Wedding Plans and Hidden Truths

Morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Blake mansion, bathing the dining room in a warm golden glow. Adrian sat quietly at the long dining table, dressed in a crisp white shirt, calmly finishing his breakfast.

A moment later, William Blake walked in with his usual commanding presence.

“Good morning, Adrian.”

“Good morning, Grandpa.”

The old man took his seat and unfolded his napkin as though something important had been on his mind all morning.

“About the wedding,” William began casually, lifting his teacup. “I think we should hold it at the Blake Grand Hotel. It’s the perfect venue.”

Adrian nearly choked on his coffee.

“The... wedding?”

William frowned. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already.”

Adrian stared at him in silence. He hadn’t told his grandfather how disastrously the last blind date had ended.

“I was planning to discuss the arrangements with Chairman Victor Stone—Aria’s father,” William continued. “Unfortunately, he’s away on a business trip overseas until next week. Honestly, time is precious.”

“You’re already choosing the venue?” Adrian asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

William smiled proudly.

“Young people waste too much time. Marriage is already on the table, so why delay it? The sooner you get married, the sooner I’ll have great-grandchildren.”

Adrian opened his mouth to explain.

“Grandpa, the truth is—”

He was interrupted again.

“That girl used to create chaos on every blind date,” William laughed. “But the moment she met you, she completely changed. Love at first sight, if you ask me. The two of you are destined to be together.”

Adrian forced a weak smile while his grandfather laughed heartily. Seeing the old man so happy made the truth even harder to tell.

Just then, Adrian’s phone vibrated repeatedly on the table.

He ignored it.

It rang again.

And again.

The family’s personal chef walked over with a polite smile.

“Sir, your phone has been ringing nonstop.”

Adrian frowned and finally picked it up.

A message notification flashed across the screen.

Aria.

His lips slowly curved into a smug smile.

“Looks like she’s already fallen head over heels for me,” Adrian said confidently. “She wants to see me.”

William’s eyes lit up immediately.

“Really? Let me see the message.”

Adrian quickly pulled the phone away.

“No need.” He slipped it into his pocket. “Let’s finish breakfast.”

William chuckled, clearly pleased, while Adrian silently wondered what Aria wanted this time.

Across town, Aria woke up with a pounding headache.

The memories of the previous night slowly returned. She had drunk far too much at the hotel’s open bar and ended up sleeping at Chloe’s apartment.

Chloe emerged from the kitchen carrying two mugs of coffee.

“Feeling alive again?”

“Barely,” Aria groaned, rubbing her temples.

The two friends got dressed for work, chatting as they prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Aria’s phone buzzed.

She glanced at the screen and froze.

“Chloe!” she called urgently. “Come here. Right now.”

Chloe hurried over.

“What happened?”

Aria held out her phone. The message was from Adrian.

The two of them leaned closer and read it aloud together.

> I’ll tell you where we’ll meet later.

>

Silence filled the room.

Chloe slowly turned to Aria.

“Don’t mess this up.”

Her expression became serious.

“And whatever you do, don’t say anything stupid and expose my identity.”

Aria sighed in frustration.

“Who exactly showed up to that blind date again?” Chloe asked, folding her arms.

“I hired someone through an agency to play my role,” Aria admitted. “She was a complete stranger.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes.

“So that’s your brilliant plan?”

“It was the only thing I could think of,” Aria replied defensively. “Are you happy now?”

Chloe shook her head before gently patting Aria on the shoulder.

“Just tell Adrian the truth... or at least tell him enough to fix this mess.”

Aria looked down at the phone in her hand, her heart suddenly heavy.

She knew the lie couldn’t last forever. The only question was how Adrian would react when the truth finally came out.