Rumor

---

...Rumor--...

...Footsteps echoed in the corridor—slow, deliberate, almost taunting....

...Kai froze, his chest pressed against Adrian’s, their breaths still heavy, lips swollen from a kiss that should have never happened. In an instant, passion turned into danger....

...Kai tried to push him away, but Adrian’s grip only tightened, his fingers digging into Kai’s waist like shackles....

...“Don’t move,” Adrian whispered, voice sharp with command....

...The footsteps grew louder....

...Adrian dragged Kai into the shadows of an alcove, pressing him against the cold marble pillar. The icy stone seared through Kai’s shirt, but Adrian’s heat pinned him in place....

...The air shifted. The faint smell of cigars and whiskey filled the hallway. This wasn’t a guard....

...It was Jai—Adrian’s most loyal man, his right hand, the one who knew him better than anyone....

...Kai held his breath, every muscle coiled. Jai wasn’t just loyal. He was dangerous. Too observant....

...Adrian lowered his lips to Kai’s ear, his voice a hushed threat that sent shivers racing down his spine....

...“If you make a sound… he’ll know.”...

...Their faces were so close it looked like Adrian was merely cornering his rival. To anyone else, it was dominance—De Luca over Alvarez. But the truth was far darker, far riskier....

...The footsteps stopped right in front of them. Jai leaned against the railing, his tone casual, but his words sharp....

...“Boss. Your father’s waiting. You shouldn’t linger… especially not on Alvarez ground.”...

...Adrian’s reply was calm, cold, controlled....

...“I know where I need to be. Go back inside, Jai.”...

...A pause. Too long. Like Jai could smell the tension, the danger, the secret hanging heavy in the air....

...Finally, Jai moved on, his steps fading down the corridor....

...Kai exhaled sharply, the air rushing back into his lungs. He shoved against Adrian’s chest, but Adrian didn’t budge. Instead, he crushed him harder against the marble, eyes burning....

...“You see that?” Adrian’s voice was low, lethal. “One second more and everything would’ve exploded. You really want that?”...

...Kai glared at him, fury laced with desire....

...“Maybe. At least then we’d stop pretending.”...

...Adrian’s mouth curved into a dangerous smirk, dark and cruel, yet laced with something almost fragile....

...“You think you could handle the war that would follow? You, me, our families—everything would burn.”...

...For a heartbeat, silence hung heavy....

...Then Adrian’s gaze softened, lips brushing Kai’s again, not violent this time but hauntingly gentle....

...“But you know what? I think I’d like to watch it all burn… with you.”...

...A shiver shot through Kai’s spine. Was it a promise? A threat? Or both?...

...Before Kai could answer, a deep bell rang from the grand hall, summoning everyone back. The sound shattered the moment like glass....

...Adrian stepped back, reluctantly letting him go. But his eyes—dark, hungry, dangerous—never left Kai’s....

...“This isn’t over.”...

...---...

...Back in the Ballroom...

...The chandeliers glittered above as the Alvarez and De Luca families gathered. The crowd buzzed with tension, whispers slithering like snakes between glasses of champagne....

...The two patriarchs stepped forward, their expressions carved from stone. The room fell into silence....

...Kai’s father, voice deep and commanding, spoke first....

...“For too long, blood has been spilled between our houses.”...

...Adrian’s father took over, his tone sharp as a blade....

...“Tonight, we put an end to it. Not with more war… but with unity.”...

...The words crashed into the room like thunder....

...“Our heirs will marry.”...

...Gasps erupted. Glasses shattered against the marble floor. The crowd erupted in whispers, scandal spreading like wildfire....

...Kai’s stomach dropped. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. Marry Adrian? The man who kissed him in the shadows, the man he should hate but couldn’t resist?...

...Across the room, Adrian’s eyes locked onto his. Calm. Cold. Possessive....

...To the world, it looked like defiance. To Kai, it felt like a vow....

...A vow that this marriage wasn’t an alliance....

...It was a cage....

...And Adrian was already holding the key....

...---...

...✨ Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Adrian giving the faintest of smirks, like he had known this all along. Meanwhile, Kai feels the weight of invisible chains tightening around him, the truth too dangerous to voice: he wasn’t just being forced into marriage. He was being claimed....

...---...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***