Chapter 5

SELENE

The room felt too small, suffocating even. I stood frozen, my heart hammering in my chest as Adrien’s words echoed in my mind. He’d come for me? What did that even mean? I’d never seen this man before, never heard his name, yet he stood there like he owned the world—and me with it.

Margaret was the first to react, of course. She always had something to say. “Excuse me, young man,” she started, her voice dripping with indignation as she placed herself between Adrien and me. “Who exactly do you think you are? And what do you mean you’ve come for her? Selene isn’t going anywhere.”

Olivia wasn’t far behind, though her approach was… different. Her sharp blue eyes lit up as she stepped closer to Adrien, her lips curling into a flirtatious smile. “Oh, Margaret, don’t be so rude. We should at least hear him out.” Her gaze swept over him, lingering far too long on his sharp jawline and tailored suit. “I mean, who even are you? You must be someone important.”

Adrien didn’t spare either of them a glance. His focus was locked on me, and it was unnerving. He didn’t waver, didn’t so much as blink.

“Selene,” he said calmly, his voice deep and steady, “I’m here for you.”

Margaret scoffed, throwing up her hands. “Here for her? What nonsense! She’s perfectly fine where she is. Now, I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but—”

Adrien raised a hand, silencing her without a word. The sheer authority in that one gesture had Margaret clamping her mouth shut, her face turning red with frustration.

Olivia, meanwhile, moved a step closer to him, adjusting her blouse in a way that made me want to roll my eyes. “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” she said with a sickly-sweet tone. “Maybe we should all just… calm down and talk this out. You’re obviously someone with means.” Her gaze flicked to his watch, then his shoes, and finally back to his face. “Why don’t you tell us more about yourself? I’d love to know what brings someone like you here.”

Adrien ignored her completely.

That’s when it hit me—he hadn’t even acknowledged them. Not once. Not Margaret’s shrill accusations, not Olivia’s transparent attempt to throw herself at him. Nothing.

He was looking at me like I was the only person in the room, and it made my stomach twist in ways I didn’t understand.

Finally, I found my voice. “What do you mean, you’ve come for me?” I asked, trying to sound stronger than I felt. My words came out shaky, betraying my confusion. “I don’t even know who you are.”

His gaze remained cold and unwavering. “You’ll understand soon enough,” he said simply, his tone flat.

Margaret, of course, wasn’t going to let that stand. “Now wait just a minute!” she snapped. “You can’t just waltz in here, say something like that, and expect us to go along with it. Selene isn’t going anywhere with you, do you hear me?”

Adrien still didn’t look at her. Instead, he took a step closer to me, his movements deliberate, measured. “You’ve been receiving gifts,” he said, his tone quiet but firm.

The gifts. My breath caught. How could he possibly know about those?

“What about them?” I asked cautiously.

His lips twitched, almost like he was amused. “They were from me.”

The room spun for a moment, and I gripped the edge of the nearest chair to steady myself. “You?”

“Yes.”

“Wait, you?” Olivia’s voice cut in, her tone sharper now, the flirtation replaced by something that sounded suspiciously like jealousy. “You’ve been sending her those things? Are you serious?”

Adrien didn’t answer her, his eyes still on mine. “The flowers, the notes, the necklace,” he said, listing each item as though they were irrelevant details. “All from me.”

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. “But… why? Why would you do that?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “Because I was told to.”

“Told to?” Margaret interjected, her voice rising. “By who?”

Adrien finally turned his head, sparing her the briefest glance. “Sir Thomson Voss.”

The name hit me like a thunderbolt. “Sir Thomson Voss?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

Adrien nodded once, his expression unchanging.

My mind raced back to the old man at the nursing home, the one I’d nicknamed Mr. Thompson because I couldn’t bring myself to call him by his full name. He’d always been kind, always had a smile for me when I came by to help out. And then there was that one day, just a week ago…

His words came back to me, clear as day: “I’ve got a grandson, you know. Handsome, sharp as a tack. You’d be perfect for him.” He’d laughed afterward, like it was a joke. I’d laughed too, brushing it off as another one of his harmless remarks.

But now…

I stared at Adrien, my heart pounding. “You mean… him? Mr. Thompson? He’s your grandfather?”

Adrien’s lips twitched again, though it wasn’t quite a smile. “I take it you’re familiar with him.”

I didn’t know what to say. My mind was reeling, trying to piece everything together.

“He… he said something about his grandson,” I admitted, my voice shaky. “But I thought he was joking. I didn’t think…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Adrien tilted his head slightly, as though studying me. “It wasn’t a joke.”

I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. “So… all this? The gifts, you coming here—it’s because of him?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe it. None of this made sense. “But why? Why would he—why would you—do all this?”

His gaze turned cold, a thin layer of impatience coating his words. “Because it was a requirement. This arrangement benefits me, and I don’t waste time on sentiment. It’s as simple as that.”

“Requirement?” I echoed, my stomach tightening.

“Yes.” His voice was like steel. “This isn’t about your feelings, Selene. My grandfather wants this, and I’m here to fulfill my end of the deal. That’s all there is to it.”

The weight of his words crushed whatever fleeting hope I had that this might be more than some calculated transaction.

“So that’s it?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “You’re doing this because you have to?”

Adrien’s eyes met mine, devoid of emotion. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to. You’re just a piece of the puzzle, and now I have what I came for.”

The room was silent except for the pounding of my heart. His words were cold, calculated, and final. There was no room for argument, no hint of compassion.

I didn’t know what to say.