been watching her all this time, waiting for the right moment to step back into her life.