Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Sweet Messages, Dark Intention

Adrian signed for the delivery and took the flowers from the man before heading back inside. He carried the bouquet and the small gift bag into his office, then noticed a note tucked neatly between the flowers.

Curious, he pulled out the small card and flipped it over, but there was no name written on it.

Just a short message.

I love you, and I care so much about you.

A soft smile tugged at his lips, instantly wondering if his boyfriend was being sentimental. He pulled out his phone and dialed Matteo’s number to check.

"Baby," Adrian said when the line picked up. "I got the package you sent to my studio just now."

"A package?" Matteo repeated, sounding genuinely confused on the other end. "I didn’t send anything. Why?"

Adrian stared at the mysterious, beautiful flowers, the smile fading from his face as a sudden wave of curiosity, and slight unease, settled in his chest.

"Nothing, baby," Adrian said, trying to smooth his tone so Matteo wouldn’t catch on to his worry. "Maybe it was just a wrong package delivered to the wrong office."

"Alright. Let me know if it’s something else," Matteo said, before they exchanged quick goodbyes and hung up.

After the call ended, Adrian stared down at the card. His mind immediately began to race. Kelly had completely stopped texting him. He hadn’t called, sent a single message, or tried to bother him throughout the entire weekend. Under normal circumstances, Adrian would have instantly thought the mystery bouquet was from him, but with Kelly suddenly going completely radio silent, it just didn’t make sense.

If it wasn’t Matteo, and it wasn’t Kelly... who the hell could it be?

Trying to shake off the strange creeping dread, Adrian forced the thought aside and pulled his laptop toward him. He needed to focus on work.

Not long after, a light knock came at the door, and Kate stepped inside his office. She held a tablet in her hand, looking up at him with a professional smile. "Hey, Adrian. I just came to confirm what day we are scheduled to meet with the new client. They actually just called the front desk to double-check if we are still on for the project."

Adrian nodded, shifting his mind into work mode. "Tell the client that I will be there on Wednesday. Have them send over the exact address and the final details on how to get to the location."

"Alright, I will get on it immediately," Kate said with a nod, turning on her heel to head back out to the reception area.

But the moment the door clicked shut behind Kate, the quiet room suddenly felt incredibly heavy. Adrian sat still, an intense, nagging feeling washing over him that something was deeply wrong somewhere, he just couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was.

With a tight frown, he picked up the nameless bouquet, moved it completely off his desk, and set it aside in the corner, trying his best to ignore the lingering scent of the flowers.

Adrian didn’t go back to Matteo’s house that night. Because of the workload waiting for him throughout the week, it was much easier for him to stay at his own place so he could focus without any distractions. Still, he and Matteo kept in constant contact, calling and texting each other from time to time.

On Tuesday, Adrian was buried in work the entire day. By nightfall, Matteo came to pick him up, and they went out for a quiet, intimate dinner to catch up.

Afterward, Adrian returned home while Matteo headed back to his own place.

On Wednesday morning, the day of the big meeting finally arrived. Adrian and Kate left the studio together, navigating toward the address the client had sent over.

When they pulled up to the location, Adrian wasn’t surprised to see how massive the estate was. The house was absolutely grand, the kind of sprawling luxury that usually came with the high-profile clients they dealt with.

As they walked through the front doors, they were greeted by the client’s personal assistant. The assistant looked at Kate politely, but his tone was firm. "Please stay back in the waiting area. Since the client is a businessman who values absolute privacy, he prefers to meet with Adrian alone."

It wasn’t the first time a male client had made a demand like that, so Adrian didn’t think twice about it. He turned to Kate, giving her a reassuring nod to stay downstairs.

"It’s fine, Kate. Wait for me here," Adrian said.

Adrian then followed the assistant toward the elevator. They rode it up to the private floor in silence. When the doors slid open, the assistant led him down the hallway and gestured toward a pair of double doors at the end.

Adrian walked up to the entrance, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. He stepped inside the lavish room, letting the door click firmly shut behind him.

A man was standing near the expansive windows, his back turned entirely to Adrian.

"Good morning," Adrian greeted professionally, stepping forward with his portfolio. "I’m Adrian Grayson from the studio."

The moment the client slowly turned around to face him, the greeting died instantly in Adrian’s throat. A wave of absolute shock crashed over him, freezing him right in his tracks.

The person standing there was not a stranger. It was Kelly.

Adrian completely froze. His heart pounded violently against his chest as he stood there, unable to take a single step forward or utter a single syllable. The silence in the room became suffocating.

When he finally managed to find his voice, it was nothing more than a breathless whisper. "It’s you."

Kelly offered a slow, chilling smile, his eyes dark with obsession. "Yes, it’s me, sweetheart."

Panic instantly flared in Adrian’s chest. Without a word, he immediately spun on his heel, reaching out to grab the doorknob to flee the room.

But before his fingers could even touch the metal, Kelly’s calm, mocking voice echoed from behind him. "Don’t bother. The door is locked, and you can only leave this room if I allow you to leave."

Adrian didn’t listen. Refusing to let fear paralyze him, he grabbed the handle and rattled it with all his strength, pulling and pushing against the heavy wood. But it was of no use. The electronic lock was fully engaged; the door was truly, completely locked from the outside.

Kelly chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down Adrian’s spine as he slowly walked closer. "I know how stubborn you are, Adrian. But that door won’t be opening until I finally get exactly what I want."

Adrian stopped rattling the handle. He turned around slowly to face him, the panic in his chest hardening into pure, icy rage. There was no fear left in his eyes as he looked Kelly dead in the face.

"What the fuck do you want from me?!" Adrian shouted, his voice slamming against the walls of the lavish room.

"Wow, Adrian," Kelly said, shaking his head with a chillingly calm smile. "Don’t yell at me in my own house."

Adrian looked at him...