She was about to respond,but he didn’t pull away. Instead,his hands slid to her shoulders,thumbs pressing gently into the tight knots of muscle beneath her shirt. “You’ve been carrying too much tension again,”he murmured.“Let me help.” He shifted behind her on the couch,drawing her between his knees.His hands worked slowly,methodically—pressing,kneading,coaxing her to soften beneath his touch.Her head tilted back against his chest,her breath deepening. “You should’ve been a massage therapist,”she said faintly. He chuckled low in her ear.“Too late now.” His fingers found the hem of her shirt,and he hesitated—just briefly—before lifting it over her head.The air was cool against her skin,but his palms were warm,steady.He kissed the back of her neck.Then her shoulder.Then lower. Her breath caught. “Adrian…” “Shhh,”he whispered.“Let me take care of you.” She turned her head, and he met her halfway, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that started slow, deep, then turned
That afternoon,Adrian made the call himself. Within an hour,his private physician had sent over every recent medical report—scans,bloodwork,full health profiles—and even arranged for a house visit.A new round of tests was drawn and processed at top speed. By the end of the day,the fresh results arrived. Emily sat curled up on the living room couch,Adrian’s phone resting in her palm as she scrolled through the health report his doctor had just sent. Clean. All the new tests had come back normal—blood panels,cardiac scans,sleep profile.Everything. She finally let out a quiet breath,the knot between her brows loosening just a little. Then a notification popped up at the top of the screen. From:Leo Tan. Her thumb paused. Leo Tan? She blinked. That name—Her friend from university.The creative director behind MoonVisualsOfficial,the immersive lunar exhibit
Adrian: Probably just…self-inflicted panic. She read it twice, then thought back to the way he’d been lately. Quiet. Present. Almost like he was afraid of something slipping through the cracks. She typed: Emily: As long as it’s not emotional betrayal, everything else is negotiable. He replied instantly: Adrian: Promise? Emily didn’t type anything this time. Instead, she stood up and walked to the private lounge space Adrian had insisted the renovation team include just for her. It was quiet, soundproofed, with a lockable door. She closed it behind her, placed her phone in its usual stand, and turned on the front-facing camera. Her reflection stared back—clear-eyed and steady. She pressed record. “I promise,”she said.“As long as it’s not emotional betrayal or anything illegal, I will never leave you.” She stopped the recording and sent it to him, unedited. — In the backseat of a black Maybach, Adrian sat in silence. The privacy glass muted the world
When Emily stepped out of her office that evening, Adrian was already waiting by the car, a small velvet box in hand. She raised an eyebrow, curious.“What’s this?” He handed it to her with a smile.“From my aunt. She said it’s for you.” Emily lifted the lid carefully. Inside lay a cascading floral brooch, delicate and ornate. She recognized the design immediately—it was something she’d seen once in a museum exhibit, a rare piece from the Art Nouveau era. The petals were set with high-fire opals that shimmered with shifting colors, and the center gleamed with fine diamonds in place of stamens. It was exquisite. Irreplaceable. Adrian watched her expression.“Don’t worry. She’s not short on money—she genuinely wanted you to have it.” Emily ran a finger lightly along the edge of the brooch.“Then I’ll wear it the next time we have a family dinner. I want her to see I love it.” Jewelry like that wasn’t just a gift—it was a symbol. Wearing it meant more than just acceptance. It
“Yup,” Adrian said, still smiling as he offered a quick "Excuse me" to his aunt and stood up from the restaurant table, phone still in hand.He walked toward the quiet hallway just outside the dining area, the background noise fading as he moved.Back in her office, Emily leaned against her desk, one arm crossed while the other held the phone to her ear. Her screen still glowed faintly with open design drafts, but her attention was fixed on the call.“You just let her take over the video call like that?” she teased, voice low and amused.Adrian chuckled softly, stepping into the empty corridor. “Because you were being adorable.”Emily raised an eyebrow. “Your judgment’s unreliable.”He smirked. “Says who?”“Says me. You think everything I do is adorable.”A beat of quiet laughter passed between them.“I stand by it,” Adrian said, his tone warm, sincere.They both smiled, a quiet warmth settling between them through the screen.After they hung up, Adrian stared for a moment at the forw
He blinked, caught off guard by her lightness—then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m scared,”he murmured. That made her pause. Adrian? Scared? The man who always looked five steps ahead, who could bend a room with a single sentence? The softness in his voice felt like something sacred—raw and real in a way she hadn’t expected. Her heart stirred. “I think,”she whispered, touching his jaw,“I fall more in love with you every single day.” Adrian’s eyes didn’t move from hers. And just then, from the back of the vinyl shop, the turntable kicked in—static, then a piano chord, then soft strings. “Someday, when I’m awfully low…” “When the world is cold…” “I will feel a glow just thinking of you…” “And the way you look tonight.” The lyrics drifted gently through the space, filling the quiet between them like candlelight. Adrian’s fingers tightened slightly around hers. “I don’t think I ever told you,”he said, his voice low. She tilted her hea