Chapter 5-The hired actor arrives

The music ended a moment later, and polite applause rippled across the dance floor as couples began stepping away. Adrian didn’t let go of my hand immediately as we walked toward the side of the room.

I reached for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

“You’re getting comfortable,” Adrian observed, his voice low, teasing.

“Shouldn’t I?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You hired me to look convincing.”

“That’s true,” I admitted.

He leaned slightly closer. “And I’m doing an excellent job.”

“Don’t get arrogant,” I murmured, trying to hide the small smile tugging at my lips.

“I prefer confident,” he replied smoothly.

Before I could respond, someone approached us again.

Cassy.

Certainly.

She stopped in front of us, holding her champagne glass like she had just uncovered the most scandalous story of the night.

“Ariana,” she said slowly, tilting her head as if savoring every word. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

“I have not,” I said, forcing my voice to remain even.

“You definitely have,” she insisted, nodding toward Adrian. “Where exactly did you find him?”

Adrian’s lips curved into a slight smirk before I could answer.

“She rescued me,” he said smoothly.

Cassy blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“What?”

“I was lost,” he continued calmly. “She took pity on me.”

I stared at him, incredulous.

“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath.

He shrugged slightly. “You told me to act natural.”

Cassy laughed, ignoring my muttered protest. “I like him,” she said brightly.

“Please don’t encourage him,” I muttered, but she was already scanning the room, her eyes suddenly sharp as she noticed something else.

The man in the suit stopped a few feet away from Ariana, looking both relieved and completely confused.

Adrian noticed it immediately.

He had been watching the man since Ariana first pointed him out near the entrance. The nervous shifting, the constant glances toward Ariana, the hesitation before walking over—none of it looked like a normal guest.

And now the man had walked straight toward them.

Interesting.

“Excuse me,” the man said carefully, his voice a little tight. “Are you… Ariana?”

Ariana turned toward him, clearly puzzled.

“Yes?”

The man exhaled like someone who had finally found what he was looking for.

“Oh, thank God.”

Adrian felt a quiet sense of understanding settle in his mind.

So that’s who he is.

The actor.

The one Ariana had actually hired.

For a moment, Adrian simply watched the situation unfold.

The man looked between Ariana and Adrian, confusion slowly spreading across his face as he noticed Ariana’s hand still loosely resting on Adrian’s arm.

Something about the way he stared made Adrian certain that if the man opened his mouth again, everything would unravel.

Adrian didn’t know why that thought bothered him.

But it did.

Before the man could continue speaking, Adrian moved.

“Excuse me,” he said smoothly, turning toward Ariana and Cassy. “I think someone is calling me.”

Ariana blinked.

“Who?”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“Come with me for a second,” he said quietly.

The man looked confused but allowed himself to be guided a few steps away from the group.

They stopped near one of the quieter corners of the ballroom, far enough that Ariana couldn’t hear them over the music and conversation.

The man frowned immediately.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on,” he began quickly, lowering his voice. “But I’m pretty sure there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. I was hired to—”

“Yes,” Adrian said calmly.

The man stopped talking.

Adrian studied him for a moment.

“You’re the actor Ariana hired.”

The man blinked in surprise.

“…Yes.”

He glanced back toward Ariana.

“Then why are you with her?”

Adrian followed his gaze for a moment before answering.

“That’s a long story.”

The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I’m really sorry I’m late,” he said again. “Traffic was insane, and my phone died. I tried to get here as fast as possible.”

Adrian believed him.

The nervousness looked genuine.

“How much did she offer you?” Adrian asked.

The question clearly caught the man off guard.

“What?”

“Your f*e.”

The man hesitated before answering.

“Half was paid already,” he said slowly. “The rest after the event.”

Adrian reached into the inside pocket of his jacket.

He pulled out his wallet.

The actor watched in confusion as Adrian removed several crisp bills and handed them to him.

The man stared down at the money.

“That’s… more than what she offered,” he said.

“I know.”

“Why are you paying me?”

“Because your services are no longer required.”

The man looked back toward Ariana again.

“But she—”

“Will not be needing you tonight.”

The actor studied Adrian carefully now.

