Adrien Russell
Ever heard of the phrase, ‘No good deed goes unpunished’?
It is used when an act of kindness backfires on the person who offers them. I never really thought about it until today.
“Explain this, young man!” Dad put the open magazine on the coffee table. His voice was low and gritted as if he was trying to stay calm.
“Dad, this isn’t what it looks like.” I tried to convince him by telling the entire story of last night. “Believe me Dad, all I was trying to do was help her.”
“Adrien. Son, I am really proud of you for being generous and saving that girl. But you see, you have stained your reputation right before you could start your career. Such rumours affect the business.” He tried to explain.
I knew he was right. Being named as a ‘player’ right before I could take over the business could literally be a source to put me down in front of the world.
“The articles and pictures will be down in an hour or two but people will not forget this anytime soon. You will have to face the criticism.” Dad sighed and leaned back on the couch.
I started to feel guilty about what happened. Dad had worked day and night, putting his blood and sweat in the business and maintained a great reputation that I, his only son, ruined overnight.
I knew what I did wasn’t wrong but the consequences I had to face had given me doubts about being kind.
“Tell me everything you know about this girl.” Dad said, pulling me out of my trance.
“Um.. I don’t know much, but why?” I asked.
“Just tell me.” He sounded like he had something on his mind.
“Her name is Crystal Hayes. She lives in Texas and had come here for a friend’s wedding.” I said. Dad kept looking at me, as if waiting for me to continue and I shrugged.
“That’s it? That’s all you know.” He seemed disappointed as I nodded my head.
“Alright. I will take care of this situation, by hook or by crook. But, Adrien, I want you to trust me and agree to my decisions. It is going to be for your own good.” He said.
“I trust you, Dad.” He smiled at my reply and I was free to go. I had no idea what was on his mind, but whatever it was, if it helped me save my career, I would get it done.
I was on my way back home when my phone rang. I answered the call.
“What is all this about you all over the internet?” The shrill voice of my best friend, Sophie Flores.
“Hello, to you too. I am fine, how about you?” I said sarcastically and I could practically feel her rolling her eyes.
“Yeah alright. Now answer my question.” I frowned at her desperation.
“Ugh. It’s a long story. Just know that there’s nothing like what the stupid articles say.” I assured her.
“So.. you’re not seeing anyone right?” She asked.
“Of course not. And if I was, you’d be the first one to know.” I said while my focus was on the road.
“Thank god.” She sighed.
“Then I’ll see you around. I am driving right now.”
“Why don’t you stop by my house?” Sophie insisted but I declined since there was a lot on my mind for now and I needed some alone time.
0---------------------------------0
Three Days Later
It had been a few days since the news came out but it was still fresh. The media would come everyday to dad’s office and create havoc to get answers. I had been avoiding getting out of the house because one- Few reporters kept an update on all of my activities and I didn’t have convincing answers to their questions in case I had to face them. And two- I was afraid that I would mess up the situation that dad ensured to handle.
Finally, dad seemed to come up with a solution and had called me to the office and I, trying my best to avoid any attention, managed to reach there. I walked inside and all eyes snapped towards me which I didn’t give any heed to. I knocked on dad’s door with the name plate that said ‘CEO Raymond Russell’.
As I opened the door, my feet froze on the spot. My eyes grew wider and my mouth hung open as I saw the face of the one sitting on the couch opposite to dad. Her eyes met mine and she seemed to be kind of confused.
“Oh! Here you are. Come on, Son! Have a seat here.” Said dad. My feet moved forward but my eyes didn’t move off that face. This was the last thing I expected.
“Ms. Crystal Hayes.” I addressed her, sitting on the couch beside her.
“Hello, Mr. Adrien Russell.” She mumbled in a low voice.
“What are you doing here?” I asked politely. But instead of her, dad answered.
“I called her here.” Dad said proudly.
“But how did you find her?” I asked curiously. For real, the only information I gave to him about her was her name.
“That’s a story for another time. For now, the question is, ‘Why’?” Dad unbuttoned his coat and leaned back. “Why is Ms. Hayes here?”
I too got comfortable in my seat waiting for the answer.
“Firstly, Ms. Hayes, I am sure you know that the news about Adrien, which is a very juicy topic these days, somehow includes you. Although your identity is hidden.” Dad said and Ms. Hayes looked down guiltily.
Well, It’s not her fault either, so she didn’t have to feel guilty. I wanted to say that but decided to shut my mouth for the moment.
“I-I am aware. And I am sorry you had to face so much trouble because of me.” She said, her voice, low and sweet.
“You don’t have to be sorry, Ms. Hayes. I get that you were in danger and I am happy that my son was generous enough to help you. But more or less, things have gone wrong for him.” Dad said while I listened quietly and she nodded.
“But we can make it right, if you help us in return.” This made me frown. What could she do to help us?
“If there is something I can do for you sir, I gladly will. I kinda owe you and your son my life.” She said and I impatiently waited for dad to answer.
He took a deep breath and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees.
