CHAPTER ONE — THE WRONG MAN

I had three rules when I created the account.

Don't use my real name.

Don't send a real photo.

And absolutely, under no circumstances, fall for him.

Three weeks later, I had broken all three rules in spirit, if not technically.

My name online was Lia.

The photograph belonged to a woman I'd found on an old public fashion page.

And falling for him?

That was the rule I was desperately trying not to break.

I stared at my phone while lying across my bed, rereading the last message.

Adrian: You disappear whenever I ask you something serious.

I bit my lip.

That man had an irritating talent for making ordinary words feel dangerous.

Adrian Vale.

My best friend's older brother.

Thirty-one.

Powerful.

Controlled.

And, according to practically everyone who knew his family, someone you didn't casually cross.

People called him a mafia don.

I never knew how much of that was exaggerated.

I only knew that when Adrian walked into a room, people noticed.

I'd met him several times before Mara and I became close, but we'd never really spoken.

He had always seemed too intimidating.

Too serious.

Too old for my twenty-four-year-old self.

Too everything.

So when Mara dared me to make a fake dating profile three weeks ago, I hadn't expected anything serious.

It was supposed to be fun.

A stupid experiment.

I created a profile.

I chose a fake name.

I used a photograph that wasn't mine.

Then Adrian found me.

At first, I thought it was some kind of joke.

But he kept messaging.

And somehow, the man who barely acknowledged me in person became surprisingly easy to talk to online.

He asked about my favorite books.

My worst habits.

The things that made me laugh.

The things I wanted from life.

I answered everything.

Except who I really was.

And now he wanted to meet.

That was the problem.

My phone vibrated again.

Adrian: Are you ignoring me?

I typed.

Maybe.

Deleted it.

Typed again.

I'm busy.

Deleted that too.

Before I could come up with something better, someone knocked on my bedroom door.

"Elena?"

I immediately shoved my phone beneath my pillow.

"Mara?"

The door opened.

My best friend walked in carrying two iced coffees.

She stared at me.

"Why do you look guilty?"

"I don't."

"You do."

"I always look guilty."

"True."

She handed me a drink and dropped onto my bed.

"I have news."

"What?"

"Adrian is coming home tonight."

I nearly swallowed my straw.

"What?"

"My brother."

"I know who Adrian is."

"Then why are you looking at me like I just announced an alien invasion?"

"Because I wasn't expecting him."

"He's staying for a few days."

My stomach tightened.

That was bad.

Very bad.

Because the fake woman Adrian had been talking to online was supposed to be meeting him soon.

And now the real me was going to be in the same house.

With him.

"Why is he staying here?"

"Business."

I nodded slowly.

"Right."

Mara narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you acting weird?"

"I'm not."

"You've been weird for weeks."

"I have not."

She smiled.

"You absolutely have."

Before I could defend myself, a voice came from downstairs.

"Miss Mara, your brother has arrived."

Mrs. Celia.

I froze.

Mara jumped off the bed.

"Come on."

"No."

She turned.

"What?"

"I need to go home."

"You literally just got here."

"I forgot something."

"What?"

"My sanity."

She laughed.

"You're ridiculous."

Footsteps sounded downstairs.

Slow.

Measured.

I knew that sound.

My heart started beating faster.

Then Adrian appeared in the hallway.

Black shirt.

Dark trousers.

His sleeves rolled to his forearms.

His expression was unreadable.

His eyes moved toward Mara first.

Then landed on me.

Everything inside me stopped.

"Elena."

His voice was deeper than I remembered.

"Adrian."

Mara looked between us.

"Okay..."

"What?"

"You two look weird."

"We don't."

"You definitely do."

Adrian didn't respond.

He simply kept looking at me.

His gaze was calm.

Too calm.

Almost as if he were studying me.

Mrs. Celia appeared behind him.

"Sir, should I have your room prepared?"

"Yes."

She nodded.

Then her eyes moved toward me.

A tiny smile appeared.

I frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing, Miss Elena."

"That wasn't a nothing smile."

She chuckled.

"Sometimes people notice things before the people involved do."

Mara laughed.

"Celia, don't encourage her."

Mrs. Celia disappeared.

I looked back at Adrian.

He was still watching me.

My phone vibrated.

My stomach dropped.

Slowly, I looked down.

One new message.

Adrian: You're quieter in person.

My blood ran cold.

