Forever Enemies

Chapter 12

Maxine

It was extremely cold. Through out the night I sneeked to the bathroom to change my tampon. Silver eventually joined me on the couch and cuddled with me under the blanket. I was relieved to find out that Adrian wasn't one of those men who snored. 

The following morning I woke up in a empty room. I must've fallen asleep at some point. I groaned not wanting to get up yet, so instead I laid there for a couple more minutes. 

I pulled my bag onto the couch and unzipped it, luckily my gun was still where I left it. I searched through the bag looking for something warm to wear. I found a tight but nothing to cover up my lower half. I could steal a hoodie from Adrian's closet? "He wouldn't mind. I'm his wife after all." I whispered to myself. Closing the bag, I went and pulled open his closet. 

All I could see were massive coats and suits hanging all over the place. I moved them all to the side finding a black hoodie. Black. Why am I not surprised, that's the only colour he wears. I pulled out the hoodie when something falls out and onto the floor. 

It was an old photo, a woman and a young boy. I bent down, bringing it to my face. The woman had long blonde hair and the boy she was holding looked a lot like Adrain. Is this his mother..., it could also have been his brother since they look so much alike. I put it back, closing the closet and quickly got dressed in the bathroom. 

I grabbed a pair of boots before leaving the room and made my way down towards the kitchen. As I passed a window, I looked outside, it was snowing. That explain why it was so cold last night. When I entered the kitchen I saw Vanessa standing at the counter. Her hair was perfectly curled to the end of her shoulders and she wore a white coat with a light brown scarf. I wasn't in the mood to talk to her so I decided to leave. But as I turned around to leave Hanna called out to me. 

"Mrs. Night breakfast is done." my gaze went to hers and then to Vannesa. Hanna handed me a plate with toast and a cup of coffee. "Thank you." I whispered and Hanna gave me a big smile. Without giving Vanessa another look I walked out and went to sit down in the living room. Hanna followed me. I'm sorry for not bringing it up today." she frowned. "Don't worry about it."

Vanessa entered the living room and Hanna gave me a slight nod before leaving the two of us. She sat down, not saying a word. "Where's Adrain?" I asked eating my toast. "Both of them are in the meeting room." I nodded and continued my breakfast. 

"About last night. I didn't mean to interrupt your...privacy." she started off. "I was just worried that he was having one of his flare ups again."

I stopped eating and finally made eye contact with her. Flare ups? What is the woman mumbling about? I take a sip of my coffee ignoring her. I was already irritated because I barely had any sleep last night and her talking to me makes it worse. "You know about his condition right?" she asked and raised her eyebrow, watching me.

"Condition?" I repeated. "He didn't tell you. Did he?" she grinned. "Do you even know why he wears gloves?"

"Should I?" I asked. It was simple, I didn't care and that's why I didn't bother to ask him. She scoffed "He has a skin condition. When he touches or uses certain chemicals his skin turns red and gets inflamed. Even if he didn't tell you. You should've noticed it by now." she said proudly. 

I stared at with wide eyes. Is she lying? I watched her body language from the corner of my eyes, even if she wasn't. She shouldn't be so proud knowing something about Adrian that I didn't. 

She chuckled and stood up making her way out of the living room. "He doesn't love you. But he will always love me." she smiled. 

"Okay?" I replied, looking unbothered as I finished my coffee. She folded her arms over her chest, glaring at me for a few seconds before she finally let me be. 

"Is she gone?" Hanna peeked through the door frame. I nodded and she walked towards the couch I was sitting on. "Hanna could you go give Silver food and fill her water?"

"Silver?" she tilted her head before her face lit up with realisation. "Of course. Let me just take this to the dishwasher first." She picked up my plate and cup and carried it to the kitchen. 

I took the stairs, running into Damon who came storming down the stairs. I avoided his gaze, keeping my head down until he was out of sight. I stood at the top of the stairs looking around. Vanessa mentioned that they were in the meeting room. But I didn't know where that was.

I approached a guard and he pointed me in the right direction. I walked into the meeting room and found Adrian seated at the end of the table, already glaring at me. "What do you want?" he asked, annoyed. 

I kept walking and turned my head to look around. Now standing in front of him, I see  gloves covering his hands again. Reminding me about what Vanessa said in the living room. 

His eyes focused on my upper body, his eyes narrowing. It seems he recognises his hoodie. I smirked down at him. "It fits me perfectly." I teased. "You were going through my stuff." he sighed, rubbing his forehead. I sat down on a chair, crossing my arms. "I've been here for more than a week and yet, you've barely used me to plot revenge against my father. Wasn't that the agreement?" I frowned. 

His eyes bore into mine and he laid back. "I had matters to attend to. But now that you're here." Adrain grabbed a laptop and moved it in front of me. "I need you to log into Shield Views files and don't tell me you can't." he face went cold. "Here is your phone if you need to call anyone. I will stay here until you're finished, no matter how long it takes."

I glared at him as I opened the laptop. My mind goes back to the photo that fell out of his closet. "Didn't your mother teach you to respect women?" My tone came out harsh.

He exhaled and swallowed painfully, closing his eyes. "Maybe she could've. That's if she was alive to do so." he said coldly and turned away from me, scrolling through his phone. I sighed and turned my focus on the task. 

2 hours later, I'm logged in to my father's company data. After needing to call an old friend of mine and who I now have to repay somehow, someday. 

A friend... Can I even call a man I slept with an old friend or was it something more. 

I turned the screen towards Adrain who hasn't said anything to me since our last "conversation". He pulled the laptop towards him and started going through the files. Me being curious, I moved and shifted my chair closer to his which he didn't seem to mind. He... smelled kinda nice. 

He was now going through camera footage from 17 years ago and quickly grabbed a paper writing down two dates. 

"I need you to find out who worked in between these two dates and who the person was in charge at that time." he looked at me, a hint of pain reflecting in his eyes before it quickly disappeared, as if it was never there. 

"I'll do it later. My head hurts." I said and rested my hands on top of my abdomen. The cold was worsening my cramps and so did the chair.

"Adrain?" Vanessa's voice came from the door. Not again.

Her eyes landed on me and her smiled faded when she saw how close I was sitting next to Adrain.

"Can I talk to you." she looked towards Adrain.

I grabbed my phone from the table and slid out of the chair. Adrian's fingers wrapped around my arm, holding me back. "Stay." he ordered, his dark hair falling over his face. "If you have anything to say. Say it in front of my wife."

I pulled myself out of his grasp and he looked disappointed. "It's fine. I have to go anyway."