CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER 7

The black Rolls-Royce glided silently through the towering iron gates of the Lewis estate before merging onto the quiet streets of Panilton.

Morning traffic had already begun to build, but inside the luxury car, everything remained calm.

Normally, Adrian used the forty-minute drive to the office to review contracts, answer emails, or prepare for the meetings waiting for him at Lewis Corporation. His tablet rarely left his hands, and by the time he arrived at work, half his day's decisions had already been made.

Today was different.

The tablet lay untouched beside him.

His laptop remained closed.

Instead of reviewing financial reports, Adrian found himself staring absentmindedly through the tinted window as the city drifted past.

His thoughts, much to his own surprise, kept wandering back to the Lewis mansion.

More specifically...

To the woman he had left there.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he remembered the look on Natalie's face that morning.

"I've decided to try healthier habits."

She had said it with such confidence that, for a brief moment, he had almost believed her.

But the nervous relief that followed after he accepted her explanation had been impossible to miss.

It had been... unexpectedly endearing.

Adrian let out a quiet chuckle.

He couldn't remember the last time someone's awkwardness had amused him.

Perhaps he had spent so many years seeing Maria as nothing more than his future business partner that he had never truly paid attention to her.

Or perhaps...

She really had changed.

Since the wedding, she seemed calmer, Less concerned about appearances.

There was a softness about her now that hadn't existed before.

Even the way she smiled felt different, It felt... genuine.

His thoughts drifted to the previous night.

The shy way she had looked at him after their kiss, The warmth in her eyes, The honesty in her voice when she had whispered that she liked him too.

For years, Adrian had convinced himself that love belonged in fairy tales.

He had buried the memory of the little girl from St. Mary's Orphanage beneath endless meetings, business deals, and responsibilities.

Yet somehow...

In just a few days, the woman sleeping beside him had begun chipping away at the walls he had spent years building around his heart.

The driver glanced at him through the rear-view mirror.

"Good morning, sir."

Adrian looked up from his thoughts.

"It is."

The driver blinked in surprise.

He had worked for the Lewis family for almost fifteen years.

During that time, he had driven Adrian through billion-dollar negotiations, hostile takeovers, family funerals, and countless business trips.

Never…not once…had Adrian described a morning as “good”.

The older man smiled quietly to himself before returning his attention to the road.

Perhaps marriage suited his employer better than anyone had expected.

Adrian, oblivious to the driver's thoughts, turned his attention back to the passing city.

For the first time in years...

He wasn't looking forward to the end of the workday because another meeting awaited him.

He was looking forward to going home.

The realization caught him completely off guard.

Home, Not the mansion, Not the Lewis estate, Home.

Without realizing it, he had already begun associating the house with someone waiting for him.

Someone whose smile had started lingering in his thoughts far longer than it should.

A soft vibration pulled him back to reality.

His phone lit up with a reminder.

Board Meeting – 10:00 a.m.

Adrian picked up his tablet, intending to review the presentation.

Instead, his fingers hesitated.

Almost unconsciously, he opened the photo from his wedding day.

He studied the woman standing beside him.

She was looking up at him beneath her veil, her brown eyes filled with nervousness.

At the time, he had assumed it was wedding anxiety.

Now...

Looking at the photograph again, he noticed something else.

There was innocence in those eyes.

An innocence he couldn't remember ever seeing in Maria before.

He frowned slightly.

"Strange..."

The feeling was fleeting, disappearing as quickly as it came.

He dismissed it with a quiet shake of his head before locking his phone.

Whatever had changed after the wedding...

He wasn't complaining.

If anything...

He wanted to understand this new version of his wife.

The Rolls-Royce finally slowed to a stop beneath the towering glass headquarters of Lewis Corporation.

Employees waiting outside immediately straightened as Adrian stepped out of the car.

Conversations ceased.

Phones disappeared into pockets.

Everyone greeted him with the same mixture of respect and fear.

