Chapter 2 - The Last Option

‎In a large office, the soft tapping of a laptop filled the room, mixed with the low hum of the air conditioner. The air smelled faintly of coffee and fresh paper, the scent of long work hours and unfinished reports.

‎Behind the desk, Adrian Vale paused mid-keystroke, his eyes narrowing at the message on the screen. Something about it made the silence in the office feel heavier than before.

‎A sudden knock broke the quiet rhythm in the office. Adrian's finger paused above the keyboard as the door slowly opened. His lawyer and best friend, Daniel Cross, stepped inside, his expression calm, raising take-out bags in his hands with a knowing smile.

‎I brought you lunch or should I say breakfast? I'm sure you only had cups of coffee since morning," he said, staring at the cup on the table and the bin filled with disposed cups.

‎"You shouldn't skip breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day," he added dropping the bags on the table at the other side of the office while lounging on the couch.

‎"You are a lawyer not a doctor. Did you happen to change professions without telling me?" Adrian replied joining his friend to sit on the opposite couch.

‎"I'm a good friend, you'll never find anyone like me so take my words seriously," Daniel mumbled with burger in his mouth.

‎"Important meal my foot, does burger look healthy to you?" Adrian asked opening the second bag to take out his own burger.

‎"Junk food still has food at the back of it, so... It's still food," he replied nonchalantly.

‎"Whatever," Adrian said munching on his burger.

‎"Yeah, I almost forgot. Did you hear about Rivera Corporation?" Daniel asked.

‎Adrian stared at the burger in his hands but didn't take another bite. Rivera Corporation. The name stirred something faint and distant in his mind, like a memory trying to rise from deep water but never quite reaching the surface.

‎Daniel continued. "They are in a total mess. I heard they have 30 days to pay back the loan they took to launch their new product..." he kept talking nonstop.

‎Adrian wasn't even listening to him anymore. He had seen the news earlier on his laptop. The top is a dangerous and powerful place to be, and once you are there, make sure you don't go back down.

‎"Are you listening to me?" Daniel caught him off his thoughts. 

‎"Yeah, I heard. I saw it's on the news earlier." Adrian said.

‎Daniel nodded in understanding.

‎Silence followed.

‎"Sophie said she set you on a blind date." Daniel broke the silence. 

‎Adrian sighed, dropping his burger down. "who is it this time?"

‎"Well you'll find out. It's a blind date after all," Daniel said.

‎"I'm not going," Adrian finalized.

‎Daniel raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

‎“You haven’t even heard who she is yet,” he said. “For all you know, she could be exactly your type.”

‎Adrian gave him a flat look. “I don’t have a type.”

‎“That’s because you never give anyone a chance,” Daniel replied with a grin.

‎"Successful, rich, and ridiculously stubborn. I’m starting to think you plan on marrying your company.”

‎Adrian took a slow sip from his drink, unfazed.

‎“If that’s the case,” Daniel continued, chuckling, “Vale Industries will be the happiest bride in the country.”

‎Adrian shook his head in mild annoyance. “You talk too much for someone who came here to bring lunch.”

‎"You should give love a chance..." Daniel tried to say.

‎"Love? Love makes you weak," Adrian replied.

‎Daniel leaned back against the couch, studying his friend carefully. Adrian always said things like that with such certainty, as if the subject had already been settled long ago. But Daniel had known him for years, long enough to notice the brief hesitation that followed those words. It was small—barely noticeable—but it was there. As though Adrian had once believed something very different.

‎Adrian picked up his drink and took a slow sip, avoiding Daniel’s gaze. “Love distracts people,” he added calmly. “When you’re at the top, distractions are dangerous.”

‎Daniel shook his head with a faint smile. “One day someone will prove you wrong.

RIVERA CORPORATION 

‎- Evening -

‎Elena stood in front of the ceiling-to-floor windows in her office. Her phone screen reflected in the window.

‎One name stared back at her.

‎Adrian Vale.

‎Elena tightened her grip on the phone, her reflection staring back at her from the glass windows.

‎Five years ago, she had walked away from him without looking back. It had been necessary... or at least that was what she kept telling herself. 

‎The accident that followed weeks later had erased every memory of her. When she first heard the news, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or guilty.

‎There must be a reason for everything after all. This is an opportunity she couldn't afford to waste.

‎Now he was the most powerful billionaire in the country and the only man who could save her family.

‎Marcus stepped beside her quietly. "You are not actually thinking about calling him are you?"

‎She didn't reply.

‎Marcus frowned. “You really think Adrian Vale will help you after everything that happened?”

‎Elena’s eyes hardened as she looked out over the city lights. “He doesn’t remember anything,” she said quietly.

‎“And that,” she added, “is exactly why this might work.”

‎She slowly walked back to her desk and placed the phone down, but her eyes never left it.

‎Adrian had trusted her without hesitation back then. He would have helped her without asking for anything in return.

‎Now things were different.

‎Adrian Vale was no longer the man she once knew. He had become colder, more powerful, and far more dangerous to approach. If she was going to ask for his help this time, she would need to be careful—because if he ever discovered the truth about their past, everything could fall apart.

‎Elena stared at the name for a long moment, then she locked the phone. Her voice was cold.

‎"If I have to use him again..." she paused.

‎"I will.”