I looked up.

He hadn't moved.

His eyes met mine.

There was the smallest curve at the corner of his mouth.

He knew.

Or he suspected.

I quickly slipped my phone into my pocket.

Mara looked confused.

"Everything okay?"

"Fine."

Adrian finally turned away.

"Goodnight."

He walked down the hallway.

I waited until he disappeared.

Then I released the breath I'd been holding.

Mara looked at me.

"You really are acting strange."

I forced a smile.

"I'm tired."

She shrugged.

"Get some sleep."

She left.

I closed the door.

Then immediately pulled my phone out.

Another message waited.

Adrian: We need to talk.

I stared at those three words.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

I could lie.

I could deny everything.

I could delete the account.

I could disappear.

But something told me Adrian Vale wasn't the kind of man you could simply disappear from.

So I typed the only honest thing I could think of.

About what?

His reply came almost immediately.

Adrian: You know exactly what.

I closed my eyes.

I was in trouble.

And for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted to escape it.

CHAPTER TWO — HE KNOWS

I didn't sleep.

Not properly, anyway.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Adrian standing in the hallway.

Every time my phone vibrated, I expected another message.

And every time I remembered You're quieter in person, my stomach twisted.

By morning, I had convinced myself of several things.

Adrian didn't know.

He was guessing.

He had no proof.

And I could still get out of this.

That last thought lasted exactly three minutes.

I walked into the kitchen.

Adrian was already there.

Of course.

He sat at the table with a cup of coffee, scrolling through his phone.

He looked up.

Our eyes met.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

I reached for the coffee pot.

"You slept well?"

"Perfectly."

Lie.

His eyebrow lifted.

I poured coffee.

"Good."

"Did you?"

I glanced at him.

"Did I what?"

"Sleep well."

"Yes."

Another lie.

He smiled.

I hated that smile.

It said he knew exactly what I was doing.

Mara entered the kitchen.

"Morning."

"Morning," I said.

She grabbed a pastry.

"Adrian, are you staying all week?"

"Probably."

She looked at me.

"You should stay too, Elena."

I nearly choked.

"What?"

"You're always here anyway."

Adrian said nothing.

Mara continued eating.

"I have an appointment later. You can keep my brother company."

I looked at her in horror.

"No."

She frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because..."

I glanced at Adrian.

He was watching me.

"...because your brother doesn't need company."

"That's true."

He took a sip of coffee.

"I don't."

Mara shrugged.

"Problem solved."

She walked away.

I stared after her.

Traitor.

When she disappeared upstairs, silence settled between Adrian and me.

Then he spoke.

"How long?"

I looked at him.

"How long what?"

He put his phone on the table.

The screen faced me.

My fake profile.

My fake photograph.

My fake name.

Everything.

My stomach dropped.

"Oh."

"That's all you have to say?"

I slowly sat down.

"How did you know?"

"Your writing."

I frowned.

"That's impossible."

"You use the same expressions."

"What expressions?"

He smiled.

"Exactly."

I groaned and covered my face.

"This is humiliating."

"You created a fake account."

"I know."

"You lied."

"I know."

"You talked to me for three weeks."

"I know."

He leaned back.

"And you expected me not to notice?"

"I was hoping."

"Hope is not a strategy."

I glared at him.

"You're enjoying this."

"A little."

"You're horrible."

"I've been called worse."

I folded my arms.

"Why didn't you confront me?"

His expression changed.

"Because I wanted to understand why."

I looked away.

"Curiosity."

"Only curiosity?"

I hesitated.

"No."

He waited.

I sighed.

"I wanted to know what you were like."

"In person?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because everyone has a different opinion about you."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"And you wanted your own?"

"Exactly."

"And?"

I looked at him.

"I haven't decided."

He laughed softly.

"You're still lying."

"I'm not."

"You've already decided."

I looked down.

Maybe I had.

Online, Adrian was different.

He listened.

He asked questions.

He remembered little things.

He teased me.

He made me laugh.

And somehow, the man I had been afraid of became the man I looked forward to hearing from every night.

But I couldn't tell him that.

Not yet.

He stood.

I looked up.

He walked toward me.

My heartbeat became faster with every step.

He stopped directly in front of me.

"Look at me."

I did.

"If you want to know me, stop hiding."

"I don't know how."

"Start with your real name."

"Elena."

"I know."