"Good morning, Mr. Lewis."

He acknowledged them with a polite nod before walking through the revolving doors.

As always, the building came alive the moment he entered.

Assistants hurried across the marble floors.

Executives adjusted their ties.

Secretaries organized files at twice their previous speed.

To everyone else...

Adrian Lewis was the intimidating CEO who never smiled.

No one would have guessed that only twenty minutes earlier, he had spent an entire car ride thinking about his wife.

The moment Adrian stepped onto the executive floor, the warmth that had briefly softened his expression disappeared.

His face returned to its usual calm, unreadable mask.

To everyone at Lewis Corporation, he was no longer a husband.

He was their CEO.

His assistant, Ethan Brooks, was already waiting outside the office with a tablet tucked beneath one arm.

"Good morning, sir."

"Morning."

Ethan followed Adrian inside as he removed his suit jacket and draped it neatly over the back of his chair.

"You have a full schedule today," Ethan began. "The board meeting starts in forty-five minutes, the investors from Singapore arrive this afternoon, and the legal team is waiting for your approval on the Morrison acquisition."

Adrian nodded as he skimmed through the documents Ethan handed him.

"Move the acquisition meeting to tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

"The investors?"

"They've already confirmed."

"Good."

Ethan hesitated.

"There was also a call from the Lewis Charity Foundation."

Adrian looked up.

"The Foundation?"

"Yes, sir. They were hoping Mrs. Lewis could review a few documents today, but Mrs. Carter explained she was still recovering from the wedding."

Adrian leaned back slightly.

"I'll speak to Mrs. Carter later."

"Very well, sir."

As Ethan turned to leave, Adrian called him back.

"Ethan."

"Yes?"

"Connect me to the house."

Ethan blinked.

"The house... sir?"

"The mansion."

"...Of course."

Trying not to show his surprise, Ethan quietly left the office.

In the five years he had worked for Adrian Lewis, never once had his employer phoned home during working hours unless it concerned business.

Marriage really was changing him.

Back at the Lewis mansion, Natalie sat in the sitting room surrounded by files.

She had intended to read them one by one.

Instead, they seemed to multiply every time she opened another folder.

Budgets, Charity proposals, Donation summaries, and Letters requesting sponsorship.

Even though she had always enjoyed reading, these reports made her head spin.

She rubbed her temples with a sigh.

"How did Maria keep up with all this?"

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

Mrs. Carter entered carrying a tray with tea and freshly baked scones.

"I thought you might need a little break."

Natalie looked up gratefully.

"You've just saved my life."

Mrs. Carter laughed.

"I doubt the paperwork is that terrible."

"You'd be surprised."

The older woman placed the tray on the coffee table.

"You've been working for nearly two hours."

Natalie blinked.

"Has it really been that long?"

Mrs. Carter smiled.

"You become completely absorbed whenever you're reading."

Natalie forced a smile, hoping she hadn't revealed how little she actually understood.

Before she could say anything else, another maid hurried into the room.

"Mrs. Carter?"

"Yes?"

"Mr. Lewis is on the telephone."

Natalie's heart skipped.

"For me?"

The maid nodded.

"He asked to speak with Madam personally."

Mrs. Carter smiled knowingly.

"I'll leave you to it."

Natalie walked toward the telephone, trying to ignore the strange flutter growing inside her chest.

She lifted the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Adrian's voice was calm, carrying the same quiet confidence it always did.

Natalie couldn't help smiling.

"Only my battle with several terrifying financial reports."

A soft chuckle came from the other end.

"So they've reached you already."

"I'm beginning to think everyone overestimated Maria."

"I'm sure they didn't."

His answer came so naturally that Natalie found herself smiling even more.

"How's work?"

"The usual."

"Busy?"

"Always."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Yet the silence felt comfortable rather than awkward.

It surprised Natalie how easy it was becoming to talk to him.

