Chapter 110: Bare Your Soul In Penance
ADRIEN’S POV
Alexis doesn’t snap back, roll his eyes, or show even a flicker of irritation. He simply smooths down the front of his neat, dark shirt and rests his forearms against the edge of the table.
His expression is completely calm, his posture relaxed.
"We’re just sitting down to eat breakfast, Adrien," he says softly, his tone as smooth and even as still water. "And I’m just happy to see that you are back safe and sound."
I let out a harsh, bitter laugh, shaking my head as I reach out to grab the handle of my coffee cup again.
"I’m back, sure," I say, taking a slow, hot sip that burns the tip of my tongue. "But I’m not so sure about the safe and sound part of that sentence."
As I lower the mug back to its saucer, my eyes fall onto my left hand. The heavy platinum band wrapped around my ring finger catches the bright morning sunlight, flashing like a silver target against my skin.
Alexis follows my gaze without a word. He stares at the ring for a long moment, a tiny, subtle crease forming between his dark brows.
"Do you really think you are not safe around Orion?" Alexis asks quietly.
His voice isn’t mean, sharp, or patronizing. But that is precisely what makes it crawl under my skin like a swarm of insects.
It feels like a surgeon carefully sliding a thin knife into my flesh just to see which nerve hurts the most.
Niko, sitting on my left, sits up a bit in his chair. He unfolds a white cloth napkin and spreads it neatly over his lap, a small, amused smile pulling at the corners of his sharp lips.
He remains silent for now, but his bright amber eyes track my every move with intense focus.
I turn my head slowly to face Alexis, giving him a look of pure, unadulterated confusion.
"Am I supposed to feel safe at Orion’s side?" I ask, my voice rising a notch. "Are we talking about the same guy here? The lunatic who literally locked me in my room for a full week just because he felt like matching my kidnapping schedule?"
Alexis tilts his head slightly, his dark eyes fixed on my face unblinkingly.
"When you were missing, he did not rest for a single minute," Alexis says softly. "He almost snapped my neck in the car because I wasn’t driving fast enough after the decoy vehicle. He nearly lost his mind trying to track the chip he put in your food weeks ago, and when that signal died, he destroyed his own office with his bare hands."
Well, good for him...I guess?
Alexis leans in slightly, his voice dropping into a quiet, low whisper that feels far too close for comfort.
"He almost burned down half the city trying to find you, Adrien," Alexis continues, searching my eyes for even a single drop of remorse or realization. "When he finally brought you back to this house, he did not leave your bedside for three full days. So yes, I’m asking why you act like he is going to slit your throat in your sleep."
I wave my hand dismissively through the air, scoffing at his pathetic attempt to paint a romantic picture.
"You’re describing a stalker who lost his favorite victim," I snap back, my tone sharpening as I lock eyes with him. "None of that means he cares about my safety. It just proves he’s completely insane. The man locked a tracking chip inside my wedding ring, Alexis. He doesn’t want a husband. He wants to keep me in a velvet cage like his personal pet onahole!"
Alexis stares at me in complete, unyielding silence. He doesn’t even blink. He doesn’t move to defend Orion’s honor.
He just sits there, letting my loud, crude words bounce off the tall marble walls until I sound completely defensive and foolish.
"Adrien," Alexis says softly, striking back with a quiet precision that cuts off the breath in my lungs. "I thought you and Orion have never slept together. If he wanted to treat you like an ’onahole’, wouldn’t he have done it by now?"
I freeze.
The air leaves my chest all at once. My fingers grip my mug so hard that my knuckles turn stark white. My brain grinds to a jarring halt.
My mouth opens slightly to offer a sharp comeback, but not a single sound comes out.
He’s right. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, he is right. Orion has had a hundred different opportunities to take advantage of me while I was weak, hurt, bleeding, or completely unconscious.
Yet he has never touched me like that. He has never forced a single thing between us.
The silence between us grows heavy, thick, and deeply uncomfortable.
And that’s when Niko finally decides to speak.
His voice is cold and flat. It cuts through the quiet room like a dull blade sliding against bone, sending a sharp shiver straight down my spine. Even Alexis stiffens beside me, his calm posture straightening just a fraction.
"Don’t take Orion’s bullshit for granted, puppy," Niko says smoothly.
I turn my head slowly to face him. Niko is leaning back in his chair, his broad arms crossed tightly over his chest. His amber eyes are flat and dangerous, completely stripped of his usual playful humor.
"Orion would never treat anyone else in this world the way he treats you," Niko says, his tone icy enough to freeze the blood in my veins. "He would have put a bullet in anyone else’s head the very second they became a liability to him. So don’t look down on the affection he is showing you just because it freaks you out."
My chest burns with a sudden, hot surge of anger. I clench my fists beneath the tablecloth, squaring my shoulders to meet Niko’s cold, unmoving stare head-on.
"What do you want me to do, Niko?" I ask, my voice harsh and tight. "Should I bow down and worship him on my knees just because he decided not to kill me? It is a fact that he is keeping me on a leash like a dog. And we both know his affection is leaning toward the bedroom anyway."
"You and I know how that is going to end for me once he gets tired of playing house."
Niko stares at me for a long, agonizing moment, his sharp eyes burning into mine until I feel like my skin is going to peel away under his gaze.
Then, without any warning, he bursts out laughing.
It’s a deep, genuine laugh that echoes across the table, instantly shattering the strange tension in the room. He shakes his head, resting his elbows on the wooden table while his broad shoulders shake with genuine amusement.
"Man, Orion is definitely going to have his hands full with you," Niko chuckles, rubbing his jaw with a wide smirk.
He leans closer to my side, his tone turning lighter and almost conversational, though the dangerous edge beneath his words never truly disappears.
"Go easy on the poor lunatic, Adrien," Niko says with a small, knowing smirk. "That guy did not even know he was capable of wanting to have sex with anyone until you showed up in his life...And no, do not ask me how I know that. I just know."
I let out a long, tense breath that I did not realize I was holding, my shoulders dropping a bit as the immediate danger passes.
I shrug, trying my best to act like I don’t give a shit about a single word he just said.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I reply plainly, reaching up to rub the back of my neck with a sigh. "But if you want me to go easy on Orion, tell him to go easy on me first."
My eyes fall back down to my left hand. The heavy platinum ring feels colder now, weighing my finger down like a block of iron.
Niko snaps his fingers once, signaling to Alexis that their little performance is over. Both of them push their heavy chairs back and stand up together in effortless harmony. Alexis gives me a small, polite nod of his head before turning toward the exit.
Niko steps away from the marble table, following close behind Alexis. But right as he reaches the doorway, he stops in his tracks. He turns his body back toward me, taking his time.
The smirk is completely gone from his face. His amber eyes are flat. When he speaks, his voice is so plain and so eerily calm that I know it will haunt my dreams for weeks to come.
"When he tells you what he really wants, Adrien," Niko says softly, his words cutting through the large room. "Not if, but when Orion tells you what he really wants and how he actually feels..."
Niko steps closer, his tall shadow falling directly over my plate and obscuring the morning light.
"You had better come clean," Niko warns quietly. "For your own good."
