Chapter 100
ADRIAN’S POV
The sound of the toilet flushing echoed through the quiet room as I stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped over my shoulders and a few beads of water still trailing down my arms. My eyes scanned the lit space, briefly pausing on the large mirror mounted on the wall. I looked tired— no, exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally. Work had been hell today, but not because of meetings or deals falling through. My mind hadn’t been in the right place all day.
No matter how many papers I signed or how many assistants came in to brief me, it stayed at the forefront of my thoughts. It all started this morning. A nagging feeling I couldn’t quite explain, but one I wasn’t going to let fester any longer. I had to get something off my chest. Today.
I walked over to the wardrobe and stared at the rows of arranged clothing–custom–tailored suits, luxury dress shirts, designer sweaters, all aligned like soldiers on parade. Normally, I wouldn’t give it much thought, as she would have already gotten me an outfit whenever we had somewhere important to go. But she wasn’t here to do that now, and I found myself stuck between dressing up or keeping it simple; picking your own clothing was very hard
Casual or sharp?
I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. The minute hand was creeping dangerously close to the time I’d given Olivia to be back. One hour. That’s all I’d given her. And she knew better than to keep me waiting.
I bit my lower lip, still thinking. A black trench coat caught my eye–elegant but not too flashy. I grabbed it along with a plain black hoodie and a pair of fitted jeans. Simple, but it made a statement. That was all I needed tonight.
Once dressed, I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my collar and smoothing out the coat. My reflection looked collected, but inside, my mind was rehearsing every word I planned to say to her. This wasn’t going to be just another cold conversation. Tonight was different.
Then I heard it–the soft murmur of a female voice downstairs. The front door clicked shut, followed by the familiar voice of the maid greeting Olivia. My pulse spiked a little. Right on time. Good.
Her footsteps echoed against the marble as she made her way upstairs. I could tell by the cadence of her steps that she was in no mood for nonsense. She stopped at the door for a brief second, and then it swung open.
I glanced at her through the mirror, only for a moment, before I refocused on adjusting my watch.
“Good thing you came on time,” I said, my voice calm but clipped. “At least you remember I hate being kept waiting.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she crossed her arms. “Well, I’m here now. So what was so important that it couldn’t wait until I
got
back?”
Instead of answering, I turned away and walked toward the wardrobe. I reached inside and pulled out one of her coats–a sleek gray one she’d worn only once–and tossed it to her.
“We’re going out,” I said without turning.
“To where exactly?” she asked, her tone growing firmer as she caught the coat mid–air.
“I’ll let you know on our way there.”
She didn’t move. “I’m not leaving until you tell me where we’re going.”
I rolled my eyes. Couldn’t she just agree with me for once? Why must she always go against everything I say? It’s like she takes pride in challenging me at every turn, even when there’s no need to.
Fine. I might as well tell her since she’s so desperate to know.
With a sigh, I turned and walked closer to her, closing the space between us. My eyes locked onto hers as I stepped in, watching the way her expression subtly shifted. She adjusted, straightening her posture the moment she realized how close I was standing. The air between us shifted- thick, awkward, tense, but not in a hostile way. I knew she could feel it too.
“When was the last time you went to the cinema?” I asked, tilting my head slightly as I studied her reaction.
She cleared her throat and took a small step back. Just that one hesitant motion told me everything I needed to know. It had clearly been a long time.
“I, uhmm..” she stammered, rubbing the back of her neck and avoiding my gaze.
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I folded my arms. “So, all this time you’ve been going out, where exactly have you been going? I mean, I at least assured you’d be doing something fun, like going to the movies–especially since you don’t have any friends.” I said the last part with a teasing tone, raising my brow.
Her head snapped up, and she shot me a glare. “Wherever I’ve been going is a hundred times better than spending a whole day trapped in this 1/2
Chapter 100
house with you,” she snapped back.
I chuckled under my breath, amused by her fire. “Am I really that annoying to you?” I asked, layering my voice with sarcastic disbelief.
She took a bold step forward, going on her toes just to try and match my height. “Very annoying,” she said with narrowed eyes, her voice sharp.
“Well, that’s too bad for you,” I whispered, leaning down slightly so my lips were near her ear. “Because you’re going to be spending the entire day with me.”
Her brows lifted. “That has to be one of your jokes, right?” she asked, clearly hoping it was.
“Do I look like I’m joking? I’m already dressed up,” I said, gesturing to my black trench coat and hoodie. “You think I did all this just for fun?”
She opened her mouth to protest–of course, she did. I could practically hear the argument forming in her head. But before she could even say a word, I raised my index finger and gently pressed it to her lips. “Shhhhh,” I murmured.
She blinked, caught off guard.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the car,” I added, stepping away without another glance. My voice was final. Whether she liked it or not, she was coming with me.
As I made my way out of the house, a strange feeling washed over me. This wasn’t just about getting out of the house. No. This had been on my mind all day–this one idea I couldn’t shake. I wanted to take Olivia out. Not for any reason tied to power or control, but simply because… I wanted
- to.
The car door closed with a quiet thud as I slid into the back seat. I leaned back, running a hand through my hair while my thoughts swirled. Guess like I was doing something even I wouldn’t believe I’ll do.
This was the first time I was taking her out since we met, and it wasn’t a bad idea, as I don’t see her with so much hatred as I used to before.
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