MasukI.V
Chapter Seven: The Contract Morning
POV: Adrian
A knock pulled my attention from the business contract I was reviewing.
"Come in."
I didn't look away from what I was doing. But the floral scent that instantly filled the room made me raise my head. She stood there in a royal blue gown that shimmered under the lights, her wavy hair sliding down to her slender waist, the dress hugging her curves perfectly.
Fo
I.V Chapter 37: The Purple Dress and Hidden Plans POV: Sarah A sharp cry pulled me out of sleep. I sat up quickly, heart racing. Claire stood near the bed, eyes red and swollen, phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her shoulders shook as she tried to hold back another sob. “Claire?” My voice came out rough from sleep. She looked at me, and whatever she had been trying so hard to hold inside finally broke. “Sarah…” Her voice cracked. She pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, but another sob escaped anyway. I threw the blanket aside and got out of bed. “What happened?” She shoved her phone toward me. A picture filled the screen. A beautiful girl stood beside Rand, smiling brightly at the camera. The caption underneath made my stomach tighten. Tonight’s gala with my favorite man. Can’t wait to make memories together. I looked at Claire. Her eyes were swollen, her hair was messy, and she looked like she hadn’t breathed properly since seeing the post. “She posted this less tha
I.V Chapter 36: Dinner and Shadows POV: Sarah The purple dress still hung carefully in the dressing room when Claire and I finally left the boutique. My cheeks felt warm every time I remembered the way Adrian had looked at me. He had tried to hide it, but I saw the way his eyes lingered and the slight redness at his ears. In the car, Claire kept replaying the whole scene with exaggerated excitement. “Did you see his face? He looked like someone had knocked the air out of him,” she said, laughing. “I’ve never seen that man lose his composure before.” I smiled but didn’t answer. Part of me felt shy. Another part of me felt something softer and more complicated. My phone buzzed. It was a reply from Adrian. Claire can join us. I’ll send the car at seven. Simple. Direct. Very him.By the time we returned to the penthouse, Margaret had already prepared a light snack and fresh clothes. Claire stretched out on the couch like she owned the place, still talking about the boutique drama
I.V Chapter 35: Out of Control POV: Adrian My phone vibrated quietly on the long conference table. I glanced down at the screen while one of the board members continued speaking. It was a text from Stanley. Some girls are causing trouble for Mrs. Sarah and Miss Claire at the boutique. My fingers paused over the phone. A small line of irritation formed between my brows. I typed a short reply under the edge of the table. Why haven’t you handled it? His answer came almost immediately. Mrs. Sarah didn’t want me to interfere. She stopped me. I stared at the message for a second longer than necessary. She had stopped him. That was so like her. I typed again. Who is the person? Stanley understood what I wanted. Within a minute he sent the full background report. Lilian. Daughter of the Burgs family. Our company held a major share in theirs. I asked how serious the situation had become. Stanley’s next message made the muscles in my shoulders and jaw tighten hard. Heat r
I.V Chapter 34: Buy and Bury POV: Sarah Dead silence filled the boutique. No one moved. No one spoke of anything anymore. The air suddenly felt thick and heavy, as if the entire room had stopped breathing at the same time. Workers stood frozen in place with wide eyes. Lilian and her two friends remained still, the red mark from Claire’s earlier slap standing out clearly on Lilian’s cheek. Even the soft background music seemed quieter than before. From the inner room, the boutique owner, Anthony, walked out with a small group of well dressed partners. They were still smiling and talking among themselves, clearly coming from a pleasant conversation. Anthony’s smile slowly faded when he noticed the strange quietness. He looked around, confused by the stunned expressions on everyone’s faces. His eyes swept across the room carefully until they finally landed on the man standing beside me. Adrian stood with both hands tucked deep into his pockets. His posture was relaxed, but his face
I.V Chapter 33: The Slap and the Storm POV: Sarah I woke up slowly. My head felt heavy and my body was still a little weak from the medicine I took the night before. Soft daylight came through the thick curtains, painting pale lines across the big bed. For a few seconds I just lay there, staring at the high ceiling of Adrian’s bedroom, trying to remember what day it was. Then I turned my head to the side. Someone was sitting on the couch across from the bed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, staring straight at me with wide eyes and a huge grin. She looked like she had been waiting for a long time just to catch the exact moment I opened my eyes. I almost jumped out of my skin. “Claire?!” I called out. Claire burst out laughing and threw both hands in the air. “Finally! I was starting to think you would sleep forever. Should I have just left you alone and let you become a sleeping princess in this giant bed?” She teased me. I hurriedly yanked the heavy duvet
I.V Chapter 32: The Softest Yes POV: Sarah The spoon hovered between us, still warm from the last bite he had just fed me. My cheeks were already burning from his teasing threat, but when he looked at me with those dark, serious eyes and quietly asked, “Can I kiss you again, Sarah?” …my heart forgot how to beat for a second. I stared at him, lips slightly parted. The powerful, cold CEO who barely showed emotion was looking at me like I was the only person that matters to him in the whole world. His hand still rested lightly near my cheek, not forcing, just waiting. “I…” My voice came out softer than I intended. “You’re really asking this time?” A small, almost boyish smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yes. This time I’m asking.” He answered almost softly yet with a pleading voice. Something warm and dangerous fluttered in my chest. I could still feel the heat of our earlier kiss, the way my body had betrayed me and melted into him. Claire’s shocked voice still
I.VChapter Two: Contract Marriage?POV: SarahThe Grand Meridian rose in front of me like it had been built specifically to make people like me feel small. Chandeliers sparkled behind floor-to-ceiling windows. Women in gowns that probably cost more than my rent climbed out of cars while valets rus
I.VChapter One: A Blind Date?Pov: Sarah The shrill sound of my 6:00 a.m. alarm drilled into my skull like an angry mosquito on steroids. I groaned, burying my face deeper into the lumpy pillow for one last rebellious second before dragging my exhausted body out of bed.In the bathroom, the mirro
I.VChapter Six: The Contract MorningPOV: SarahSleep evaded me the entire night. I tossed from one side of the bed to the other, my mind racing with questions about what would happen when I finally faced Adrian Cole again.Will he accept my terms? I
I.VChapter Five: The ImpersonatorPOV: AdrianI waited patiently for her to reach out. I expected anger. I expected her to flare up and argue against the contract marriage. I expected strong disagreement with every term I had written. Yet the hours passed in complete silence.Stanley had already r