I smiled despite myself.

"Then what?"

"Tell me what you actually think."

"About you?"

"Yes."

I swallowed.

"I think you're intimidating."

He nodded.

"Fair."

"I think you're arrogant."

"Also fair."

"You're controlling."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Careful."

I laughed.

"And..."

"And?"

"I think you're much kinder than you pretend to be."

He went still.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he said quietly, "That's dangerous."

"Why?"

"Because you're starting to see me."

My heart skipped.

Before I could answer, Mrs. Celia appeared.

"Breakfast is ready."

I jumped away from Adrian.

She looked between us.

Then smiled.

"I interrupted something?"

"No," I said quickly.

Adrian simply smiled.

Mrs. Celia shook her head.

"Young people."

She walked away.

I covered my face.

"This is terrible."

Adrian laughed.

"What?"

"She knows."

"She has eyes."

"So does everyone."

He leaned closer.

"Then maybe it's time we stop pretending."

I looked at him.

"Stop pretending what?"

"That there's nothing happening."

My breath caught.

His hand briefly touched mine.

Nothing more.

Just enough to make my heart race.

Then he walked away.

I stared after him.

The fake profile had been created to learn about Adrian.

But now I was beginning to suspect that Adrian had learned far more about me than I had intended.

And somehow, that frightened me less than it should have.

CHAPTER THREE — THE RULES CHANGE

By the third day, I had developed a dangerous routine.

Wake up.

Avoid Adrian.

Fail.

Have breakfast with Adrian.

Pretend I wasn't watching him.

Fail again.

Spend the afternoon thinking about him.

And then spend the evening pretending I wasn't.

It was exhausting.

Mara had gone out that afternoon, leaving me alone in the house.

I sat in the living room with a book.

Or at least, I pretended to read.

I'd been on the same page for twenty minutes.

A shadow fell across the book.

I looked up.

Adrian.

"You've been reading that page for a while."

"I like it."

"You haven't turned it."

"Maybe I'm studying it."

He smiled.

"You're terrible at lying."

"I've been told."

He sat across from me.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Then he asked, "Why did you really create the account?"

I closed the book.

"I told you."

"Curiosity."

"Yes."

"That's not the whole answer."

I looked down.

"Maybe I was curious about you because..."

I stopped.

"Because?"

"Because I liked talking to you."

He didn't smile this time.

He looked almost surprised.

"You could have talked to me as yourself."

"I was afraid."

"Of me?"

"A little."

"Why?"

"Because you're intimidating."

He leaned forward.

"I don't want you afraid of me."

"I know."

"Then don't be."

His voice was calm.

Certain.

I looked at him.

"You make everything sound simple."

"It can be."

"No, it can't."

"Why?"

"Because you have this whole reputation."

"My reputation isn't your problem."

"Maybe I want to know the real you."

"You do."

"Do I?"

He nodded.

"You're sitting here."

That made me smile.

"That's your proof?"

"It's enough."

I shook my head.

He stood.

Then walked toward me.

My pulse immediately increased.

He stopped beside the sofa.

"Elena."

"Yes?"

"If I kiss you, are you going to regret it?"

My heart nearly stopped.

I looked at his face.

There was no pressure in his expression.

He was waiting.

Giving me the choice.

"No."

His eyes darkened.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

He leaned down.

His lips met mine.

The kiss was gentle.

Slow.

Nothing like the dangerous image I'd created of him in my head.

When he pulled back, I stared at him.

"That was..."

"Bad?"

"No."

I smiled.

"Very much not bad."

He laughed.

I touched my lips.

"I wasn't expecting that."

"What were you expecting?"

"Something more..."

"Dominant?"

I nearly choked.

He smiled.

"You've been thinking about it."

"Maybe."

"Honesty."

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine."

He sat beside me.

His hand rested over mine.

"New rules."

I looked at him.

"Rules?"

"Yes."

"You love rules."

"I do."

"Go ahead."

"No more fake names."

"Agreed."

"No more fake photographs."

"Obviously."

"No more hiding."

I hesitated.

"That's harder."

"Why?"

"Because you make me nervous."

His expression softened.

"Good."

"Good?"

"It means you care."

I smiled.

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"Your rules."

He thought for a moment.

"I'll tell you when something bothers me."

"That's all?"

"For now."

"And if I don't want something?"

His eyes met mine.

