Chapter 2

"What? Adrian, you've been hiding that well. If you're already getting engaged, why are you even at a singles game?"

"Who is she? When did you decide this? How did nobody hear a thing?"

"Just now," I said.

My phone started vibrating in my pocket, again and again. It was Vivian.

Adrian, what are you doing?

I know hugging Julian was wrong, but I couldn't just refuse to play. Tristan is getting married in two days. How humiliating would that have been for him?

Be reasonable. I told you I'm going to marry you. When I do, I'll make sure everyone knows exactly who my husband is.

I turned my phone face down and ignored every message.

Across the room, Vivian looked at me.

Then, almost defiantly, she tightened her arm around Julian and pulled him a little closer.

Somebody whistled.

"If you're a couple for the day, you should kiss."

"Kiss! Kiss!"

The crowd pushed them together.

Julian ended up with both arms around Vivian's waist. A blush spread across his handsome face.

"Stop it," he protested, though not very convincingly. "Vivian and I haven't seen each other in five years. You can't just tell us to kiss the second I get back."

He turned his head as he spoke.

His mouth almost brushed her cheek.

I had loved Vivian for much longer than five years.

I had grown up knowing my life would be planned by my family. Business training, networking, succession assessments, strategic expectations—there had never been much room for anything I actually wanted.

Then one day, after working for three days straight, my blood sugar crashed while I was walking down a staircase.

My vision went black.

I thought I was going to fall.

Vivian rushed over and caught my arm before I pitched forward.

That moment cracked open the dull life I'd been living.

Afterward, I started finding excuses to watch her play golf. I sat in on business debates she took part in. I noticed what she liked, what made her angry, how hard she worked.

By the time I realized I had fallen for her, I had also heard about Julian Rourke, her childhood friend and first love.

So I buried my feelings until five years ago.

Julian went abroad to study.

The Langford family business nearly collapsed.

And I thought, for the first time, maybe I had a chance.

"All right, enough," Tristan said, trying to settle the room. "Vivian, news that your father is pushing you to marry has somehow reached my grandfather."

He laughed.

"Apparently he told you that if you don't settle down this year, he'll vote you off the family board. I was going to offer you a room at one of our hospitals so you could hide from him for a week. But Julian is back now, so maybe you're saved."

The room laughed.

"You and Adrian are ridiculous, though," Tristan continued. "Five years of trying to destroy each other in business, and neither of you ever announces a relationship. Are you competing to see who gets married first too?"

Someone shouted, "That explains Adrian's sudden engagement. If Vivian got married first, he'd probably show up to the wedding in black."

They all thought I had spent five years trying to crush her.

The truth was the opposite.

Whenever I found weaknesses in Langford Holdings, I forced Vivian to fix them before somebody less forgiving could exploit them.

I quietly sent money, contacts, and opportunities her way when the company was dying.

I let people think I was petty and obsessed with beating her because I knew what they would say if they realized a powerful man had pulled her company back from the edge.

They would say Vivian Langford only survived because of me.

I refused to let them take her pride from her.

So for five years, we never held hands in public.

When we went to restaurants, we arrived separately.

At movies, we sat three rows apart.

I accepted all of it willingly.

I was the one who fell first.

When I finally got Vivian to say yes to me, her eyes went red, and she asked me for five years.

"Give me five years," she said. "On our fifth anniversary, I'll tell everyone. I'll stand beside you without hiding, and we'll get married properly."

This year was the fifth year.

Today was our anniversary.

And the person she was holding in front of everyone wasn't me.

"Come on, Adrian," someone called. "Stop being mysterious. Who is she?"

I met Vivian's dark gaze.

Then I smiled.

"I'm not ready to say."

I paused.

"But she's here."