Ch. 4: The Fiancée

It was a warning as much as it was a promise. Ethan brought over a glass of water for Adrian, his fingers brushing his just briefly enough to make Adrian’s chest tighten. Cassandra’s eyes flicked to the exchange. She didn’t miss anything. When Ethan stepped away, she leaned in just enough for Adrian to catch the faint scent of her perfume—rich, expensive, and faintly poisonous.

“You have a very loyal assistant,” she said softly.

Adrian’s face didn’t move, but his pulse stumbled. “Ethan is… indispensable.”

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, then drifted toward where Ethan stood reviewing a document with one of Adrian’s advisors. “Good. Keep him close. Loyalty is a rare currency in our world.”

The rest of the meeting played out like a game of chess—smiles, carefully chosen words, and agreements that were more threats than promises. By the time it ended, Adrian’s head ached. Outside the boardroom, Cassandra slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. “I’ll call you tomorrow. We should be seen together soon. It’s important the city starts believing the story.”

“And what story is that?” Adrian asked.

“That you belong to me,” she said sweetly, before walking away.

Ethan appeared at his side almost immediately. “She’s…”

“A problem,” Adrian finished.

Ethan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “She was watching me.”

“I noticed.” Adrian’s tone was quiet but edged. “And I don’t like it.”

They walked toward the elevator in silence, the tension between them now laced with something new—danger. Cassandra Rossi had made one thing clear without saying it outright: she wasn’t going to fight for Adrian’s heart. She was going to control everything around it. And if she’d already noticed Ethan… It was only a matter of time before she decided he was in her way. The Valerio penthouse was silent except for the faint hum of the city far below. Adrian stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, his reflection staring back at him in the glass, jaw tight, hands shoved into his pockets.

The meeting with his father had ended in shouting—ugly, public shouting that echoed down the marble halls of the Valerio estate. Adrian had left before the last insult was even finished.

“Adrian,” Ethan’s voice came from behind him, quiet but firm. “You can’t keep walking out like that. It just gives them more leverage.”

Adrian turned, eyes dark. “Leverage? Ethan, my father just sold my life like it was another piece of the portfolio. He didn’t ask. He didn’t care. He made me a pawn in his deal with the Rossis.”

Ethan stepped closer, the tension in his posture matching Adrian’s. “I know. But if you lose control now, you give them exactly what they want—proof you’re not ready to lead.”

Adrian’s laugh was sharp. “Ready to lead? I’ve been running this company while he plays king for years. The only thing I’m not ready for is pretending I want to marry Cassandra Rossi.”

Ethan hesitated. “Then don’t pretend with me.”

Something in Adrian stilled. His gaze locked on Ethan’s, and for a moment, neither of them moved.

“You think I want her?” Adrian’s voice was low, rough. “You think she’s what I…” He stopped himself, raking a hand through his hair. “God, Ethan. I’ve always...”

He cut himself off again, as though the words might burn if he spoke them. Ethan’s heart thudded in his chest. “Always what?”

Adrian crossed the space between them in three long strides, his hand gripping the back of Ethan’s neck before the words even left his mouth. “Always wanted you.”

The confession landed like an earthquake—no warning, just impact. Ethan’s breath caught.

“Adrian..”

“I can’t do this anymore,” Adrian said, his forehead resting against Ethan’s. “Every day I stand next to you and act like you’re just my assistant. Like you’re not the only person who sees me—really sees me.”

Ethan’s voice was barely a whisper. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying.”

And then Adrian kissed him. Ethan’s breath was still uneven, his lips tingling from the kiss. He could barely look Adrian in the eye.

“Adrian… you can’t just...”

“I’ve wanted to do that for years,” Adrian cut in, voice low and raw. “Every late night in the office… every time you looked at me like you saw past all this...” he gestured vaguely to his tailored suit, the skyline outside, the weight of his family name... “I thought I was imagining it.”

“You weren’t,” Ethan admitted, the words slipping out before his mind could stop them. His hands tightened around the edge of the couch. “But you’re engaged. To her. This can’t…” He trailed off, the truth too bitter to finish.

Adrian leaned forward, elbows on his knees, searching Ethan’s face like it held all the answers. “Do you think I care about Cassandra Rossi? That arrangement is my father’s idea of a power move. I’ve been suffocating for months.”

“You think being with me will make it easier?” Ethan’s voice cracked.

Adrian’s eyes softened in a way Ethan had never seen before. “Being with you makes it worth it.”

For a moment, the city noise faded. The only sound was the soft hum of the penthouse lights and the pounding in Ethan’s ears. He wanted to believe it. God, he did believe it but the part of him that had learned to survive knew what came next: the fallout.

“People won’t understand,” Ethan murmured.

“I don’t need people to understand,” Adrian said, his tone sharp with conviction. “I just need you to stay.”

Ethan swallowed hard, feeling the room tilt in a way that had nothing to do with the champagne they’d shared earlier.