“Marry him.”
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
“Excuse me?”
“Dad?”
We both yelled at the same time after a whole minute of utter silence.
“You heard me. I want you both to marry each other.” He repeated again without a bit of hesitation.
What the bloody hell?
“Come On, Dad. What do you mean ‘marry each other’? We both are practically strangers. And how would this even help us anyway?” I was almost shouting.
“This is the only way to get you out of this mess Adrien. We need to convince the media that you weren’t just playing around with a girl but that girl is your fiancee who you are about to marry.” Dad replied.
“But-"
“There is no place for ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ here. Tell me if you have a better idea to handle this situation.” Dad started scolding me at this point and I stayed quiet. My mind had been numb.
“Ms. Hayes?” He addressed the equally shocked woman beside me.
“I cannot do this, sir.” She replied sternly and honestly, I felt a bit of relief. With Dad being so stern, he wouldn’t let me decline but she could.
“How do you expect me to marry a man I have known for only a few hours.” She questioned.
“That man, Ms. Hayes, has saved your life. Even though it was only a couple of hours, you know what kind of person he is.”
“You are right, Mr. Russell. But that doesn’t mean I can marry him. I-”
“Ms. Hayes. You know that Adrien doesn’t deserve what he is getting right now. He is about to take over the company within a month and this rumour has stained his reputation. Manhattan is a place where people do not leave a single chance to gossip.” Dad said, interrupting her. “You said you could do anything for us. Please keep your word because you are the only one who can help him.”
“This is not so easy, Mr. Russell. I-I have a home, a job in Texas. I cannot just leave all of those.” Ms. Hayes said.
They both argued as if my presence wasn’t noticeable. Am I invisible or something? Or am I just not important enough for the discussion of my marriage.
“To what I know, you also have a lot of debts to pay in Texas. Right, Ms. Hayes?” Dad questioned raising his brows.
“Right. And I cannot go anywhere without paying them. They will k-”
“What if I paid them for you?” Dad said and suddenly, cat got the woman’s tongue while I looked at him in disbelief.
What a true businessman.
Mental applause for Mr. Raymond Russell.
He offered her something she couldn’t decline. Now you, Adrien Russell, are doomed.
“I will free you from all your debts. Make sure that you have no ties in Texas. All you have to do in return is live in Manhattan as Mrs. Crystal Russell with luxury and pretend to be in love with my son.”
No one said a thing for a while.
I was busy thinking of ways to escape from this shit but failed miserably.
“So.. Do you accept the deal, Ms. Hayes?” Dad asked.
“I- I don’t know, Mr. Russell.” She said.
“If you want you can take some time to think. Two days, maybe?” Dad offered.
I heard a soft sigh.
“I will take my leave, then.” She stood up and hung a bag around her shoulder.
“I have ways to contact you, Ms. Hayes. If you think you can run away without giving me a ‘positive’ answer, you are wrong.” Dad threatened her. Very politely, I must add.
“Good Bye.” She said without making eye contact with any of us and walked out of the room.
“Get yourself ready for marriage, son.” Dad said and walked back to his seat and I sat there recollecting what just happened.
What have I got myself into?
Crystal HayesTwo days ago, when I came back to Texas, my life was back to how it had been.The same mess. I took up the responsibility of organizing a big event and with the advance that I was paid, I gave Philip a little more money so that he could stay out of my sight for a few days. But I very well knew he wouldn’t let me be peacefully. He called me every single day to remind me if I don’t pay the rest of the money soon, my soul will be sent to heaven. I was in the office when I was called by the receptionist saying that I had a visitor. Wondering who it could be, I went to the waiting room to see a young man I had never seen before.“Hello.” I greeted him. “Hello Mam. You are Ms. Crystal Hayes, right?” He asked and when I nodded, he sighed in relief. He introduced himself as Ryan and said he had something very important to discuss. I led him to my desk hoping for a new project that had come to me. “Ms. Hayes, I am the secretary of Mr. Raymond Russell. The owner of ‘Russell H
Adrien RussellI was pissed as I left Dad's office. Where did the idea of marriage come from? How the hell could Dad conclude on my behalf that I would marry a stranger. Frustrated, I drove to that one person who I could talk to at the moment."Hello, Ms. Stuart." I smiled at the elderly woman who opened the door for me when I rang the bell."Hello, Adrien. Come in." She cheered and I passed her a smile. "It's been a long time. Ms. Stuart, Sophie's cook tapped my shoulder."Yes. I've been a little busy." I replied."Hmm. I understand. Have a seat, I will call Sophie." Just as she said that, Sophie came running down the stairs with a huge smile."Hey, Adrien!" She hugged me tightly and I returned it."Hey, Soph." We sat on the couch and Ms. Stuart returned to the kitchen, leaving us alone."So.. how did you suddenly think of seeing me after ghosting for five days?" She taunted me playfully and I let out a chuckle."You know about the controversy, I have been trying to avoid being in pu
