Unmasking the Heart

Hours later, Mr. Reginald arrived, his tailored suit as immaculate as ever. His commanding presence turned heads as he strode into Anna's private room, his face darkening at the sight of her pale, battered form.

"Smith," he greeted curtly, turning to the older man. "What's this all about?"

Mr. Smith's jaw tightened, his tone simmering with suppressed anger. "It's about your son, Reginald. This is what he's done to my daughter!"

Mrs. Smith added, her voice trembling, "She's loved Adrian for years, but instead of showing gratitude, he's destroyed her. And all because of that girl Joi!"

Reginald's expression hardened, though he maintained a calm facade. "You're saying Adrian did this?"

Mr. Smith's face flushed with anger. "Yes! He dumped her at our doorstep like garbage. After all our family has done for yours, this is the thanks we get?"

Reginald sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll speak to Adrian. But Smith," his tone lowered, "you need to remember who you're dealing with here."

"This isn't just about family," Mr. Smith retorted. "It's about respect. If Adrian doesn't understand that, maybe the rest of the world should hear what your family owes us."

Reginald's jaw tightened, but he remained silent, his mind already calculating the fallout of this situation.

At the hospital, Adrian stood in Joi's room, watching over her as the faint hum of machines filled the air. She looked so fragile, her body still marked by the cruelty she had endured. Ruby lay at the foot of the bed, his small head resting on her blanket, as if unwilling to leave her side.

Alexander entered quietly, holding a fresh report. "Boss, I've arranged additional security around the hospital. No one will get close to her."

Adrian nodded, his gaze never leaving Joi. "Good."

Alexander hesitated. "Smith called Mr. Reginald. He's at the hospital now, speaking with Anna's parents."

Adrian's expression didn't change, but his hand clenched briefly before he relaxed it. "Let him. It doesn't concern me."

In another wing of the hospital, Reginald finally cornered Adrian after his tense conversation with the Smiths. His father's sharp tone cut through the air.

"Adrian, what have you done?"

Adrian turned to face him, his posture unyielding. "What was necessary."

"You've embarrassed this family!" Reginald's voice rose slightly, though he kept his composure. "The Smiths are furious, and they're threatening to go public with their grievances. Do you have any idea how this could affect us?"

Adrian's gaze remained steady, his voice devoid of warmth. "Then let them. I don't care about their grievances. Anna tortured Joi. I simply returned the favor."

Reginald's eyes narrowed. "You need to start thinking about the bigger picture, Adrian. This isn't just about you—it's about this family's reputation."

Adrian stepped closer, his tone lowering but losing none of its intensity. "If protecting someone under my care damages your reputation, maybe it's time to rethink what that reputation is built on."

Reginald stared at his son, his frustration palpable, but he found no room for argument in Adrian's steely resolve. With a dismissive shake of his head, he turned and walked away, leaving Adrian standing alone, unyielding as ever.

---

The house felt suffocating as Adrian entered, his mind still racing with the aftermath of his brief encounter with Sophia. Her presence lingered, as did the undeniable tension in the air. The feeling was inescapable, growing heavier with each passing moment.

It was late when Alexander entered the room with a report in his hand. Adrian glanced up, his expression unreadable.

"Boss," Alexander began, his voice low but urgent. "There's something important from the company that requires your attention. It's about the motors we've been working on—the delay in production is impacting a major deal."

Adrian didn't respond immediately. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant, as his thoughts circled back to the complications swirling around Joi and Sophia. The motors, the company—it all seemed insignificant in the face of the chaos in his personal life.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Handle it. I'll deal with it later."

Alexander nodded, retreating silently as Adrian's mind shifted again, this time to Anna. The trap she'd set for Joi had left its mark, and he couldn't ignore the weight of his own actions—the bruises he had inflicted on Anna.

But it wasn't the violence that troubled him. It was the knowledge that he had not yet addressed the deeper issue—the one that connected him to Joi.

With a sharp exhale, Adrian walked toward the study. He knew he had to find some way to keep Anna's schemes at bay, but his thoughts kept returning to Joi.

He still couldn't understand the growing warmth he felt toward her, and the truth was, he wasn't sure he wanted to. His feelings for Sophia had always been clear, yet every time he was near Joi, something within him stirred—something that unsettled him.

He pushed the thoughts aside for the moment. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Meanwhile, deep in the shadowed corners of their scheme, Anna was still plotting. She had not given up on her plan to reclaim Adrian, and with the help of her parents, she had started laying the groundwork for her next move.

She knew that the only way to tear Adrian from Sophia was to eliminate the competition—Joi, the woman who had, without even realizing it, stolen the attention Adrian had once reserved for her.

Back at the Smith mansion, Anna paced in frustration. Her body still ached from the punishment Adrian had given her, but her anger burned hotter than the pain. She refused to show weakness. She couldn't afford to.

"They'll pay for this," Anna muttered to herself, her eyes gleaming with cold determination.

Her parents had been useful in sheltering her, but Anna knew she couldn't rely on them for long. She had to act quickly—before Adrian's feelings for Joi could grow any stronger.

As Adrian sat in his study, he couldn't help but think of the storm that was brewing. His feelings for Sophia were undeniable.

She was his past, the love of his life, the one he had waited for. Yet every time he looked at Joi, something inside him twisted—a foreign sensation he could not control.

Adrian had always been a man of logic, but when it came to his heart, he found himself lost. Joi was an enigma, a mystery he couldn't unravel. But the more he saw her, the harder it became to ignore the pull between them.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Boss," Alexander's voice called from the other side, "there's something you should know. It's about Anna."

Adrian's pulse quickened, but his face remained impassive. Anna's schemes were always lurking in the background, but he couldn't afford to let her play him again.

"Come in," Adrian's voice was low, controlled.

Alexander entered, a grim expression on his face.

"Anna's parents are making moves. They've been contacting several influential people, trying to spread the word about what happened between her and you," Alexander explained, his eyes never meeting Adrian's.

Adrian clenched his fists, the tension rising. "Let them. They can talk all they want. I have nothing to explain."

But even as he said the words, a cold knot formed in his stomach. He had never been one for public scandal, especially with his family's reputation hanging in the balance.

"You're not taking her back, are you?" Alexander's question hung in the air, loaded with unspoken implications.

Adrian stood, turning away from Alexander. His mind raced—Sophia, Anna, Joi… the delicate balance he had tried to maintain was slipping away. He could no longer ignore the truth, even if he refused to acknowledge it fully.

"No," Adrian's voice was resolute. "I won't let her manipulate me. I'll deal with this. I always do."

Alexander nodded, but his expression suggested he wasn't convinced. "Be careful, boss. Anna's dangerous. She won't stop until she gets what she wants."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "I know. But this time, I won't let her win."

The tension between love and betrayal, between the past and the present, hung in the air like a thick fog. As Adrian walked to his office, his thoughts turned once more to Joi.

He needed to make sense of everything, but he knew one thing for sure: the game was far from over. And no matter what it took, he would protect what was his—even if he wasn't sure what that was yet.