"I just wanted to check on you," Adrian said after a moment.

Her fingers tightened around the receiver.

"You... wanted to check on me?"

"You looked distracted this morning."

Natalie's smile faded slightly.

The phone call.

She had tried so hard to forget it.

"I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

There was a brief pause before Adrian spoke again.

"If anything becomes too overwhelming..."

His voice softened.

"You don't have to carry it alone."

Natalie closed her eyes.

No one had ever said those words to her before.

Not at the orphanage.

Not after leaving it.

She had always solved every problem by herself.

"...Thank you."

"I mean it."

"I know."

A faint smile appeared on Adrian's face as he looked through the office window.

"I'll try to leave work early."

"You don't have to."

"I know, But I'd like to."

Her heartbeat quickened.

"I'll see you tonight."

"I'll be waiting."

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Both of them fell silent.

Natalie covered her face with one hand.

Why had she said that?

A smile slowly spread across Adrian's lips.

"I look forward to it."

After the call ended, Natalie remained standing beside the telephone for several moments.

Without realizing it...

She was smiling.

Across the city, the television inside the presidential suite of the Grand Imperial Hotel played quietly in the background.

Maria barely paid attention as she unpacked her suitcase.

News anchors discussed business mergers, politics, and celebrity scandals.

None of it interested her.

Until...

"...the newly married couple, Adrian Lewis and Maria Daves..."

Maria froze.

Slowly, she turned toward the television.

Photographs from the wedding filled the screen.

Her expression darkened.

She hadn't been there.

She knew that.

So why were the reporters showing photographs of Adrian standing beside his bride?

She stepped closer.

The woman wore her wedding dress.

Her veil.

Her jewellery.

Her face.

Maria's fingers tightened around the remote.

"What is this?"

The reporter continued speaking.

"Sources close to the Lewis family say the couple have spent the past few days adjusting surprisingly well to married life."

Another photograph appeared.

This time Adrian was looking at his bride.

Not with obligation.

There was unmistakable tenderness in his eyes.

Maria stared at the screen in disbelief.

He had never looked at her like that.

Not once.

Jealousy stirred quietly inside her chest.

Someone had taken her place.

The girl was living the life she had rejected.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Find out everything you can about the woman staying at the Lewis mansion."

She paused.

"And don't let anyone know you're investigating."

"Yes, Miss Daves."

Maria ended the call and walked back toward the window overlooking the city.

She didn’t know that Natalie was the one who ended up marrying Adrian

"Whoever you are..."

She whispered.

"...I'm going to enjoy taking my life back."

Back at the Lewis estate, Natalie wandered into the east garden, hoping the fresh air would quiet her racing thoughts.

White roses bloomed around a marble fountain, their sweet fragrance drifting through the afternoon breeze.

For the first time all day, she felt herself relax.

She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle sound of flowing water.

"You don't usually come here."

Natalie opened her eyes and turned.

A young woman stood several metres away.

She was elegant, beautifully dressed, and only a few years younger than Adrian.

There was no smile on her face.

Only quiet curiosity.

Natalie offered a polite smile.

"I'm sorry... have we met?"

The young woman's eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly.

"So you really don't remember."

Natalie hesitated.

"I'm afraid not."

The woman studied her for several long seconds before speaking again.

"I suppose memory loss really can change a person."

She took one step closer.

"My name is Vanessa."

She extended her hand.

"Vanessa Lewis."

Natalie's pulse quickened.

Adrian's sister.

She remembered Mrs. Carter mentioning the Lewis family earlier.

Natalie accepted her hand with a nervous smile.

"It's nice to meet you."

Vanessa's smile never reached her eyes.

Somehow...

She had the unsettling feeling that the woman standing before her wasn't here for a friendly visit.

And although Vanessa said nothing more...

A single thought lingered in her mind.

Something about Maria wasn't the same anymore.

And no matter what,she’s going to find out what.