9. Cause You Have To?

Gabby walked back to the mansion, the adrenaline from her confrontation with Adelyn replaced by a hollow feeling. She went to her room, her eyes immediately drawn to her jewelry box on the dresser. She opened it, rummaged through it, and her breath caught. Her wedding ring was gone.

‘Where is it?’ she thought, her hands trembling as she rummaged through her jewelry. ‘Adelyn... she said it wasn't on my finger. Did I take it off? Or Adryan?’

Gabby frantically searched her room. She looked in the drawers, under the bed, and in her bag. Every empty spot she found made her more desperate. The ring felt like the only tangible proof of the life she was living, and its loss made her feel as if she would vanish. She finally gave up, leaning her back against the wall, her head spinning with frustration.

After a while, she decided to distract herself. She had a bigger problem.

She walked to Adryan's study, the door tightly shut. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in," Adryan's voice came from inside.

Gabby pushed the door open. Adryan was sitting at sofa in front of his working desk, surrounded by piles of files. He looked tired, but his eyes sharpened as he saw her.

"I've come to collect on your promise," Gabby said, stepping into the room. "You said you'd help me with the gala speech."

Adryan let out a long sigh, as if she were a very heavy burden. "You want to do it now? This late at night?"

"I can't wait," Gabby replied. "The event is next week, and I have nothing."

Adryan leaned back in his chair. "Fine. Let's begin."

He grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pen. "What's the first thing you say when you get on stage?"

Gabby thought for a moment. "Hello, everyone?"

Adryan stared at her, his eyebrows raised. "That's not a gala speech. That's a greeting at a birthday party." He gestured to a chair. "Sit down. Don't waste my time."

Gabby sat down, feeling her anger rise. "Yeah, and you're not a great teacher."

Adryan ignored her taunt. "A charity speech is about moving emotions. Speaking to people's hearts. You have a special background, Gabby. You have to use that."

"But I don't know my background!" Gabby snapped. "You're the only one who knows, but you don't even believe me."

Frustration flashed in Adryan's eyes. "Stop repeating yourself. We don't have time for this. Try again. Imagine you're in front of a thousand powerful people. What do you want them to feel?"

Gabby closed her eyes. She thought about the faces of the children in her office, the photos she'd seen, and the maids' whispers. She imagined Adelyn's sharp gaze.

"I'll tell them that hope should not be a commodity," Gabby said, her voice slowly growing stronger. "I'll say that this foundation is not a political toy, but a promise to every child who has lost hope."

Adryan stared at her, surprised. "That's... good. But you can't just attack people. You have to be tactical."

"Why not? We're dealing with people who think they can buy everything!"

"Because you'll lose them!" Adryan shouted, his eyes flaring with anger. "You have to speak to them in their language. You have to make them feel like heroes, not villains."

"I won't lie to them! This is about sick children, not about getting votes!" Gabby yelled, tears beginning to flow.

Adryan stared at her, his anger subsiding. He saw the tears in her eyes, and he knew this wasn't an act. This was a real fight.

He took a deep breath. "I know. But we have to play by their rules." He held out his hand. "Give me your hand."

Gabby hesitated, but she put her hand in his. She didn't know what would happen, but she knew she had to.

"Now," Adryan said, his eyes meeting hers. "Let's start again. And this time, listen to me. You won't lie. You'll just be your most strategic self."

Adryan didn't let go of Gabby's hand. He took out a blank sheet of paper and a pen, then gave it to her.

"Forget everything in your head. No gala, no Mr. Steinbart," he said, his voice returning to a firm, professional tone. "Let's start from scratch. Talk to me. Tell me about a child in this foundation. One of the ones whose photo is on the board."

Gabby hesitated, then closed her eyes and thought. She thought about the faces she'd seen in her office. The faces she had studied. "There's a boy named Leo," she said, her voice soft. "He's six years old. He loves dinosaurs. He can't pronounce 'tyrannosaurus' correctly, so he calls it 'King T-Rex.'"

She recounted how Leo had refused treatment because he was afraid of needles, and how she had tried to convince him with a story about a dinosaur.

Adryan listened intently. He didn't interrupt. When Gabby finished, Adryan took the pen and started to write.

"A gala speech isn't just about numbers, Gabby. It's about stories. It's about heart. That's what they want to hear." Adryan explained, his tone gentle. "You don't have to lie. You just have to be honest. You have to be genuine."

He began to guide Gabby, showing her how to build a powerful speech, how to use words to evoke emotion, how to tell Leo's story so that everyone in the room would feel connected to him.

Time passed without them noticing. They sat close together at sofa in Adryan's room, their shoulders brushing from time to time. The masculine scent of Adryan and the sweet scent of Gabby's perfume filled the air, creating an intoxicating mix. Every accidental touch they felt sent an unexpected sensation through their bodies.

At one point, Adryan leaned forward to point out a sentence he had written, and their knees touched. This time, neither of them moved away.

"You have a natural talent," Adryan whispered, his eyes on Gabby's. "You always did."

Gabby swallowed. "Then why do you hate me?"

The question made Adryan stiffen. He pulled back, and a heavy silence returned between them.

"You... you don't understand," Adryan whispered, his voice barely audible.

Gabby reached out and touched his cheek, the warmth making Adryan flinch. "Then why are you helping?"

Adryan closed his eyes, turning his head, his lips brushing against the palm of Gabby's hand. He couldn't deny it. He could feel the burning desire under his skin. He grabbed Gabby's hand and held it tightly, his eyes meeting hers.

"I'm helping you," Adryan whispered, "because I have to."

Gabby stared at him, confused. "Why?"

"Because you're my political tool. Besides that, I can't take my eyes off you," Adryan admitted, his eyes filled with longing and desperation.

He grabbed Gabby and pulled her into his arms, their lips meeting in a passionate and lustful kiss.

As Adryan's kiss traveled down to her neck, Gabby asked, gasping and holding back a moan from Adryan's lips on her neck. However, she didn't want to get carried away. "Are you drunk?"

Adryan broke the kiss from Gabby's neck and looked into her eyes. "No."

"Are you also doing this because you have to?"