Thank You, Next

ADRIENNE

The man helped me gently into the car, ignoring the reporters who now stopped to snap us or take videos. At least, no one asked questions. Whoever this man was, he was powerful enough to silence even the media.

And he was friends with Marcus

.

At the thought of him, my heart missed a beat. I was both surprised and shocked by my body’s reaction to a man I met for the first time today.

“Are you alright?” the man asked when we stopped in front of a red light. He turned to look at me – without his shades on – and the green in his eyes would have stolen my breath away if my mind wasn’t already filled with thoughts of another man.

“Fine.” I swallowed, looking away to hide my blush. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He drummed his fingers on the steering. “I’m trying to make out what’s so special about you for Marcus to even call in a favor. He’s never done that for anyone before, not even that daughter of his.”

I swallowed again. “He really is her father then?”

The man shrugged. “I don’t care about his family dynamics. If he says she’s his daughter then she is. I have never questioned it and never will.” He looked at me again. “You, on the other hand…” he trailed off.

“Could you at least tell me your name?” I said as the light turned green and the car began moving again. “whether you wanted to or not, you saved my life out there and I should thank you for it.”

He arched a brow, his full lips forming a cute pout. “You want to thank me?” he tilted his head as if thinking about it. “Why not thank me by telling me what your relationship with Marcus is. He never calls in favors for just anyone.”

I looked away again. “I – we never met until today. I have no relationship with him.”

“Interesting.” The man said. “Well, you can call me Roman. But my full name is Roman Carter, CEO of –”

“The Carter Empire.” I completed, finally realizing who I was in the car with. His business was among the four leading businesses in the country and his family was the wealthiest. How had I not recognized him?

It was funny how I met two of the most powerful people in the country under the space of a few minutes. Was this fate? A message from the heavens?

The drive till we got to my apartment was quiet. None of us said anything – there was nothing left to say and I was too tired to start another conversation. As soon as his car stopped in front of the house, I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Thank you again, Roman.” I said softly.

Roman simply shook his head. “Marcus is the one you should be thanking. I’m just doing his dirty work for him.”

I allowed a small smile. “Still, thank you.”

Without waiting for him to argue, I stepped out of the car. Arlene was already at the door and she squinted at the car, mouthing questions at me as I walked towards her.

“Who the hell is that?” she shouted when I finally got to where she was standing. By then Roman had begun driving away. “Did he really bring you all the way from the gala? What about Eddie? He must be livid.”

I rolled my eyes, pushing her inside. “Can I at least catch a breath before you throw questions at me? I’m exhausted.”

“As you should be. You, Eddie, Lydia and the drama surrounding your relationship is what’s trending online. What really happened at that gala?”

I walked straight into the kitchen, trying to ignore both the pain in my head and Arlene’s incessant yapping. “C’mon, I have to know. There’s talks about you destroying Lydia and Eddie’ s relationship. That didn’t happen, did it?”

I rolled my eyes. “From what I saw, their relationship is still very much intact. I told him all I went there to tell him. That’s all that matters to me.”

Arlene shrugged. “Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the drama. By the way, who is the handsome guy who came to drop you off? And don’t tell me it’s nobody. I feel like I’ve seen him before, I just can’t remember. Is he part of the elite society?”

I nodded grimly. “That was Roman, CEO of the Carter Empire.”

Arlene eyes widened so much I was afraid they’d fall off their sockets. “Roman? As in Roman Carter? When did he get back in town? And why is he giving you rides? I didn’t realize you two were that close.”

It was my turn to shrug. “We aren’t close. Apparently, Lydia’s father is Marcus Steele, and he –”

Arlene squealed, jumping out of her seat. “Did you just say her father is Marcus Steele? Like the head of the Throne family? Like, isn’t he like one of the youngest trillionaires or something? He has a daughter as old as Claire? What really happened at that gala?”

I took a deep breath in and began explaining everything that happened at the gala to my friend. How Lydia ambushed me and her father stepped in, then later sent Roman to help me out of an impossible situation.

By the time I was done talking, Arlene was at the edge of her seat, excitement rolling off her in waves. “Damn, I missed this one, didn’t I? Next time I’m not sitting it out. I need to be at the center of dramas like these. It’s what I live and breathe for.”

I chuckled. “Right. Even if they’re centered around your best friend?”

She side-eyed me. “Especially if they are centered around my best friend.”

And we both laughed, the tension finally easing out of my bones. Somehow, I felt a strange peace settling into my bones. I could finally live for myself. My life has always been shaped by what others needed.

I would begin with the competition my mentor had informed me about. It will bring in money, and more importantly, might reconnect me with people. Thinking that, I pulled out my phone, searched my mentor’s contact and typed out a message.

“Thank you for thinking of me. I’ll take your advice and join the competition.”

After hitting the send button, I turned to my best friend with a sly smile. “Arly, I need help with something.”

Her brows arched, curiosity peaking. “What’s that?”

“I need help moving out of Eddie’ s house. Now that our relationship has ended, I don’t think there’s any need for me to return there. Remember you said you’d help me with anything I need? You can’t back out now.”

Arlene groaned, but conceded. “Fine. My day off is tomorrow anyway. I guess I can squeeze that into my very busy schedule.”