Chapter 7 Beneath The Surface

The morning sun filtered through the lace curtains of Sophia’s bedroom, its golden rays doing little to lift the heaviness in her chest. She had spent another restless night replaying the events in Adrian’s study, the image of her name scrawled across a file folder burned into her mind. Questions churned in her thoughts, each one sharper than the last. Why me? Why this marriage? What else hasn’t he told me? The mansion, with its endless corridors and imposing silence, felt suffocating. The sheer opulence of Blackwood Manor seemed to mock her confusion, its grandeur a stark contrast to the chaos swirling within her. Today, she resolved to uncover the truth. If Adrian wanted a partnership, it was time he started treating her like a partner—not a pawn. --- Sophia descended the grand staircase, her heels clicking sharply against the polished wood floors. She entered the dining room, where Adrian was already seated at the head of the long table. He was impeccably dressed, as always, a dark suit accentuating his commanding presence. A plate of eggs and toast sat untouched before him, and his eyes scanned a set of papers with the focus of a man used to controlling every aspect of his world. “Good morning,” she said, her voice deliberately steady. Adrian glanced up, his gray eyes narrowing slightly, as if gauging her mood. “Good morning, Sophia. I trust you slept well?” She ignored the pleasantries and took a seat across from him. “We need to talk.” Adrian set the papers aside, folding his hands in front of him. “I’m listening.” “This arrangement,” Sophia began, her words slow and deliberate, “it doesn’t feel like a partnership. I feel like I’ve been dragged into a life I don’t understand, with rules I didn’t agree to. If this is supposed to work, things need to change.” Adrian’s expression remained calm, though a flicker of tension tightened his jaw. “What exactly do you want to change?” “For starters, I want the truth,” she said firmly. “No more secrets, no more half-truths. If you expect me to trust you, you have to trust me in return.” Adrian leaned back in his chair, studying her with the intensity of a chess master contemplating his next move. “That’s a fair request,” he said after a long pause. “But trust is a two-way street. If I’m honest with you, I’ll expect the same in return.” Sophia nodded, though the prospect of exposing her own vulnerabilities made her stomach twist. “Deal.” --- After breakfast, Adrian led her to the library, the room’s towering bookshelves and crackling fire providing a strangely intimate setting for the conversation that followed. “Where do you want me to start?” Adrian asked, settling into a leather armchair near the fireplace. Sophia perched on the edge of a nearby couch, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “Why me? Why did you choose me for this marriage?” Adrian exhaled, his gaze drifting to the fire. “I’ve already told you—you’re different.” “That’s not an answer,” she pressed. He hesitated, as if deciding how much to reveal. “My life is... complicated. Most of the people I meet see my wealth and nothing else. They want something from me—power, influence, security. I’ve learned to keep my guard up because, more often than not, their intentions are self-serving.” Sophia frowned. “And you thought I was different because...?” Adrian’s eyes met hers, unflinching. “Because you didn’t chase after me. When we first met, you were indifferent at best, hostile at worst. You didn’t care about my money or my status. That intrigued me.” Her cheeks flushed, though she wasn’t sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. “So, what? You decided to marry me to test my motives?” “It’s not that simple,” Adrian said, his voice tinged with frustration. “Your father approached me with the proposition. I saw an opportunity—to help your family and to find someone who might see me for who I truly am, not what I represent.” Sophia stared at him, her emotions a chaotic swirl of disbelief, anger, and reluctant understanding. “And the wheelchair? Was that part of the test, too?” Adrian’s expression darkened, and for a moment, he seemed almost ashamed. “Yes. After being burned so many times, I thought it was the only way to separate genuine interest from superficial attraction.” Sophia shook her head, her voice trembling. “Do you have any idea how manipulative that is?” “I do,” Adrian admitted quietly. “But at the time, it felt like my only option.” Her heart ached at the vulnerability in his words, but she wasn’t ready to forgive him—not yet. “You keep saying you wanted honesty, but you built this entire marriage on a foundation of lies.” Adrian leaned forward, his gaze intense. “That’s why I’m telling you the truth now, Sophia. I’m trying to make things right.” --- Their conversation continued for hours, each revelation peeling back another layer of the enigmatic man Sophia had married. Adrian spoke of his mother’s death, his estranged relationship with his father, and the loneliness that had plagued him for years despite his wealth and success. “I’ve built an empire,” he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. “But at the end of the day, it’s meaningless without someone to share it with.” Sophia listened in silence, her initial anger giving way to a tentative sense of empathy. She couldn’t deny that Adrian’s actions were flawed, but she also couldn’t ignore the pain that had driven him to make those choices. When the conversation turned to her, Sophia hesitated, unsure how much she was willing to share. But Adrian’s openness compelled her to do the same. She spoke of her family’s struggles, her father’s desperation, and the guilt she felt for being unable to save them on her own. “I agreed to this marriage because I felt like I had no other choice,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I never expected... this. You.” Adrian’s lips curved into a faint, almost sad smile. “Neither did I.” --- The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time their conversation ended, casting the library in a warm, golden glow. For the first time since their wedding, Sophia felt a flicker of something she hadn’t expected—hope. As Adrian wheeled her to her room, she couldn’t help but glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He still infuriated her, still kept her on edge. But he was also human, flawed and vulnerable in ways she hadn’t anticipated. “Good night, Sophia,” he said, pausing outside her door. “Good night, Adrian,” she replied, her voice soft. He hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, but then he turned and wheeled away, leaving her standing alone in the dimly lit hallway. --- That night, as Sophia lay in bed, she found herself replaying their conversation. Adrian’s honesty had been a step in the right direction, but it didn’t erase the betrayal she had felt or the questions that still lingered. Can I trust him? she wondered. Can we build something real from the ruins of this arrangement? For the first time, the answers didn’t feel entirely out of reach. --- The next morning, Sophia woke with a sense of purpose. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but she knew one thing: she wouldn’t let herself be defined by this marriage or by Adrian’s decisions. If they were to move forward, it would be on equal footing, with no more secrets between them. As she dressed, she resolved to take control of her role in the household. She wasn’t just Adrian’s wife—she was a force to be reckoned with, and it was time he saw her as such. Sophia descended the staircase with renewed determination, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. For better or worse, she thought, this was only the beginning.