Chapter 2Shattered Hearts And Second Chances

I learned later that Adrian had been away on business for months. At twenty-one, he was already the "Golden Boy" of the corporate world, managing his family’s private equity firm with a ruthlessness that belied his gentle smile.

When he returned and found out his parents had essentially "adopted" a teenager and left her to rot in a silent mansion, he was furious. He had driven over immediately to check on me, arriving just in time to see Roman’s bullying.

"Next time that happens," Adrian said as he drove me back to the estate, his hands relaxed on the steering wheel, "don't hesitate. Hit back."

I opened my mouth to explain why I couldn't, but the words died in my throat. I just looked down at my lap.

Suddenly, I felt a warmth on my head. Adrian was ruffling my hair, his touch light and comforting.

"Don't be afraid, Sienna," he said softly. "Whatever happens, I’m behind you. I’ve got your back."

Those words hit me like a physical force. They lodged themselves deep in my chest, right next to my heart. I looked up and saw him smiling—not the polite, cold smile he gave the press, but something genuine. Something that made me feel safe for the first time since my mother died.

"Okay," I whispered.

From that day on, Adrian became my guardian in every sense of the word.

He showed up for my parent-teacher conferences. He hired tutors when I struggled with Calculus. He took me shopping for winter coats and made sure the house was stocked with the things I liked. When I got my first period and was too terrified to tell the housekeeper, it was Adrian who walked into my room with a box of supplies and a heating pad, his face slightly flushed but his voice steady as he explained what to do.

He was there for every milestone. He was the sun my world orbited around.

So, falling in love with him wasn't a choice; it was an inevitability.

The summer after my junior year of college, I turned twenty-one.

The party was held at the estate, a lavish affair Adrian had spent weeks planning. The night was humid and sweet, the moon a perfect ivory sliver reflecting in the turquoise water of the pool. Confetti and discarded champagne flutes littered the deck after the guests had drifted away.

I was buzzing with a mix of adrenaline and expensive gin. I looked at Adrian, who was leaning against the pool railing, looking effortlessly handsome in a loosened silk tie.

"Adrian," I whispered, stepping into his space.

He looked at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. I reached up, my heart hammering against my ribs, and kissed his cheek.

He stiffened, his eyes flying open in shock.

"Adrian... I love you. I’ve loved you for so long."

My confession was clumsy, a mess of girlish hope and terrifying vulnerability.

But Adrian didn't pull me closer. He reached up and slowly, firmly, unhooked my hands from his neck.

"Sienna," he sighed, and the sound felt like a death knell. "I’m eight years older than you. You’re just starting your life. I can’t do that to you. I shouldn't."

My heart shattered into a thousand jagged pieces. I tried to swallow the sob rising in my throat, tried to keep some shred of dignity, but the tears came anyway.

"Do you... do you even like me? At all?"

Adrian turned his face away, unable to meet my gaze. His voice was strained, hollow. "Sienna, I’ve always seen you as family. As a sister. I care about you, but not like that."

The message was loud and clear.

The next morning, I packed my bags and moved into a cramped dorm on campus.

"I’m grateful for everything the Beaumonts have done for me," I told him, standing by the front door with my suitcase. I didn't look at his face. "When I graduate, I’ll find a way to pay it back."

I walked out without waiting for a reply.

I cried the entire way to campus. But as I was hauling my boxes into my room, my phone rang. It was Adrian.

His voice was broken. He was crying.

"Sienna, I’m sorry. Please... don't leave me. I love you too. I’m a coward, but I love you. Let's try. Let's just try."

In that moment, the sun broke through the clouds of my miserable little world. I thought I had won.