Chapter six: Mrs

“What?” she asked, completely shocked that Adrian would ask that of her.

“I’m not asking you to kill someone for me. All I’m asking is that you pretend... and in the end, I’ll hand your father’s café back to you,” Adrian responded. Evelina stood there, thinking for a few moments.

“I do not have the entire day,” Adrian said, unable to hide his annoyance.

“Okay... I’ll do it.”

Without any further instruction, the office door swung open and Emelda, Adrian's secretary, walked in. She didn't spare Evelina so much as a second glance.

“The driver is downstairs waiting for you, sir,” she reported.

Adrian simply nodded. As soon as Emelda left, he packed up his laptop, slipped it into his briefcase and reached for his suit jacket.

“Where are you going?” Evelina asked.

“We're going to get you something to wear... like I said, I will not have you presenting yourself as my fiancée when you look like that,” he replied arrogantly, his gaze sweeping over the casual clothes she was wearing.

Before Evelina could open her mouth to complain, Adrian walked out of the office, leaving her standing there, unsure whether she should follow him or not. A few seconds later, Adrian returned, looking visibly irritated.

“Are you coming, or should I host an entire parade just to drag you out of my office?” he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm before turning and walking away once again.

Evelina couldn't stand the arrogant manner in which he spoke to her. However, for the sake of getting her father's café back, she chose to swallow her pride instead of arguing with him.

She hurried after him and found him waiting impatiently at the elevator, holding the doors open. The expression on his face made it clear he was done waiting for her.

Not wanting to upset Adrian and risk him changing his mind, she quickly ran toward the elevator. Once inside, she moved to the far corner... as far away from him as possible.

Evelina kept her eyes fixed on the display above the doors as the elevator descended. The silence between them made her nervous, yet she didn't dare look at Adrian's cold expression as he typed away on his mobile device. Moments later, the elevator doors slid open and Adrian stepped out without saying a word.

Rolling her eyes, Evelina followed behind him, almost jogging to keep up with his long strides. He finally stopped beside a sleek black Rolls-Royce as his driver stepped forward and opened the rear door for him.

Adrian climbed inside without hesitation, Evelina, on the other hand, froze.

She stared at the luxurious vehicle before her in complete amazement. Even the driver was dressed in an immaculate black suit, making the scene feel more like a movie than real life.

“Do I constantly have to wait for you?” Adrian called, leaning his head out of the car. His voice snapped her out of her trance and she quickly climbed inside... but not before politely greeting the driver, who smiled and greeted her back.

The moment she settled into the plush leather seat, her eyes wandered around the interior. She was completely speechless.

The entire Rolls-Royce looked as though it had been designed for royalty. Every surface gleamed with luxury, from the polished wood finishes to the soft leather seats. There was even a small self-service bar built into the cabin.

The engine roared to life as they pulled out of the underground parking garage. During the drive, silence settled over the vehicle once again. Adrian had already opened his laptop and resumed typing while Evelina sat awkwardly beside him.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, she finally spoke.

“Since we're pretending to be engaged and all... don't you think I should perhaps know more about you?” she asked nervously. Adrian stopped typing and slowly turned to look at her.

“What?” he asked, his expression laced with annoyance.

“Think about it. We're supposed to be acting like an engaged couple in love,” she replied.

Adrian stared at her for a long moment as he realized he had never really thought everything through.

Truth be told, he had never grown up in a loving home with two parents who cared for one another. His married father had abandoned his mother, who had been nothing more than a maid in the Beaumont household. When their affair was exposed, his father threw her out and Adrian had been raised by his single mother until the day she died.

“Adrian!” Evelina's voice cut through his thoughts, snapping him out of his trance-like state.

“Yeah, I heard you,” he told her. After thinking about it for some time, he finally had an answer. “Look on the internet. I’m sure someone has written a biography about me,” he said coldly.

His response left Evelina speechless. She opened her mouth to complain, but before she could say another word, the chauffeur unlocked the door. Adrian stepped out of the vehicle, once again leaving Evelina behind.

Refusing to be left behind, Evelina climbed out of the car and hurried after him. She blocked Adrian’s path just as he was about to enter the high-end store.

“You will not treat me like that!” she raised her voice.

Truthfully, she had caught Adrian by surprise, but he dared not let it show. Her courage was exactly what kept drawing him back to her.

Over the years, after taking over his father’s company, countless women had thrown themselves at him, yet he had never been interested. He knew they were never truly in love with him. They were in love with his money and the influence that came with his family name.

Evelina was different from those women. She was fierce, smart-mouthed, rounded and Adrian’s influence did not cloud her judgment. That was a first for him. She stood up to him when most women obeyed his every command and did everything they could to please him.

“Do not walk away from me like that,” she warned, pointing her index finger at him. To her surprise, Adrian gently lowered her finger before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

Immediately, Evelina felt her heart race as she looked into Adrian’s eyes. She watched as he slowly lowered his head until his lips were beside her ear.

“Be careful with what you say. There’s a photographer hiding somewhere in the bushes,” he whispered. Only then did Evelina realize that Adrian was doing all of this to protect his reputation.

Hearing those words and realizing that he genuinely had no interest in her made Evelina feel as though she was not pretty enough, even though she knew a man like Adrian was never the type she usually went for.

Before she could process what was happening, Adrian pressed his lips against hers. For a brief moment, they shared a passionate kiss. When he finally pulled away, Evelina felt as though a small piece of her had been torn away with him.

“That should be enough to convince them that we’re engaged,” Adrian replied with a straight face. To him, it had simply been a performance and Evelina was nothing more than another actor in the entire scheme.

Speechless, she watched as he took her hand in his. Together, they walked into the high-end store. The moment Adrian and Evelina stepped inside, every employee immediately straightened their posture and rushed to attend to them.

Looking around, Evelina was left speechless. Everything inside screamed wealth... the kind of wealth she might never achieve, even if she spent her entire life working at the café.

“Good day, Mr. Beaumont,” the pretty saleswoman greeted with a bright smile.

The moment she turned her attention to Evelina, however, that smile disappeared and was replaced with a forced one instead. There was no point sugarcoating it... the saleswoman had already judged Evelina based on the simple fact that she was slightly rounder than the kind of women who entered this kind of store.

“And good day to you too... Mrs. or Ms.?” she asked, her voice noticeably less welcoming than it had been when she greeted Adrian.

“It’s Ms. Bennette,” Evelina corrected politely.

“Yes... but she’ll soon be Mrs. Beaumont,” Adrian informed the saleswoman. Judging by the woman's stunned expression, she could hardly believe that someone most people would consider oversized was about to marry the great Adrian Beaumont.