Chapter 15 - ADRIAN’S CONFESSIONAdrian requested to speak with me.
My attorney advised against it.
Sergeant Ruiz suggested we record the conversation.
I agreed because I wanted one answer.
Had any part of our marriage been real?
Adrian entered the secure interview room wearing jail clothing.
The arrogance I once mistook for confidence had disappeared.
He sat across from me.
“You look different,” he said.
“I no longer believe you.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I never meant to hurt you that badly.”
“You meant to hurt me enough.”
“My father said you would never sign unless you were afraid.”
“And you obeyed.”
“I thought the condo would save the vineyard.”
“You knew they planned to put me in a clinic.”
“My mother said it would only be for a few weeks.”
“She said once the loan closed, you could come home.”
“Without my condo.”
“You had other property.”
The answer exposed everything.
To Adrian, my home had always been an available resource.
Something I could lose because I owned something else.
“Did you marry me because of the condo?”
He hesitated.
“My father introduced us.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“He showed me your financial report before our first date.”
My chest tightened.
“Did you love me?”
“Yes.”
“Before or after you calculated my property value?”
“I didn’t plan to fall in love with you.”
“But you still planned to use me.”
“I thought both things could be true.”
He believed that was an explanation.
It was only another confession.
“What happened to Claire?”
“I moved the car.”
“Did you know she was alive?”
“My father said Dr. Pierce had stabilized her.”
“Did you see her inside the truck?”
Adrian looked away.
“Yes.”
“Did she move?”
“Yes.”
“Did you call for help?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I was afraid of my father.”
I leaned forward.
“Claire was afraid too.”
“Then Hannah was afraid.”
“Maya was afraid.”
“I was afraid.”
“Your fear always mattered more than ours.”
Adrian began crying.
It was the first time I had seen him cry.
Once, that might have broken me.
Now I understood tears did not erase decisions.
He admitted driving Claire’s duplicate car to the ravine.
He admitted helping Robert clean the original vehicle.
He admitted knowing the physician planned to sedate me after the dinner.
He also admitted firing at my condo.
“I only wanted the recorder,” he said.
“A bullet does not know what you only wanted.”
When I stood to leave, Adrian called my name.
“I did love you.”
I stopped at the door.
“No.”
“You loved what I could give you.”
May you like
“And when I said no, you showed me what remained.”
I left my wedding ring on the table.
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