Elena didn't flinch at the sound of Adrian's voice. Instead, she slowly turned, a triumphant smirk playing on her red lips. "Adrian Reyes," she purred, though her eyes remained chips of ice. "Right on time to defend your latest investment."
"Leave. Now," Adrian's voice would have normally sent people running for the hills.
Elena scoffed, stepping toward him with a boldness that suggested she held more cards than I realized. "You think you can just discard me? You fiddled me around for years, Adrian. Promising me marriage, promising our families a union that made sense."
My stomach did a slow, nauseating flip. I looked at Adrian, my heart hammering. Promised her marriage? He had made it sound like she was just a persistent socialite.
"Only to turn around," Elena continued, her voice rising in a screech of indignity, "and marry this.…..bitch."
Bitch?
Did she just call me a bitch?
Adrian's entire frame stiffened, his posture transitioning from cold CEO to a wild and feral one. He took a single step into the room, his shadow looming over her.
"What did you just call her?" he asked. The quietness of his voice was infinitely more terrifying than a shout.
Elena blinked, her confidence wavering for the first time. "I—"
"If you ever speak to my wife in that tone again," Adrian whispered, leaning into her space, "I will ensure that your family's holdings are liquidated before the market closes. I don't care about our history, Elena. I care about the fact that you are currently trespassing in a place you no longer belong. Get out before I have security drag you through the lobby."
Elena's face went pale, then a mottled purple. She snatched her designer bag from my desk and marched to the door. She paused at the threshold, looking back at us with a venomous smile. "I'm going to ruin your fucking marriage, Adrian. Watch me."
She disappeared into the hallway, her heels clicking like gunfire.
Adrian let out a long, ragged sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked at Maya and Sarah, who were currently trying to merge with the office wallpaper. "Leave us," he commanded.
They scrambled out without a second word.
Adrian turned to me, his expression softening just a fraction. "Are you alright?"
"You strung her along?" I asked, my voice trembling. The professional "Junior Consultant" mask was long gone. "You promised her a life when you knew you would never give it to her?"
"Alex no...she... she's from an old money family, too," he said, stepping closer, his hands reaching out but stopping short of touching me. "She wanted me since the day she met me. I told her years ago I couldn't marry her, but she insisted on staying close, thinking she could change my mind. I never promised her a ring."
I frowned, the logic feeling slippery. "And the secrets? What secrets was she talking about, Adrian? What are you hiding from me?"
He stiffened, his jaw locking tight. "Nothing, Alex. She's grasping at straws to destabilize you." He took another step, his eyes searching mine. "Are you truly fine?"
I turned my face away, staring out at the Hollywood sign. "Please bring back Maya and Sarah. After all, you're just my CEO, and CEOs don't usually care this much about the emotional well-being of their employees."
His face hardened, the flicker of warmth extinguished. "Very well."
He walked out, and moments later, Maya and Sarah peered around the doorframe like startled kittens. "Is.….is the storm over?" Maya whispered.
"Yeah," I sighed, sitting back down. "The storm is over."
"Wait," Sarah said, her eyes wide as she processed the last ten minutes. "You're married to the boss? Like.….for real?"
I shot up a brow. "Do you two not watch the news? Or follow celebrity stuff?"
They both shook their heads in unison. "We just work and sleep, honestly," Maya admitted.
I let out a tired laugh. "Yeah. I'm married to him."
Maya stared at me for three seconds, her eyes rolling back into her head as she took a slow, dramatic dive onto the office sofa.
"Great," I muttered. "Maya fainted."
~
By the time 6:00 PM rolled around, I was done. My brain felt like mush, and the cold shoulder I was giving Adrian as we walked to the Maybach was icy enough to cause a localized blizzard.
I sat in the back of the car, staring pointedly out the window as we pulled away from the curb.
"We are no longer at work, Alex," Adrian said after ten minutes of silence.
"I am aware."
He sighed, a sound of pure frustration. He leaned forward and tapped the glass partition. "Richard, stop at Sugar & Spice on the way back."
I turned around, my brows furrowing. "Sugar & Spice? That's miles out of the way."
"I know," Adrian said, looking at me. "But they have the specific brand of organic gummy bears you used to steal from my stash when we were fifteen."
I froze, my mind flooding with memories. "You still remember I like gummy bears?"
He leaned back, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Of course I do. You practically poisoned me with them. I think I still have a cavity from that one summer."
A chuckle escaped my lips before I could hold it back. I quickly bit my lip to stop it, but the tension in the car had already evaporated. He's getting gummy bears for me. Yay!
~
When we walked into the store, the smell of sugar and nostalgia hit me. I acted like a total child, darting between the aisles of glass jars. I found the gummy bears, bright, translucent little jewels.
"This pack?" Adrian asked, reaching for a bag.
"No," I said, grabbing three. "Three packs. It was a long day."
He smiled warmly at me and paid for them without a word. As soon as we were back in the car, I tore one open and started munching happily, the tart sweetness soothing my frayed nerves.
"So," he said softly. "How was your first day?"
I stopped chewing. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Is it because of Elena?"
I said nothing, focusing very hard on a green gummy bear. "What secrets are you hiding, Adrian? If she has something to use against you, I need to know. I'm part of this now."
Adrian groaned, leaning his head back against the leather seat. "She's just trying to get you to not trust me, Alex. It's her only move. She wants you to walk away so the contract fails."
"How do I know that for certain?"
He sighed, turning his head to look at me. "Alex, you have to. Please. Just trust me on this."
I looked at him, my head and my heart warring. "Fine," I whispered.
He nodded. "Okay. That's good." He checked his watch, his expression shifting back to business. "I'll be out tonight."
I stopped mid-chew, confused. "Out? Where?"
"Work," he said vaguely. "A late-night meeting with some overseas investors. It couldn't be moved."
"I see. Very well then."
When we arrived at the estate, the sun had set, leaving the grounds draped in shadows. Adrian stepped out of the car but didn't follow me toward the front door.
"I'll leave now," he said.
"Hmm. Very well then."
I turned to go inside, but to my utter shock, Adrian reached out, his hand catching my arm. He pulled me in close, not for a heated kiss, but for a soft, lingering press of his lips against my forehead.
"What was that for?" I breathed, my heart fluttering again.
"For the staff," he said, his voice a low murmur. "Image is everything."
"Hmm."
"Hmm."
He stepped back, a strange look in his eyes, before getting back into the Maybach. He gave me a short wave as Richard pulled the car down the drive, leaving me standing on the porch with three bags of gummy bears and a feeling that something was very, very wrong.