THE FORGOTTEN SON-IN-LAW

Chapter Four

Julian’s eyes gleamed with malice. “Then we’ll stage an accident. Something no one can trace back to me.”

Selene returned home late one evening after a grueling day at the company. Exhaustion tugged at her shoulders. To her surprise, Adrian was waiting with dinner already prepared. The aroma of warm soup filled the room.

“I thought you might not have eaten,” he said simply.

Selene blinked. For the first time, her icy walls faltered. “Why would you do this?”

Adrian met her gaze. “Because you’re my wife.”

Her heart stuttered at the simplicity of his words. She looked away quickly, unwilling to let him see the warmth flickering in her eyes.

The next morning, Adrian left the estate for errands. On the road, a black SUV suddenly swerved, trying to ram his car off a bridge. Adrian’s reflexes were sharp—too sharp for an ordinary man. He maneuvered with precision, sending the attackers spinning into the guardrail instead.

As he stepped out to survey the wreckage, one of the injured men croaked, “This… isn’t over.”

Adrian’s eyes were cold as steel. “Tell your master he’s playing a game he cannot win.”

That evening, Selene overheard two servants gossiping. “Did you hear? Mr. Cole was attacked today, but he came back without a scratch. Some say he’s not ordinary.”

Selene’s breath caught. Could it be true? Was Adrian hiding more than he admitted? Her mind raced, replaying his calm words, his mysterious aura, the way even Julian faltered under his gaze.

For the first time, curiosity burned hotter than disdain.

A sealed envelope appeared at the Harlow estate gate addressed to Selene. No sender, no signature. Inside, a single message was scrawled in bold ink:

“Your husband is in danger. If you stay by his side, you will fall with him.”

Selene’s hands trembled as she read it. She wanted to dismiss it as another cruel trick, but deep down, she could not shake the feeling that forces far beyond her family’s wealth were circling around her husband.

When Adrian saw the letter, his expression darkened. He burned it without hesitation. “They want you afraid. Don’t give them that satisfaction.”

Selene stared at him, her heart warring between fear and a fragile, growing trust.

Eleanor Harlow cornered Adrian in the garden. “You’ve brought nothing but disgrace since you set foot in this family. My daughter deserves better. If you truly cared for her, you’d leave.”

Adrian looked at her calmly. “If I leave, the wolves at your door will devour everything you’ve built. You may despise me, Mrs. Harlow, but remember this—I am the only shield you have.”

Eleanor froze, unsettled by the certainty in his voice. For the first time, doubt flickered across her iron composure.

That night, Selene dreamed of Adrian standing on a battlefield, faceless enemies falling before him. He looked untouchable, yet lonely, carrying a burden too heavy for one man. When she woke, her chest ached with a strange, unfamiliar feeling.

She whispered to herself, “Who are you, Adrian Cole?”

Victor Harlow convened a secret meeting with his executives. Unknown to him, one of his closest allies had already sold information to Julian. Adrian, watching silently from the back, noticed the betrayal in the man’s eyes.

When the meeting ended, Adrian approached Victor. “There’s a traitor among you. Be careful who you trust.”

Victor scoffed. “And what do you know of loyalty?”

Adrian only smiled faintly. “More than you think.”

Julian made his boldest move yet. The Harlow warehouse district suddenly went up in flames, millions worth of goods destroyed overnight. Panic rippled through the family empire.

Victor raged. Eleanor wept. Selene took charge, her sharp mind racing to salvage what she could. But behind the chaos, Adrian stood silently, watching the smoke rise against the night sky.

Finally, he whispered to himself, “Enough waiting.”

In the shadows nearby, his loyal follower appeared. “Young Master, your orders?”

Adrian’s eyes gleamed with cold fire. “It’s time Julian Black learns what happens when he underestimates me.”

The morning after the fire, Selene received an anonymous email. Attached were photographs of Adrian in the shadows of the warehouse district, watching the flames. The message read:

“Your husband lit the fire. Trust him, and you will burn with him.”

Selene’s chest tightened. Could it be true? Had Adrian betrayed them all? But something in her gut resisted the thought. She tucked the photos away, deciding to confront him later.

Victor arranged a tense dinner with the Harlow board members, hoping to ease their panic after the warehouse disaster. Julian was there too, smirking across the table. The atmosphere was venomous.

Midway through, a board member accused Adrian directly of sabotaging the family. The room erupted with murmurs.

Adrian’s response was calm but chilling: “If I had wanted the Harlows destroyed, you wouldn’t be sitting here to discuss it.”

The board fell silent, unease creeping through the room. Julian’s smirk faltered.

Late that night, Selene stormed into Adrian’s room, clutching the incriminating photos. “What are you hiding from me? Were you there when the warehouses burned?”

Adrian studied the photos, then met her eyes without flinching. “Yes, I was there. Because I knew it would happen. And I chose to watch, to learn who my enemies are.”

Selene’s lips parted. His honesty stunned her more than denial would have. For the first time, she realized how little she truly knew of the man she married.

A cloaked figure infiltrated the Harlow estate gardens at midnight, slipping poison into the koi pond where Adrian often sat. But Adrian appeared silently behind him.

“You walk like a soldier,” Adrian murmured. “Who sent you?”

The intruder froze, then lunged with a dagger. Adrian disarmed him in seconds, pressing the blade to his throat. “Go back to Julian. Tell him I’m done playing nice.”

He let the man flee, knowing the message would be delivered ...