Chapter 6

• Chapter 6: The Gathering
• Adrian POV
• A guest was indicated by the faint ringing of the bell above the gallery entrance. With the brush in my hand floating in space, I looked up from the canvas I had been working on. The streets outside were illuminated by the gentle light of an early winter day, and the gallery was peaceful at this time of day.
• I blurted out, "Welcome to Ashborne Art Studio," as I dabbed a little scarlet into the corner of the picture.
• I turned, wiping a stray curl from my cheek when no response was received. I froze when I saw the guy standing in the center of the room.
• Adrian.
• He clutched one of my paintings, a little canvas I had finished months before that showed a river near Ashborne with wildflowers blooming along it. His spotless shoes and fitted charcoal suit contrasted sharply with the gallery's rustic appeal, making it appear out of place in his hands.
• "Adrian," I said in a scarcely audible whisper.
• Then his piercing gray eyes met mine as he glanced up. It was obvious that a storm was building within them.
• "You've been busy," he replied in a quiet, restrained tone.
• I put down the brush and wiped my hands on my apron, trembling. "How did you come across me?"
• A sardonic smirk twisted his lips. "Did you truly believe that I wouldn't?" With a tone of icy enjoyment, he pointed around the gallery. Elena, you signed your work. If you want to remain incognito, this isn't exactly the ideal course of action.
• My heart fell. I had taken precautions, such as changing my identity and avoiding attention, but it had not been sufficient.
• With more defensiveness in my voice than I meant, I responded, "I didn't think you'd care to look."
• His face became serious. "Not giving a fuck? You vanished silently, and now I discover that you have been here the whole time, portraying the loving mother and painting landscapes.
• The anger in his tone made me wince. "I had my justifications."
• "Why?" He moved in closer, carefully setting the picture on a neighboring table. Elena, you denied me access to my daughter. three years.
• His words struck deep and cracked through the air like a whip.
• "I didn't—" He cut me off before I could finish.
• His voice rose as he said, "Don't lie to me." "I am aware of Lily. Since the evening I arrived in Ashborne, I have known. However, you denied me the opportunity to be her father. For me, you made that choice.
• I was stunned by the unadulterated intensity in his voice. Adrian, who was normally so calm, was falling apart in front of me.
• With my throat constricted, I said, "I felt like I was doing the right thing."
• "What's right?" He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled bitterly. "And how did you get the authority to make that decision?"
• "Because I felt afraid!" I yelled, before I could stop the words from spilling out. "Adrian, I had no idea what you would do. I couldn't raise a kid in your environment or the contract.
• He just gazed at me for a minute, his face inscrutable. Then he backed off, his voice falling to a perilous silence.
• "You ran, then," he replied. And you robbed me of three years in the process. Are you familiar with the sensation of that?
• My eyes pinched with tears as his words struck me like a kick to the belly.
• "I apologize," I murmured, my voice shaking. Adrian, I didn't want to cause you any harm. I just I was unsure about how to remain.
• "So why didn't you give us a call?" He made a demand. "What kept you from telling me? I could have—
• His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he halted.
• "What could you have?" I raised my voice and asked. "You raised her with your coldness and rules? Adrian, she's not a business transaction. She is a little child in need of affection, not agreements and terms.
• His jaw tensed, and I briefly believed I had overreached myself. His look changed, however, from wrath to something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
• In a quiet, almost beseeching voice, he continued, "I'm not the man you think I am." "I never had the opportunity to show you that because of you."
• The weight of his words hung between us, and the room grew quiet.
• The gallery door opened and Lily's voice filled the room before I could reply.
• "Look what I—" said Mom.
• She paused in the middle of her statement and looked at Adrian.
• The world seemed to pause for a time.
• I hurriedly exclaimed, "Lily," and moved to approach her, but she had already started to move.
• She cocked her head, examining him with the inquisitive naivete that only a kid could possess. "Who are you?"
• Adrian lowered himself, and I saw a change in his look that I had never seen before. "I'm... your mommy's friend," he added in a soft voice.
• Lily smiled. "Are you also fond of paintings?"
• Adrian gave me a quick look before responding. "Yes, I do."
• She held out a crumpled piece of paper and stated, "Mommy is the best painter." "Look, I made her this!"
• She gave him the sketch, a vibrant jumble of forms and squiggles that somewhat resembled a tree and a home.
• Adrian handled it with care, as if it were a valuable item. "It's lovely, Lily."
• She turned to face me as her grin grew. "Mommy, can he stay for dinner?"
• My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
• Adrian got up and looked over Lily's head at me. “Your mother will decide that.”
• We could feel the tension between us, an unsaid struggle of wills.
• Finally, in a tense voice, I whispered, "Go wash your hands, Lily."
• Happily oblivious to the impending rain, she nodded and skipped into the rear room.
• Adrian turned to me, his face blank, as soon as she was out of hearing. "She's not sure, is she?"
• "No," I said, hardly raising my voice above a whisper.
• "Why?"
• My words came out quickly as I added, "Because I didn't want her to feel abandoned if you didn't want to be part of her life."
• I couldn't quite pinpoint the fury, pain, and something deeper that flashed in Adrian's eyes.
• His voice was forceful as he said, "I will always want to be part of her life." "However, it's obvious that you don't trust me."
• I responded, "It's not about trust," but it sounded vacuous.
• "Isn't it?" he said. "You didn't believe that I would love and care for her. And now you've left me catching up on a life that I ought to have been a part of from the beginning.
• I couldn't dispute that.
• I started to say, "Adrian," but he interrupted.
• With a steely voice, he said, "I'm not going anywhere, Elena." "This time, no."
• Lily returned with clean hands before I could answer.
• "Dinner time!" she said, her face beaming with anticipation.
• Adrian gave her a grin, but his eyes were filled with silent resolve as he turned to face me.
• I realized then that this was far from done.