Chapter 369: ...never give up!
Maria.
I was burning with a fury I did not even understand.
The anger sat heavily inside my chest, hot and suffocating, refusing to leave no matter how many times I told myself to calm down.
Why was I so annoyed?
Why was I this affected by the fact that Adrien had kissed Vanessa?
It made absolutely no sense, because I had no right to be angry and no reason to be upset.
What Adrien chose to do was absolutely none of my concern. Yet no matter how hard I tried to convince myself of that fact, the irritation remained, as it kept growing, spreading and consuming me little by little.
I clenched my jaw.
My fingers curled into tight fists at my sides.
And then, just like that, the image flashed through my mind. It was that of Adrien and his brothers.
The way they had looked at me, the way they had pleaded and the desperation in their eyes as they begged for another chance—as they asked me to come back, as they tried to convince me not to abandon them.
The memory appeared so vividly that it felt as though it were happening all over again.
My chest tightened, and somehow, my anger only intensified.
"Damn it." I muttered under my breath.
Why couldn’t I stop thinking about it?
Why couldn’t I stop replaying everything in my head?
The more I remembered their faces, the more frustrated I became. The more I remembered Adrien, the more unbearable the irritation felt.
It was driving me insane.
Everything was slowly getting on my nerves. No matter how hard I tried to calm myself down. That was exactly why I had refused to return to my room after breakfast.
I knew Vincent would head straight there and the last thing I wanted was another conversation, and another attempt to get inside my head.
So instead, I wandered aimlessly through the house—one hallway after another, one staircase after another, as I was just walking without any destination and without any purpose.
I was simply moving, while trying to outrun my thoughts and trying to exhaust myself enough to stop thinking.
Unfortunately, it was not working.
I released a long breath and rubbed my temples. The headache forming behind my eyes was becoming impossible to ignore.
Eventually, I reached another section of the house. Without thinking much about it, I grabbed the handle of a nearby guest room and pushed the door open.
Thankfully, the room was empty, and instantly, a wave of relief washed through me.
At least there was finally some peace, and somewhere I could be alone. I stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind me.
The room was neat and untouched, the curtains were partially drawn, allowing soft sunlight to spill across the floor.
Everything felt calm.
A complete contrast to the chaos inside my head.
I walked toward the bed and sat down heavily. The mattress dipped beneath my weight, and I lowered my gaze to the floor, and then closed my eyes briefly.
"Get yourself together, Maria." The words echoed repeatedly inside my head. "You’ll soon find a way to completely reject them."
I repeated the sentence like a prayer more like a promise and like something I desperately needed to believe.
Eventually, I lay back against the mattress.
My body sank into the soft sheets.
I folded my hands over my stomach and stared straight at the ceiling.
The white surface above became the focus of my attention—anything to keep my thoughts occupied.
Minutes seemed to pass in silence, and the room remained peaceful still and quiet.
But suddenly, the sound of the door opening broke the silence.
I did not react immediately, because thankfully, I still had my mask on. I had not removed it yet, so there would be no complications and no unnecessary problems.
Because it was quite obvious I wasn’t supposed to reveal my true identity.
Assuming it was one of the servants coming to clean the room, I remained exactly where I was.
After all, servants often came to clean the rooms in the mornings and evenings.
There was nothing unusual about it, so I didn’t bother lifting my head and didn’t bother looking toward the door.
I simply continued staring at the ceiling, while waiting for whoever entered to finish whatever task had brought hi or her there.
But then I heard it—a familiar voice, one that instantly sent a jolt through my entire body.
"Maria."
My breath caught, and every muscle in my body went rigid. My heartbeat stumbled violently inside my chest.
And in that single moment, all the calm I had managed to gather shattered completely.
I immediately lifted my head while still lying on the bed. The moment my eyes landed on the person standing by the door, my body stiffened further.
A pair of conflicted eyes stared back at me—eyes filled with emotions I didn’t want to understand.
It was Adrien.
For a second, I simply stared at him, while my mind was racing.
How did he know I was the one?
I was still putting on the mask, so he shouldn’t know.
I was still thinking when the realization struck.
It had to be Noah, he must have already told them.
A wave of irritation instantly washed over me, and my jaw tightened. The frustration that had barely settled inside me came rushing back with full force.
And the worst part was that I wasn’t even remotely in the mood to speak to Adrien.
"What do you want?" I asked, as the disgust and annoyance in my voice were impossible to hide.
I didn’t even bother softening my tone.
Adrien visibly hesitated, as the look on his face flickered slightly and then he cleared his throat while his hand moved to the door behind him.
And then, slowly and quietly, he shut it.
The soft click echoed throughout the room.
My irritation immediately doubled.
Then he took a step toward the bed.
"I want to talk to you about—" He started, his voice cautious and careful, as though he were afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t interested in hearing any of it. The moment he started speaking, I rolled my eyes dramatically and then I shot him a glare so cold that he stopped mid-sentence.
The words died in his throat.
"I don’t want to." I said immediately, my voice firm and sharp, leaving no room for negotiation. "Now go back to Vanessa."
The bitterness in my words surprised even me but I didn’t care, not anymore. I folded my arms tightly across my chest and looked away, refusing to acknowledge him and refusing to acknowledge the strange ache his presence was causing.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
I expected him to leave, expected him to finally get the message and expected him to turn around and walk out.
But Adrien never listened, and instead of leaving, he continued walking toward me, each step bringing him closer.
Before I could react, he lowered himself onto the bed beside me and the mattress shifted beneath his weight.
I immediately frowned.
What was he doing?
A slow hum escaped his lips. "Hmm." He says, his voice carrying a teasing tone, one that instantly put me on edge and then he tilted his head slightly, as a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Do I smell jealousy here?"
My eyes widened.
"What?" The word flew out of my mouth before I could stop it. "No way!" I added, as I practically jumped off the bed.
The movement was so quick that I was standing before I even realized it.
My heart pounded furiously.
What’s wrong with him?
How could he possibly come to such a ridiculous conclusion?
Jealous?
Me?
Absolutely not.
Why should I?
I opened my mouth to argue further, but Adrien stood up too, and his gaze never left mine, not for a single second.
"Look here, Maria." He said, as the teasing tone and look disappeared from his expression, while his voice became serious and dangerously sincere.
He paused briefly before stepping closer, and then he reached out and gently lifted my chin.
The simple touch made my breath catch.
I hated that it did.
"I know you have always loved me," he said quietly, as his eyes remained locked on mine. "Regardless of the bond."
My throat suddenly felt dry.
"And trust me, I feel the same way." He added, as his voice softened further. "So I’m letting you know now that I would never give up on our love."
The room seemed to grow smaller, and the air heavier, as every word he spoke settled deep inside me, whether I wanted it to or not.
I swallowed hard.
My pulse hammered wildly against my ribs.
And as I stared into his eyes, the intensity of his gaze became almost unbearable.
It felt as though he could see every emotion I was desperately trying to hide.
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