In His World

Adrian POV I walked into Marcus's bar at midnight because it was the only place in London where I could think without someone asking me questions I didn't want to answer, and Marcus looked up from wiping down the counter when I came through the door. "You look like someone died," he said. "Worse." I slid onto a stool. "My brother got engaged." Marcus stopped wiping. "James? Your brother James who said commitment was for people who'd given up on life?" "Apparently he found someone desperate enough to say yes." I signaled for a drink. "My father announced a new rule at dinner tonight, whichever son gets married first becomes CEO." "That's insane even for Richard Blackwell." Marcus poured me whiskey. "How long do you have?" "Seventy-two hours starting from when James announced his engagement three hours ago." I downed the drink. "So about sixty-nine hours now." "And you need a wife in sixty-nine hours." "I need a wife period, the timeline just makes it more interesting." I pushed

Elena POV The car pulled up to a mansion that looked like something out of a period drama and I sat in the passenger seat trying to calm my racing heart while Adrian checked his watch for the third time. "Remember what we discussed," he said. "We met at a charity event six months ago, fell in love, got married quickly because we couldn't wait." "Right." I looked down at the dress he'd sent to the hotel, black and expensive and not something I would ever pick for myself. "And if they ask questions I can't answer?" "Smile and look at me like you're in love, I'll handle the rest." Adrian opened his door. "Ready?" "No." But I got out anyway because I didn't have a choice. The mansion was even bigger up close with columns and perfectly manicured gardens and windows that probably cost more than my entire neighborhood, and I followed Adrian up the steps feeling like I was walking toward my execution. A butler opened the door before we could knock and led us through hallways lined with

Elena POVI couldn't sleep and the balcony was right there, just outside my bedroom window where Sophia had jumped two years ago.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her climbing over that railing and letting go, falling thirty floors to the pavement below, and I didn't even know what she looked like beyond that portrait at Richard's house but my brain was filled in the details anyway. It made her look like me because apparently that's what she did look like and that made everything so much worse.I pushed the covers off and sat up because lying there wasn't working, wasn't helping, and the silence in the apartment was pressing against my ears until I thought I'd go mad from it.The hallway was dark when I stepped out and I didn't turn on any lights because I didn't want Adrian knowing I was awake. He'd probably just tell me to go back to bed like I was a child who couldn't handle a little insomnia.I walked slowly and my bare feet were cold on the floor and I realized I didn't actuall

Elena POVI woke up to knocking sounds on my bedroom door and for a second I forgot where I was, thought maybe I was back in my old flat, but then I remembered and everything came crashing back."Elena." Adrian's voice came through the door. "Get dressed and come out."I sat up and rubbed my eyes, my whole body aching from lying awake all night thinking about the crying sound I'd heard. "Why?" I asked him."Just do it."His footsteps walked away and I dragged myself out of bed, pulled on jeans and a jumper, tried to make my hair look decent even though I felt like death. When I opened my door, Adrian was standing in the hallway outside Sophia's room with a key in his hand."What are you doing?" I asked."Opening it." He put the key in the lock. "You wanted to see what's inside so I'm showing you.""But last night you said—""Last night was last night and this morning my sister is coming over to give you something Sophia left and I'd rather you see the room first." He turned the key an

Elena POVAdrian's room wasn't what I expected and I stood in the doorway looking around trying to figure out what was wrong with it before I realized what it was. There was nothing personal here, nothing that said a real person lived in this space, just a bed and a dresser and a chair in the corner and walls that were completely bare.It looked like a hotel room or maybe a prison cell dressed up to look expensive."You can sit down," Adrian said from behind me. "I'll get you some tea or something.""You don't have to do that." I said to him,"I know but you've had a rough day and tea helps, that's what my mother used to say before she left." He walked past me toward what I assumed was the kitchen. "Just sit, I'll be back in a minute." He told me.I sat on the edge of his bed because I didn't know what else to do and the mattress was firm and cold like everything else in this apartment. The windows looked out over the city just like in my room but from a different angle and I was grat