"Then it doesn't happen."

The answer surprised me.

Maybe I had expected someone like Adrian to be controlling in every sense.

Instead, his dominance came with something I hadn't expected.

Respect.

He wasn't asking me to surrender my choices.

He was asking me to trust him.

And somehow, that felt different.

That evening, we sat on the balcony.

The city lights stretched beneath us.

I rested my head against his shoulder.

"Do you regret finding me?"

"No."

"Even though I lied?"

"I regret that you thought you needed to."

I looked up.

"Why?"

"Because you could have just asked."

"Would you have answered?"

"Yes."

"Honestly?"

"Always."

I smiled.

"You promise?"

"I don't make promises casually."

His fingers intertwined with mine.

"Then I promise."

I leaned closer.

For the first time since creating that ridiculous fake account, I wasn't thinking about the consequences.

I wasn't thinking about the lie.

I wasn't thinking about what Mara would say.

I was simply thinking about Adrian.

And the strange possibility that this wasn't a mistake anymore.

Maybe it was the beginning of something real.

CHAPTER FOUR — THE SECRET

Mara found out the next morning.

There was no dramatic confession.

No carefully planned explanation.

She simply walked into the kitchen and saw Adrian's hand resting over mine.

She stopped.

I froze.

Adrian didn't.

Mara looked at our hands.

Then at me.

Then at her brother.

"Oh."

I swallowed.

"Mara..."

She raised one finger.

"Don't."

I blinked.

"Don't what?"

"Lie."

I glanced at Adrian.

He looked almost amused.

Mara pulled out a chair.

"How long?"

I sat down.

"A few days."

"A few days?"

I nodded.

She looked at Adrian.

"And you?"

"I knew before she admitted it."

Mara groaned.

"Of course you did."

Then she looked at me.

"And you catfished him?"

I covered my face.

"Please don't say it like that."

"How else should I say it?"

"I don't know."

She laughed.

"I can't believe this."

I peeked through my fingers.

"Are you angry?"

"No."

I lowered my hands.

"Really?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because he's your brother."

"Exactly. I know him."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"That's reassuring."

"It wasn't meant to be."

I laughed.

Mara stood.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised he likes someone."

Adrian frowned.

"I like people."

"Name three."

He paused.

Mara pointed at him.

"Exactly."

I laughed again.

The tension disappeared.

For a moment, everything felt easy.

Then Adrian's phone rang.

His expression changed.

He stood and walked toward the balcony.

I watched him.

Mara noticed.

"You care about him."

I looked down.

"Maybe."

She smiled.

"You definitely do."

I didn't deny it.

A few minutes later, Adrian returned.

Something about him seemed different.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes."

"You're lying."

He looked at me.

"I'll handle it."

There it was.

The wall.

The same wall he had promised to lower.

I stood.

"You said no more secrets."

"This isn't about you."

"That's exactly the problem."

His expression softened.

"Elena."

"No."

I shook my head.

"If we're doing this, don't shut me out whenever something gets complicated."

He was silent.

Mara quietly left the room.

I looked at him.

"I'm not asking you to tell me everything."

"I know."

"I'm asking you to trust me enough to tell me what affects us."

He stared at me for several seconds.

Then he nodded.

"You're right."

I blinked.

That was the last answer I expected.

He came closer.

"I've spent a long time handling everything alone."

"I know."

"Sometimes I forget that I don't have to anymore."

His fingers closed around mine.

"I don't want to make that mistake with you."

My chest tightened.

"Then don't."

"I won't."

He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles.

The gesture was unexpectedly tender.

I smiled.

"You know, you're different when nobody's watching."

He smiled.

"Maybe I'm different with you."

My heart fluttered.

Mara returned.

"So?"

I looked at her.

"So what?"

"Are you two officially together?"

I looked at Adrian.

He looked at me.

Then he answered.

"Yes."

My stomach flipped.

Mara smiled.

"Good."

She walked toward the door.

"Now I can stop pretending I didn't notice."

I laughed.

"How long did you know?"

"Probably before you did."

She left.

I looked at Adrian.

"Everyone knew."

"Apparently."

"I feel ridiculous."

He wrapped an arm around my waist.

"You shouldn't."

"Why?"

"Because you're the first person who ever made me forget about appearances."

I looked into his eyes.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means I don't care who knows."

He leaned closer.

"I want you."

My breath caught.