Crystal RussellI sat peacefully on a table with four chairs in the restaurant we planned to meet in. A small cozy place where Mr. Russell would have less fear of being spotted. I was there a bit earlier than I had to be. The morning was fresh and the cloudy weather and cold breeze had me shivering. While I waited for the two men, I felt the need to go to the restroom. When I came back and was about to sit back on the table, a red-haired girl, who clearly didn't pay attention to her steps, bumped into me and emptied an entire glass of orange juice over my shirt."Hey! Watch where you are going, bitch!" She screeched, looking at me.Wow. The audacity."Mind your language, lady. You sure it's me who should be watching my step?" I retorted back, glaring at her.Instead of commenting back, she studied my face for a second. And as if some sort of realization hit her, her eyes widened and she scoffed, looking at me from head to toe."Wow! If this isn't the gold digger, the ultimate talk of
Crystal Russell"Ha-Hannah. Hey." I gave a small forced smile but in return she glared at me with her arms crossed by her chest."You had gone for your honeymoon right." I tried to sound casual."Yes. We were supposed to come back tomorrow but when I saw the news headlines, I couldn't get myself to stay there any longer." She let me come in and as I did, I saw her parents, Megan and Ethan sitting on the couch, looking towards me."Would you like to explain yourself?" Hannah asked while everyone's attention was on me. I wanted to tell everyone the truth but then I remembered about the contract."I-" Before I could start, Hannah squealed loudly and started jumping like a freak."Oh My God! You are engaged to Adrien Russell!! I can't believe this. Why would you hide such a thing from me? You didn't even utter a word when the news came out initially. Oh my god, Crys. I am so happy for you."I looked at her like she had grown two heads while she kept hitting my arm and shaking my shoulders
Cystal HayesD-Day.Excitement, joy, the feeling of butterflies in the stomach, the rapid heartbeat... is what I fantasized to feel at my wedding.But I felt none.I stood in front of a long mirror, running a hand through the heavy white dress. The sweetheart net gown paired with a small diamond pendant made me look more beautiful than ever. My wavy hair was left open, letting it fall over my shoulders and a net veil pinned in them. Everything looked perfect until one thing ruined it. My hollow, emotionless eyes.The stylists and the make-up artists were done with their work and had left me alone in the room while I waited for my que to go out. Saying I was nervous is probably an understatement. The count of the guests attending the wedding were in the hundreds. Adrien had informed me that there would be reporters and journalists too. I wasn't really ready to face all of this, but I had no choice.Sitting on the couch in the dressing room, I kept scrolling through my phone when Hannah
Crystal RussellThe ride to Adrien's house was silent but comforting. I unpinned my veil and ruffled my hair before rolling down the window and the cool night breeze hit my face making me sigh. I looked at the night sky and kept thinking about how my life had changed in such a short span of time. A week ago, I was a financially struggling girl who had no plans of getting married. And now, I am the wife of a billionaire.I felt someone's eyes on me and I turned around. As I did, Adrien turned his head the other way and acted like he wasn't staring at me a while ago. I ignored it and went back to my thoughts and before I knew it, the car was parked in the driveway of a tall complex. We both got out of the car and Adrien led the way to the elevator. We stopped on the top-most floor, a penthouse. He unlocked the door and we both went inside. The interior of the house was very impressive. Not very fancy but quite decent and luxurious.We went inside further and he stopped in front of a doo
Adrien Russell The first day after the wedding was tiring. All this while during the controversy, I wasn't able to come to the office and assist Dad like I usually do. I attend the office everyday along with Dad to get acquainted with the business since the day when I take over isn't far. Everything is back to normal, except that now, I am married. I haven't gotten used to it and I don't think I have to since this marriage means nothing. Neither to me, nor to Crystal. But I can't help but feel a bit more responsible towards her. Whether I like it or not, I cannot run from the fact that she is my wife. The entire day, my mind kept running back to her wondering if she was alright in Brooklyn. Although I trusted Martin for her safety, let's not forget that her middle name is 'trouble'. I even called her two times but her mobile was switched off, worrying me all the more. At last, I called Martin who informed me that he had dropped her at the house safely and her phone had run out of
Narrator's POV"I am sure you haven't had your dinner yet. So why don't you join me? I am cooking Italian tonight." Sophie said to Adrien over the phone."The food will taste good right?" He teased, making her snap. "Hey! What do you mean? Of course, it will be tasty. I am cooking it.""That's exactly why I am asking." He deadpanned, making her shriek in annoyance."Adrien!"."Alright. I will be there in 15 minutes." He thought for a while before answering. He didn't feel good about leaving Crystal to eat by herself but as he watched her talking to Evan with such enthusiasm, he didn't care anymore. At least that's what he thought. He decided to leave a text message for her, hoping she would see it."Okay then. See you!" Sophie said and hung up. She was stirring the food that was specially being made for Adrien when her phone rang once again. She thought it was Adrien, but as she saw the name, her wide smile faded and she answered it."Hey Mama." She greeted her mother softly, paying a