Chapter 113

Maya’s POV

The first words I managed to choke out were, “I’m sorry.”

He looked at me, eyes solemn, and replied with a small, ironic smile, “I never told you.”

“I never knew,” I said, shaking my head, as though that explained everything.

Adrian leaned back slightly, studying me. “My only goal, from the start, was to help my mother. But living with him changed everything. Especially after I found Tara—and especially after I found you.”

He paused. His gaze met mine for a heartbeat before I broke away, suddenly aware of Elias watching us both, his stare hot enough to burn.

Adrian took a breath and pressed on. “I had wrongs to right, people I had to protect from him. I needed his trust so I could take everything from him without him noticing. I thought I wa