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I tried to go up a little more..and almost lost my balance.
My hands screamed in protest, muscles quivering from the strain as I dangled precariously. Then, through the haze of my exertion, I saw it—a lifeline. Several blankets tied together cascaded down the side of the balcony.
“Adriana!” My voice was hoarse with relief and a touch of desperation. She had found a way, as she always did.
“Take it, Tristan! Wrap it around you,” she commanded, her tone laced with urgency and concern.
Fumbling with numb fingers, I managed to secure the makeshift rope around my wrists, looping it twice for good measure. I glanced up to see Adriana anchoring herself against the banister, her body braced as if she were the only thing holding back the storm itself. She was trying to angle her bump away from the banister and it looked…hard.
I couldn’t believe she was doing this for me.
The sight fueled me, igniting a fire within that burned away the cold.
It was a slow, grueling battle against gravity, but inch by inch, I ascended the facade of the Orsini beach house, my every breath a testament to the determination we shared. Time lost meaning as the struggle stretched on, each second an eternity until finally, my hand clasped the edge of the balcony.
With one final heave, I tumbled over the railing and onto the solid ground. Gasping for air, I barely had time to register my triumph before Adriana’s arms encircled me, her embrace fierce and unyielding.
She was freezing.
“Tristan,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. Her silk gown clung to her like a second skin, the fabric of the masquerade still adorning her shivering form
“Ade, God...” Pulling her close, I enveloped her in my arms, my own shivers mirroring hers. “You’re so cold.”
“Inside,” she said, her teeth chattering. “We need to get inside.”
Together, we stumbled through the balcony doors into the sanctuary of the estate. The storm raged on outside, but here, within these walls, there was warmth, and there was us.
Adriana was alive. And everything else had quickly stopped mattering.
“Let me look at you,” Adriana insisted, her fingers lightly tracing the contours of my face. Her touch was gentle, yet underscored with a fervor that spoke volumes of her concern. I could see the storm in her eyes, a tempest of worry and love clashing with every glance.
“Ade, I’m okay,” I tried to reassure her, but she wouldn’t have it. “How are you? How are the babies? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” she examined my hands, turning them over, her breath hitching slightly at the sight of red marks where the rough stone had taken its toll. “But you’re not.”
“I really am okay.”
“Tristan, you’re hurt,” she murmured, her dark eyes flickering up to meet mine, the lightning outside casting fleeting shadows across her features.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I replied, but the moment was already shifting, changing as the urgency that had propelled us into the house gave way to something deeper, something elemental between us.
“Don’t fucking do things like that,” she whispered, her voice practically breaking. “I won’t lose you.”
Before I could respond, her lips found mine, igniting a fire that burned away the chill of the rain-soaked night. It was a kiss that spoke of promises and unspoken vows, searing through me with an intensity that left no room for doubts or fears.
My hands moved of their own accord, tangling in her short, dark hair as I pressed her against the wall. The cool plaster was a stark contrast to the heat that radiated from our bodies, but nothing could dampen the flame that roared to life within me.
“Ade,” I breathed against her lips, my heart thundering in my chest as fierce as the storm outside. “I’m so sorry. I’m never letting you go again.”
Her response was a muffled sigh against my lips, her arms tightening around me. “Promise?” she whispered, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze with her own, eyes gleaming dark and hopeful under the muted house lights.
“Promise,” I vowed, punctuating my words with another searing kiss, fueling the fire that had sparked between us since day one. It was a promise that echoed in the stillness of the room, rising above the storm that raged beyond this fancy little prison. My hand slid down to her bump. “All of you. I promise all of you.”
Chapter Twenty-One: Adriana
He was here. He had managed to find me.
And I was happy…but I had no idea what it meant. I needed to tell him that my dad planned to kill him, but right then, I was just enjoying his presence.
