Page 55 of His By Contract
“Following today’s developments, multiple projects at Vaughn Industries face indefinite delays. Sources confirm growing investor concerns amid mounting legal pressures…”
Georgia watched Adrian’s reflection in the window. His jaw clenched for a heartbeat before smoothing back to marble perfection. His fingers tapped a slow rhythm against his glass—one, two, three—each tap marking time like a metronome. She recognized that gesture now, knew it meant satisfaction wrapped in careful control.
The anchor’s voice continued, steady and grave. “The SEC investigation into alleged insider trading activities linked to Richard Vaughn has sent shockwaves through financial circles. This marks a stark departure from Vaughn’s typically prominent public profile…”
Images flashed across the screen: Vaughn’s empty office, reporters crowded outside his building, PR representatives issuing carefully worded statements that said nothing at all.
Her phone lit up on the side table, screen bright in the dim room.Vaughn Industries Faces Backlash Amid Scandalscrolled across her notifications. Georgia let her gaze linger on the words, feeling the weight of them settle in her chest. The victory tasted different than she’d expected. Not sweet, but sharp and clean, like winter air.
Adrian moved to sit beside her, the leather creaking softly beneath him. The weight of him steadied her, a counterpoint to the dreamlike shimmer of streetlights through the window. The scent of whiskey mingled with his aftershave, familiar now in a way that made her chest tighten. He set his glass on the side table, fingers brushing her knee in a touch so light she might have imagined it.
The news ticker scrolled endlessly, Vaughn’s name appearing in bold letters across the bottom of the screen. Each headline felt like another nail in his coffin:Investors Withdraw Support,Board Members Resign,Stock Prices Plummet. Georgia watched his empire crumble piece by piece, and a cold certainty settled in her bones. Vaughn wasn’t just defeated, he was eliminated. The threat he’d posed to Adrian, to them both, had evaporated like morning fog.
Adrian sank deeper into the sofa cushions, his broad shoulders relaxing as his head tilted back. The low light caught the sharp line of his jaw, now softened by exhaustion. His eyes, usually so alert and calculating, drifted to half-mast, dark lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. “It’s done,” he murmured, his rich voice carrying a weight that surprised her, not triumph, but something heavier, more complex.
Georgia leaned into his side, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest. For once, the silence between them held no challenge, no test of wills. She knew his mind never truly stilled, that even now he plotted their next move, anticipated the next threat. But his arm settled around her shoulders, his touch unhurried, and she let herself sink into this rare moment of peace.
The doorbell’s chime sliced through the peaceful silence, making Georgia stir against Adrian’s warmth. His breathing had grown deep and even, the first real rest she’d seen him take in days. She shifted carefully from beneath his arm, not wanting to disturb this rare moment of vulnerability.
Her bare feet padded against the floor as she crossed to the door. A courier stood waiting, his crisp uniform at odds with the late hour. In his hands, a slim envelope caught the hallway light.
“Mrs. Adler?” His voice carried the practiced neutrality of someone who delivered sensitive materials for a living.
Georgia nodded, accepting the envelope. The paper felt expensive beneath her fingers, smooth and heavy. The courier turned and left without another word, his footsteps fading down the corridor.
She traced her fingers over the crisp lettering of her name as she made her way back to the living room. The city lights cast long shadows across the floor, and something about the weight of the envelope made her pause halfway.
Georgia slid her finger under the flap, the seal giving way with a soft tear. The first page slipped free, and her heart stuttered. A grainy security camera photo showed her carrying wineglasses at an event she barely remembered, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, dark circles visible under her eyes.
More photos followed: her old apartment building with its crumbling brick, her failed boutique’s ‘For Lease’ sign in the window, credit reports showing mounting debt. Each image felt like a punch to the gut, reminding her of everything she’d fought to overcome.
At the bottom, a typed note waited: “Your success is built on his name. Leave Adrian, or watch your precious business crumble. This time, there won’t be anyone to save you.”
The knot in her stomach grew teeth, anxiety clawing up her throat. Her legs felt unsteady as she sank down beside Adrian. Without speaking, she extended the portfolio toward him, the pages trembling slightly in her grip.
Georgia watched Adrian straighten, his relaxed posture vanishing as he flipped through the pages. The muscles in his jaw flexed, a subtle tell that revealed the storm brewing beneath his controlled exterior. His eyes turned to slits as he examined each photo, his earlier warmth draining away into a frigid detachment that sent goosebumps racing across her skin.
The shuffle of papers filled the silence until he reached the note. A short, harsh laugh escaped his lips, devoid of any real humor. His mouth curved into a grim line that spoke of old battles and bitter knowledge. “Vincent,” he muttered, the name falling between them like a curse.
His gaze lifted to meet hers, and Georgia caught the slight shift in his expression. The hard line of his mouth softened just enough to offer reassurance, a private signal meant only for her. The gesture should have calmed her racing heart, but fear still coiled in her stomach like a serpent.
She managed a nod, though her throat felt tight. The Adler family wouldn’t stop here; she understood that now with crystal clarity. They’d identified their target, recognized her as the weak link in Adrian’s armor.
Adrian’s grip remained firm on the portfolio, his thumb moving back and forth across its edge in a slow, deliberate motion. The leather beneath her grew cold, and the city lights beyond the windows seemed dimmer now. Their moment of peace had shattered, replaced by the quiet certainty of approaching conflict. His fingers continued their measured stroke against the paper, like a general counting troops before battle.
CHAPTER 17
Georgia stood at the windows of her office in the penthouse, watching morning light slice through the hazy cityscape. The glass felt cool against her fingertips as she traced invisible patterns, seeking calm in the quiet sanctuary she’d carved out for herself. Behind her, her phone buzzed on the polished mahogany desk, the vibrations echoing through the serene space like warning shots.
She pulled away from the window, each step toward her desk feeling heavier than the last. The phone screen lit up with a flood of notifications, her PR team’s calls stacking up like dominoes, social media mentions multiplying by the second, news alerts flashing urgent red.
The first headline stopped her breath:Adrian Adler’s Wife Exposed: Secret Past and Scandalous Affair.
Her hand froze above the phone screen, muscles tensing as she forced herself to open the article. Words jumped out at her like accusations: former lover, ongoing affair, contract marriage. A man she’d never met claimed intimate knowledge of her life,painting her as a calculating gold-digger who’d played Adrian while maintaining a hidden relationship.
The article dropped like poison into her veins. “Sources close to Georgia Adler confirm she maintained contact with her lover throughout her marriage to billionaire Adrian Adler, using her position to secure financial stability while continuing the affair.”
Screenshots followed, each one a perfectly crafted lie. Text messages she’d never written materialized in those telltale blue bubbles, their timestamps and details stitched together like a surgeon’s careful handiwork. Her own patterns of speech stared back at her, twisted into intimate exchanges with a stranger.
