CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Adrian’s POV

What is love?

For normal people, it’s probably something like “comfort,” “trust,” or “happiness.”

But for me? My brain doesn’t even give me the chance to be poetic. It just blurts:

Damien is the true definition oflove.

And the worst part? My subconscious is right.

God, that man makes me insane. Sometimes in the best way, sometimes in the worst. The memory of what happened in my office earlier still makes my skin heat up. I let him no, I practically begged him to take me right there on my desk like some lovesick fool. I mean, really? Adrian Hale, CEO of one of the top firms in the city, reduced to moaning into a mahogany desk.

What if Lauren had walked in? What if Drew had? Oh wait that idiot did. His face when he barged in… I’m never living that down.

The thing is, half of me wanted it to stop. But the other half? The louder half? I wanted more.

I don’t know if that makes me conflicted or just pathetic.

“Hey!”

The sharp voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked up, and there was Drew, glaring at me like I’d just confessed to burning down his house.

“HEY, BITCH! YOU BETTER STOP IGNORING ME OR I SWEAR I’LL SMACK YOU UPSIDE DOWN!”

I actually flinched. Did he just… yell at me?

“Me?” I pointed to myself, raising a brow.

“Yes, you!” He rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. “Like duh, who else would I be screaming at? The potted plant?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off with another dramatic sigh and a sip of his frappuccino. “You’ve been sitting there, sighing Damien’s name under your breath like fifty times. And not in a hot way, either. More like a Disney-princess-waiting-for-her-prince way.”

Heat flushed my face immediately. “I wasn’t thinking about him!” I lied, voice way too high-pitched to be convincing.

“Oh please,” Drew scoffed. “You’re glowing pink like a Barbie doll. Even Stevie Wonder could see you’re obsessed.”

I groaned and dropped my face into my hands. How does Damien do this to me? Even an hour after he leaves, he’s still in my head, messing with me.

Drew smirked like the little devil he is. “You know, for someone who claims he doesn’t do romance, you’re kind of pathetic.”

“Shut up,” I muttered.

“Make me.”

I shot him my best glare, which only made him snicker. That’s Drew for you. My best friend, my headache, my occasional emotional punching bag. And, as much as I hate to admit it, the only person who can truly call me out without losing their teeth.

I needed to redirect before he roasted me to death. So I leaned back and said casually, “Soooo… a little bird told me that Thomas has a crush on you.”

His whole face froze. Then bam scarlet.

I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. “OH MY GOD, YOU’RE IN LOVE! Drew loves Thomas! Miracles do happen!”

“Shut the hell up!” Drew smacked the back of my head, but his voice cracked when he tried to deny it.

“Admit it!” I teased, bouncing in my seat.

He groaned. “Fine. Maybe I like him. So what? It’s pointless. I’m leaving soon, heading back to the UK. Long-distance isn’t exactly my thing.” His voice dipped softer at the end, sadness he couldn’t hide.

I stopped laughing. That was the thing about Drew under all the sass and screaming, he had a heart that bruised easily.

I smirked anyway, trying to lighten the mood. “Just because you’re leaving doesn’t mean Thomas won’t follow you. Especially if I oh, I don’t know, accidentally told him your little secret.”

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “YOU WOULDN’T DARE!”

“Make me.” I grinned wickedly.

Before he could launch across the table and strangle me, the door creaked open.

“Uh… excuse me.”

We both whipped our heads toward the door. And there was Thomas. Standing there.

Drew’s face went through about six emotions in five seconds: shock, horror, denial, panic, and then finally a fake flirty smile.

I bit back my laugh as Thomas asked if he could “borrow Drew.” He actually looked nervous, like a schoolboy asking permission.

Of course I let him. “Take care of my best friend,” I warned sweetly. “Or I’ll unleash a hundred and one dalmatians on you.”

The relief in Thomas’s eyes was hilarious. He practically dragged Drew out, who before leaving turned back, pointed at Thomas’s ass, and mouthed: Look at that ass.

I burst out laughing so hard my ribs hurt.

But once the laughter faded, I found myself sinking back into my chair, staring at the papers on my desk without seeing them. Inevitably, my thoughts circled back to Damien.

He had told me serious things about his grandfather, about his family’s twisted expectations, about how he was supposed to marry someone to keep up appearances. The fact that he trusted me enough to share that… it made my chest ache in the best way.

Did he think about me when we weren’t together? Did he miss me the way I missed him? Or was I just… convenient?

I shook my head, scolding myself. Stop. No spiraling today.

My stomach growled loud enough to echo off the walls. Okay, fine. Maybe spiraling could wait until after food.

I grabbed my wallet, shoved my phone and earphones into my pocket, and decided I’d walk to the pizzeria a few blocks away. Adam, my driver, tried to follow, but I waved him off. I needed fresh air.

The park was on the way, so I cut through, music humming in my ears. For the first time that day, I felt lighter.

Until I saw the old man stumble.

“Sir!” I rushed forward, catching him before he face-planted into the pavement. He was surprisingly heavy, but I managed to drag him to a bench. His hands trembled, his face pale.

“You alright?” I asked, pulling off my jacket to drape it over his shoulders.

“Yes…” His voice was so weak it barely counted as sound. “Thank you.”

“Where’s your family? Shouldn’t someone be with you?”

He smiled faintly. “I needed to escape.”

Something about the way he said it made my skin prickle. But then he asked my name, and I introduced myself simply as Adrian.

“Call me Leo,” he said. “And you should leave. They’ll be here soon.”

I blinked. “They? Who’s they?”

He didn’t answer directly. Just murmured, “I wanted to see the ducks. James loved ducks.”

My heart softened. Whatever his story was, he clearly wasn’t well. “Then let’s see the ducks together.”

I helped him to his feet 

And froze when I heard a familiar voice call out.

“Adrian!  wife!”

I turned, eyes widening. Damien. He was running toward me, breathless, with Sam trailing behind.

He stopped dead when he saw Leo.

His face went pale.

“Grandpa?” Damien whispered.

I looked between them, stunned. Grandpa? This frail old man was Damien’s grandfather?

But then came the twist.

Leo chuckled weakly and looked up at me not Damien. His eyes gleamed sharper than before, almost cunning.

“Not quite, Damien,” he rasped. “I’m not the grandfather you think I am.”

Damien froze. “What…?”

Leo squeezed my hand, steady despite his frail appearance.

“Adrian,” he said softly, “we need to talk. Because the truth is… you’re part of this family whether you realize it or not.”

My blood ran cold.