“You’re not actually the actor she hired, are you?”

Adrian allowed himself the smallest smile.

“No.”

The man blinked.

“Then why are you pretending to be her boyfriend?”

Adrian opened his mouth to answer.

Then paused.

Because suddenly… he wasn’t entirely sure.

At the beginning, it had simply been amusing.

A stranger grabbing his arm and mistaking him for someone she had hired. The confusion. The opportunity to observe a situation that had nothing to do with him.

It had been entertaining.

But somewhere between the ceremony and the reception… something had shifted.

Watching Ariana try to hold herself together in a room full of people who clearly enjoyed judging her.

Watching her pretend not to care when her ex walked past with another woman.

Watching her smile like none of it bothered her.

Adrian had seen enough people to recognize that kind of performance.

And for some reason… he hadn’t wanted it to collapse.

“I suppose,” Adrian said finally, “I got curious.”

The actor raised an eyebrow.

“Curious?”

“Yes.”

“About what?”

Adrian glanced across the ballroom again.

Ariana was still standing with cassy her shoulder brushing lightly against hers as they both scanned the room. The laughter and the sound of glasses clinking were a far-off echo, a mere backdrop to the tempest of thoughts swirling within Ariana. Mark and Lucia navigated the room, a picture of poise, yet utterly impossible to overlook.

Every subtle glance, every careful step, seemed calculated to remind her that the past wasn’t gone.

Adrian’s hand found hers, a warm, grounding presence that steadied the rapid beat of her heart. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until his touch reminded her to breathe. She glanced down at their linked fingers and then back up, meeting his calm, unreadable expression. There was a quiet confidence about him that seemed to absorb the chaos around them, and it made her chest tighten in ways she hadn’t expected.

Cassy leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice. “They’re still staring,” she murmured, nodding subtly toward Mark. “Since the moment you arrived.”

Ariana let out a short laugh, a mix of exasperation and satisfaction. “Good,” she said. “That means the plan is working.”

Adrian’s lips twitched into a faint smile at her words. “Plans are easy,” he said softly, “but managing reactions… that’s the real test.”

The music ended a moment later, and polite applause rippled across the dance floor as couples began stepping away. Adrian didn’t let go of my hand immediately as we walked toward the side of the room.

I reached for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

“You’re getting comfortable,” Adrian observed, his voice low, teasing.

“Shouldn’t I?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You hired me to look convincing.”

“That’s true,” I admitted.

He leaned slightly closer. “And I’m doing an excellent job.”

“Don’t get arrogant,” I murmured, trying to hide the small smile tugging at my lips.

“I prefer confident,” he replied smoothly.

Before I could respond, someone approached us again.

Cassy.

Certainly.

She stopped in front of us, holding her champagne glass like she had just uncovered the most scandalous story of the night.

“Ariana,” she said slowly, tilting her head as if savoring every word. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

“I have not,” I said, forcing my voice to remain even.

“You definitely have,” she insisted, nodding toward Adrian. “Where exactly did you find him?”

Adrian’s lips curved into a slight smirk before I could answer.

“She rescued me,” he said smoothly.

Cassy blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“What?”

“I was lost,” he continued calmly. “She took pity on me.”

I stared at him, incredulous.

“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath.

He shrugged slightly. “You told me to act natural.”

Cassy laughed, ignoring my muttered protest. “I like him,” she said brightly.

“Please don’t encourage him,” I muttered, but she was already scanning the room, her eyes suddenly sharp as she noticed something else.

The man in the suit stopped a few feet away from Ariana, looking both relieved and completely confused.

Adrian noticed it immediately.

He had been watching the man since Ariana first pointed him out near the entrance. The nervous shifting, the constant glances toward Ariana, the hesitation before walking over—none of it looked like a normal guest.

And now the man had walked straight toward them.

Interesting.

“Excuse me,” the man said carefully, his voice a little tight. “Are you… Ariana?”

Ariana turned toward him, clearly puzzled.

“Yes?”

The man exhaled like someone who had finally found what he was looking for.

“Oh, thank God.”

Adrian felt a quiet sense of understanding settle in his mind.

So that’s who he is.

