Semua Bab A Story That Doesn’t Belong To You: Bab 101 - Bab 107

Twenty minutes later, Ryan stepped out of the bedroom in a dark blue button up and neatly pressed black trousers. Adrien, waiting by the door in a tailored charcoal suit, let out a low whistle.Ryan rolled his eyes. “You’re overreacting.“I’m underreacting,” Adrien replied, offering his arm. “Now come on.They left the apartment, Adrien guiding Ryan toward the elevator without offering any clues. The moment they stepped outside, Ryan noticed the sleek black car waiting by the curb.“Who’s driving us?” Ryan asked.Adrien smirked. “No one. I’m driving.The ride was filled with Adrien’s quiet hums to the radio and Ryan’s curious glances at unfamiliar streets. It wasn’t until Adrien pulled into the driveway of a rooftop restaurant one of the most exclusive in the city that Ryan’s mouth fell open.“Adrien,” he said slowly, “we are not“We are.” Adrien cut him off with a satisfied smile, stepping out to open Ryan’s door.Inside, they were greeted immediately and led toward the private terra

They’d spent most of the day doing nothing swimming, eating too much, and pretending the outside world didn’t exist.It was the kind of silence Adrien loved: the steady rhythm of the tide, the occasional clink of Ryan’s glass when he took a sip, the warmth of the man pressed against him.Then his phone lit up with a name he almost never saw these days.Father.Adrien froze for a moment before answering.“Adrien,” the voice came, smooth and measured. His father had always been good at that making a greeting sound like an evaluation.“Hello….. Father,” Adrien said, leaning back in his chair, his tone cautious but not cold.“I was told you’re abroad.“Yes.” Adrien’s eyes flicked toward Ryan, who was still drowsy, unaware of the call’s undertones. “Taking some time off.There was a pause. Then, “You didn’t inform me.Adrien’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t think I had to.“You know very well that when it comes to your… personal choices, I need to be informed.” His father’s voice was calm, but e

Ryan had never seen Adrien fidget during breakfast before. The man could eat in absolute stillness, as if the world had nothing on him, but that morning, back in their apartment after the vacation, Adrien kept glancing at his phone. He’d set it face down on the counter, but each buzz made his hand twitch.“You’re going to crack the glass with how hard you’re ignoring it,” Ryan teased lightly, slicing into his toast.Adrien’s eyes flicked to him, warm for a moment before dimming. “It’s fine. Just my father.Ryan swallowed. The way he said father flat, almost metallic made the air feel heavier. “You’re not going to answer?”“No,” Adrien replied simply, taking a sip of coffee. “Not now.The subject died there, but Ryan felt the invisible weight of it pressing between them.The first message arrived two days later.Ryan had been in the living room, sketchbook in his lap, when his phone lit up with an unfamiliar number. He almost ignored it until curiosity got the better of him. The text w

Ryan had been expecting trouble, but not like this. Trouble, to him, meant whispered disapproval, pointed looks at gatherings, maybe the occasional gossip fueled snub. But this? This was something else entirely.Ella slammed the coffee mug onto the counter harder than necessary, making him jump. “They pulled our permit renewal,” she said flatly. Her hands were trembling, her eyes bright with the kind of fury that came only from feeling powerless. “The inspector came by this morning with a smirk, Ryan. A smirk. And do you know whose name he dropped?”Ryan didn’t need to ask. He already knew. “Adrien’s father,” he muttered.Ella nodded, her jaw tight. “Apparently, someone made a ‘concerned call’ about our hygiene standards. As if I’d let this place be anything less than spotless. And the kicker? He hinted that, maybe, if we ‘adjusted certain associations,’ things might go smoothly next time.Ryan’s stomach knotted. His chest felt heavy, like someone had poured cement into his ribs. “Thi