"Adrian..."

"Only if you want me too."

I smiled.

"I do."

His forehead rested against mine.

There was no pressure.

No demand.

Just certainty.

And that was when I realized the biggest change wasn't that Adrian knew my secret.

It was that I no longer wanted one.

CHAPTER FIVE — NO MORE HIDING

One week later, I deleted the account.

I stared at the screen for several seconds.

The fake profile looked strangely unfamiliar now.

The photograph.

The name.

The conversations.

The version of me who had created it.

All of it belonged to a different person.

Or maybe it belonged to the version of me who had been too afraid to be seen.

I pressed delete.

The account disappeared.

Adrian stood beside me.

"Done?"

"Done."

He took my phone and placed it on the table.

"How do you feel?"

"Terrified."

"Why?"

"Because now there's nothing between me and reality."

He looked at me.

"Good."

I laughed.

"You really like saying that."

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because reality is where I want you."

My heart softened.

I stepped closer.

"You know, when I created that account, I never expected this."

"Neither did I."

"I thought I'd talk to you for a few days."

"Then disappear?"

"Exactly."

He smiled.

"You failed."

"Completely."

He wrapped his arms around me.

"And I'm glad."

I rested my hands against his chest.

"Would you have liked me if you'd met me first?"

"I did meet you first."

"You know what I mean."

He thought for a moment.

"Probably."

"Probably?"

He smiled.

"You were always staring at me."

"I was not."

"You were."

"Maybe once."

"Several times."

I laughed.

"Okay. Maybe."

He lowered his voice.

"But I noticed you too."

My smile faded.

"You did?"

"Of course."

"Then why didn't you talk to me?"

"You looked like you wanted me to stay away."

"I was intimidated."

"I know."

I frowned.

"How?"

"Because every time I walked into a room, you suddenly became interested in your phone."

I laughed.

"You noticed that?"

"I notice everything about you."

That sentence made my heart race.

I looked at him.

"What happens now?"

"Now?"

"Yes."

He thought for a moment.

"We keep getting to know each other."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we deal with it."

"And if it does?"

His hand moved gently along my cheek.

"Then you stay."

I smiled.

"That's your plan?"

"It's the only one I need."

He kissed me.

This time, there was no uncertainty.

No fake identity.

No hidden photograph.

No screen separating us.

Just Adrian.

Just me.

And something real.

When we separated, I laughed softly.

"You're still trouble."

"You knew that."

"I did."

"And yet you stayed."

"Unfortunately."

He smiled.

"Fortunately."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't get too confident."

"Too late."

We walked downstairs together.

Mara was sitting in the living room.

Mrs. Celia was beside her, arranging a vase of flowers.

Both looked up.

Mara smiled.

"So?"

I frowned.

"So what?"

"Still together?"

Adrian answered before I could.

"Yes."

Mara nodded.

"Good."

Mrs. Celia smiled.

"I knew it."

I pointed at her.

"You've been saying that since the first day."

"And I was correct."

Mara laughed.

I looked at Adrian.

He was smiling.

For a man who had once seemed completely untouchable, he looked surprisingly happy.

And maybe that was what surprised me most.

I hadn't fallen for a reputation.

I hadn't fallen for the mysterious man behind a screen.

I had fallen for the person underneath everything.

The man who remembered little things.

The man who listened.

The man who challenged me.

The man who could be intimidating to everyone else but somehow made me feel safe enough to be completely honest.

And he had chosen the real me.

Not the photograph.

Not the fake name.

Not the woman I pretended to be.

Me.

Elena.

Twenty-four.

Stubborn.

Curious.

Occasionally reckless.

And completely in love with the man I had once been too afraid to approach.

I took his hand.

He squeezed it.

No secrets.

No pretending.

No hiding.

Just us.

I smiled.

"Do you regret meeting me?"

He looked at me.

"Never."

"Even after everything?"

"Especially after everything."

I laughed.

"You make no sense."

He pulled me closer.

"Maybe not."

Then he kissed my forehead.

"But you understand me."

I looked at him.

"I think I do."

And that was the funny thing about the biggest mistake I'd ever made.

I had created a fake woman because I wanted to discover who Adrian Vale really was.

Instead, I discovered something much more important.

I discovered who I was when I finally stopped hiding.

And for the first time in my life, I didn't want to be anyone else.

I just wanted to be me.

With him.