The actor.

The one Ariana had actually hired.

For a moment, Adrian simply watched the situation unfold.

The man looked between Ariana and Adrian, confusion slowly spreading across his face as he noticed Ariana’s hand still loosely resting on Adrian’s arm.

Something about the way he stared made Adrian certain that if the man opened his mouth again, everything would unravel.

Adrian didn’t know why that thought bothered him.

But it did.

Before the man could continue speaking, Adrian moved.

“Excuse me,” he said smoothly, turning toward Ariana and Cassy. “I think someone is calling me.”

Ariana blinked.

“Who?”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“Come with me for a second,” he said quietly.

The man looked confused but allowed himself to be guided a few steps away from the group.

They stopped near one of the quieter corners of the ballroom, far enough that Ariana couldn’t hear them over the music and conversation.

The man frowned immediately.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on,” he began quickly, lowering his voice. “But I’m pretty sure there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. I was hired to—”

“Yes,” Adrian said calmly.

The man stopped talking.

Adrian studied him for a moment.

“You’re the actor Ariana hired.”

The man blinked in surprise.

“…Yes.”

He glanced back toward Ariana.

“Then why are you with her?”

Adrian followed his gaze for a moment before answering.

“That’s a long story.”

The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I’m really sorry I’m late,” he said again. “Traffic was insane, and my phone died. I tried to get here as fast as possible.”

Adrian believed him.

The nervousness looked genuine.

“How much did she offer you?” Adrian asked.

The question clearly caught the man off guard.

“What?”

“Your f*e.”

The man hesitated before answering.

“Half was paid already,” he said slowly. “The rest after the event.”

Adrian reached into the inside pocket of his jacket.

He pulled out his wallet.

The actor watched in confusion as Adrian removed several crisp bills and handed them to him.

The man stared down at the money.

“That’s… more than what she offered,” he said.

“I know.”

“Why are you paying me?”

“Because your services are no longer required.”

The man looked back toward Ariana again.

“But she—”

“Will not be needing you tonight.”

The actor studied Adrian carefully now.

“You’re not actually the actor she hired, are you?”

Adrian allowed himself the smallest smile.

“No.”

The man blinked.

“Then why are you pretending to be her boyfriend?”

Adrian opened his mouth to answer.

Then paused.

Because suddenly… he wasn’t entirely sure.

At the beginning, it had simply been amusing.

A stranger grabbing his arm and mistaking him for someone she had hired. The confusion. The opportunity to observe a situation that had nothing to do with him.

It had been entertaining.

But somewhere between the ceremony and the reception… something had shifted.

Watching Ariana try to hold herself together in a room full of people who clearly enjoyed judging her.

Watching her pretend not to care when her ex walked past with another woman.

Watching her smile like none of it bothered her.

Adrian had seen enough people to recognize that kind of performance.

And for some reason… he hadn’t wanted it to collapse.

“I suppose,” Adrian said finally, “I got curious.”

The actor raised an eyebrow.

“Curious?”

“Yes.”

“About what?”

Adrian glanced across the ballroom again.

Ariana was still standing with cassy her shoulder brushing lightly against hers as they both scanned the room. The laughter and the sound of glasses clinking were a far-off echo, a mere backdrop to the tempest of thoughts swirling within Ariana. Mark and Lucia navigated the room, a picture of poise, yet utterly impossible to overlook.

Every subtle glance, every careful step, seemed calculated to remind her that the past wasn’t gone.

Adrian’s hand found hers, a warm, grounding presence that steadied the rapid beat of her heart. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until his touch reminded her to breathe. She glanced down at their linked fingers and then back up, meeting his calm, unreadable expression. There was a quiet confidence about him that seemed to absorb the chaos around them, and it made her chest tighten in ways she hadn’t expected.

Cassy leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice. “They’re still staring,” she murmured, nodding subtly toward Mark. “Since the moment you arrived.”

Ariana let out a short laugh, a mix of exasperation and satisfaction. “Good,” she said. “That means the plan is working.”

Adrian’s lips twitched into a faint smile at her words. “Making Plans are easy,” he said softly, “but execution… that’s the real test.”