(Bianca's POV)
The car stopped suddenly in the middle of the quiet, moonlit road. My heart raced as Adrian turned to look at me, his jaw clenched with anger. His blue eyes, usually cold and distant, now blazed with a fierce intensity
“Get out,” he ordered, his voice low but sharp as a blade.
“What?” I stammered, clutching my seatbelt. The cold night air seeped through the cracked window, biting into my exposed skin.
“I said, get out of the car, Bianca.”
I froze. The black Maserati idled quietly in the dark, its surface shining under the dim estate lights. Behind us was an empty road, and ahead were the dark outlines of Willow Heights.
“Adrian, it’s the middle of the night!” I protested.
He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, the sharp sound reverberating through the car. “Do not make me repeat myself.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. This wasn’t new. Adrian Willow, the billionaire CEO of Sterling & Willow Enterprises, had a habit of discarding people when they no longer served his purpose. I’d seen him do it to employees, to partners, and—more painfully—to me.
The realization hit like a slap: I was disposable.
“Fine,” I said, unclipping my seatbelt. My voice shook, but I refused to let him see my fear. “You want me gone? Done.”
I stepped out of the car, my heels sinking into the gravel. The cold wind hit me, biting through my gown. I slammed the door shut, but before I could say anything, Adrian sped off, the tires screeching.
The taillights disappeared, leaving me alone in the dark.
It was silent, except for the sound of my heels on the gravel as I started walking. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stay warm and keep it together.
Adrian and I had been returning from the annual gala, an event filled with champagne and whispers of scandalous activities by the powerful. Everything had been perfect—until Ivy called.
Ivy.
The woman Adrian couldn’t forget. The one he swore meant nothing to him, even as he dropped everything whenever she called.
Tonight was no different. One phone call, and I’d gone from his wife to a nuisance he could abandon in the dark.
Anger surged, hot and bitter. “You bastard,” I muttered under my breath.
I should have seen this coming. Adrian’s world wasn’t just about money and power—it was a battlefield, and I was just another pawn. His ex-fiancée, Ivy, was the queen, and I? I was nothing but a placeholder.
A sudden noise snapped me out of my thoughts. A rustling in the bushes.
I froze. My pulse quickened as I scanned the darkness, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Hello?” I called out, my voice shaky.
Silence.
I walked faster, my heels clicking loudly in the quiet night. The estate was big and beautiful, but it felt spooky with the mist all around. It was easy to imagine someone hiding in the shadows.
Another sound. This time, closer.
“Who’s there?” I demanded, spinning around. My voice betrayed my growing panic.
A figure emerged from the darkness, her silhouette sharp and poised. She stepped into the faint light, her crimson lips curling into a smile that sent a chill down my spine.
“Bianca,” she said, her voice smooth as silk. “We meet at last.”
She was stunning. Dark hair cascading over her shoulders, a fitted black dress that clung to her like a second skin, and eyes that gleamed with malicious amusement.
“Who are you?” I asked, my throat dry.
Her smile widened. “Let’s just say I’m someone who knows Adrian better than you ever will.”
My stomach churned. This wasn’t Ivy—this was someone else, someone far more dangerous.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound confident.
She took a step closer, her heels crunching against the gravel. “A warning,” she said. “You think you’re the first woman Adrian has used and discarded? Think again.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off, her tone turning icy.
“Adrian Sterling doesn’t love. He consumes. And when he’s done, he leaves nothing but ashes.”
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. I wanted to deny it, to defend him—but I couldn’t. Deep down, I knew she was right.
“You should leave while you still can,” she added, her voice softening into something almost pitiful. “Before you end up like the rest of us.”
“Us?” I echoed, there was a “us?”
She tilted her head, her smile never wavering. “You’ll see.”
With that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me alone once again.
I stumbled back onto the road, my mind racing. Who was she? What did she mean by “the rest of us”?
Adrian’s world was darker than I’d realized, filled with secrets and lies that went far beyond his obsession with Ivy.
A sudden roar shattered the silence—a car engine, growing louder.
I turned, my heart leaping into my throat. A black SUV sped toward me, its headlights cutting through the mist.
“Stop!” I screamed, waving my arms.
The vehicle skidded to a halt inches from where I stood. The driver’s side door opened, and a man stepped out.
He was tall, with sharp features and an air of authority. His suit was tailored to perfection, but there was something predatory about him, something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Ms. Willow,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Get in the car.”
I backed away, my instincts screaming at me not to trust him. “Who are you?”
“A friend,” he replied, though his tone suggested otherwise.
“Adrian sent you, didn’t he?” I asked, my voice shaking.
The man didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, his hand reaching for my arm.
“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, yanking my arm away.
He sighed, as if I were an unruly child. “Ms. Winters, this isn’t up for debate. Get in the car, or I’ll make you.”
Panic surged. I turned and ran, my heels slipping on the gravel.
“Stop!” he shouted, but I didn’t look back.
I stumbled into a clearing, my chest heaving. In the distance, I could see the faint lights of the mansion—I was almost home.
But before I could take another step, a hand clamped down on my arm, yanking me backward.
“I told you,” the man growled, his grip like iron. “This isn’t up for debate.”
I fought back, kicking and clawing, but he was too strong.
“Let me go!” I screamed.
Suddenly, the roar of another engine filled the air. A second car skidded to a halt nearby, its headlights cutting through the darkness.
The man froze, his grip loosening just enough for me to break free.
The car door opened, and a figure stepped out—a woman, her silhouette sharp against the light.
“I think she said to let her go,” the woman said, her voice cold and commanding.
The man hesitated, his eyes narrowing. “This isn’t your business.”
The woman took a step forward, her heels clicking against the ground. “It is now.”
In a flash, she pulled out a gun, aiming it squarely at the man’s chest.
He raised his hands, his expression twisting into something between fear and fury. “You’ll regret this,” he spat before retreating into the shadows.
The woman lowered the gun and turned to me, her expression unreadable.
“Who are you?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
She smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Let’s just say I’m someone who knows what it’s like to run from Adrian Sterling.”
For the first time, my blindfold was taken off. Adrian never loved me.
