Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

New Adrian

The next morning, Lucy woke up before her alarm. The sun was already out, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a new notification.Adrian: Good morning, Lucy. I’m still thinking about how beautiful you looked. Have a great day at school. I’ll see you tonight.Lucy stared at the message for a long time. She wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe that the shopping trip hadn’t just been a way to buy her silence, but a genuine turning point. She sat up and stretched, feeling a spark of hope. Maybe Adrian was truly changing. She spent a little extra time getting ready. She chose a pair of dark slacks and a soft lavender silk blouse from her new collection. As she brushed her hair, she noticed that the dark circles under her eyes had faded. She looked like herself again."Well, look at you," Zoe said, leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. She was already dressed. "That lavender is definitely your color. Adrian’s text must have

Not What I Expected

At exactly seven o'clock, someone knocked at the dorm door. Lucy took one last look in the mirror, smoothing her dress, and adding the finishing touches to her makeup. She looked sophisticated and expensive, exactly the kind of woman a Matthews would want by his side.When she opened the door, Adrian was standing there in a grey suit that fit him perfectly. His hair was perfectly styled, he looked like a gentleman. In his hand was a bouquet of white lilies, their stems wrapped in a thick red ribbon. He looked at her, and for a moment, his eyes softened with what looked like genuine admiration."You look breathtaking, Lucy," he said, handing her the flowers. "The dress is even better on you than I imagined.""Thank you, Adrian," Lucy said as she blushed. "They’re beautiful."Zoe appeared behind her, leaning against the wall. "Wow. You two look like you just stepped out of a magazine. Have a great time, guys."Adrian led Lucy down to the car, his hand resting protectively on her back.

The walk out of the restaurant was blurry as the light kept shining on Lucy’s eyes. As soon as the heavy doors opened, the sidewalk was crowded with people holding cameras. The flashes were so constant they made Lucy’s eyes ache."Lucy! Over here! Give us a look at the ring!""Is it true the wedding was moved up because of your father’s health?"The reporters kept shouting questions, trying to get a reaction. Adrian didn't seem bothered at all. He wrapped his arm tightly around Lucy’s waist, pulling her close to him as they moved toward the car. Lucy kept her head up and kept a polite smile on her face. It was a look she had practiced many times for her father’s business events, but tonight, it felt heavier.A reporter with a handheld mic shoved her way toward them. "Miss Quinn! A sudden wedding right after finals, some are saying this is a strategic move for the merger. Do you have a comment on the timing?"Lucy didn't stop walking, but she turned her head just enough to give a polit

Taking a Risk

Lucy lay in bed for a few extra minutes, staring at the ceiling. Her head throbbed and her stomach felt like it was tied in knots. She felt ill, not with a flu, just exhausted from everything that had been happening. "Lucy? Stand up! We’re going to be late!" Zoe’s voice called out from the kitchen, followed by the cheerful clinking of a spoon against a ceramic mug. Lucy groaned softly and forced herself to sit up. She didn't want to go to class. She didn't want to see the whispers or the cameras. She just wanted to crawl back under the covers and stay there until the thirty days were over. But she knew that wasn't an option. Adrian had told her to behave, and "behaving" included being the perfect and present student. She dressed simply in a high-necked sweater and a pair of dark jeans, hoping to blend in, though she knew it was impossible. She skipped breakfast, her stomach was too unsettled to eat, and grabbed her bag. As she stepped out of the dorm with Zoe, the atmosphere on

Another Cafe Meeting

Lucy waited until she saw Zoe walk out of the campus before she moved. Her heart kept beating fast against her chest, she kept her head down, pulling her cardigan tight, and took the long way around the campus. She was constantly glancing over her shoulder to see if any of Adrian’s associates or friends were watching. She walked towards the old bookstore along the road, the cafe was hidden behind it. She saw him immediately. Jonathan was sitting in the back corner, watching the door. When he saw her, he smiled in relief. "You made it," he said softly, standing up to pull out a chair for her. He pushed a steaming latte toward her. "Extra oat milk. I figured you needed the sugar. You look pale." Lucy sank into the chair, her hands trembling slightly as she gripped the warm drink. "Is it that obvious? Everyone is just... staring. I feel like I’m walking around with a giant price tag on my forehead. People are literally whispering my father’s medical history in the hallways." "Ignore

His Muse

The walk back to the dorms was quiet and long. Lucy kept her head down, her sneakers scuffing against the pavement as she hurried past the campus green. Every time a car slowed down near the walkway, her heart skipped a beat, terrified it was Adrian’s car.She checked her phone for the tenth time. It was almost six-thirty. She was officially late for the "daily check-in," and Adrian was not someone who liked to wait.Just as she reached the dorm doors, they swung open. Lucy nearly walked right into Zoe, who was stepping out. Both girls jumped back, looking equally guilty."Oh! Lucy!" Zoe gasped, quickly smoothing her hair and adjusting her jacket. "You’re back late. I thought you were just going to the library for an hour?"Lucy felt a bead of sweat run down her neck. She tried to make her voice sound bored and tired, like she’d been staring at dusty books all afternoon. "I got caught up. I was trying to find a specific chapter for the project and completely lost track of time. My pho

A Story

The next morning, as Lucy walked toward the lecture hall with Zoe, she noticed several students huddled over their phones, pointing at the financial news."Have you seen Adrian?" Zoe asked, her voice sounding a bit too loud."No," Lucy admitted. "He didn't call this morning. He didn't even send a text."Usually, Adrian would send her a "Good morning" text at 7:00 AM sharp, not because he was romantic, but because it was a way of checking in. To have him vanish was unsettling. Lucy felt worried for her father’s security. "He’s probably just busy with that server stuff he mentioned last night," Lucy added, trying to sound like a supportive fiancée.Zoe nodded quickly, looking distracted. "Right. The business. It’s probably a nightmare. I actually... I have to go right after our last class today. My mom needs me to help her with some errands across town. Do you mind if I don't walk back to the dorm with you?"Lucy blinked. Zoe rarely volunteered to leave her side. "No, of course not.

A Long Night

Somewhere in the Matthews estate; Adrian stood by the window in his private room, his suit jacket discarded on a leather armchair and his tie was loosened, it hung limply around his neck. His shirtsleeves were rolled up, revealing his tensed forearms as he gripped the edge of his mahogany desk."There’s nothing there Arthur!" Adrian shouted into his headset. "It isn't coming from the major firms. Someone is shorting us from the inside of the Singapore routing. If I find out who leaked the encryption protocols, I’ll bury them."He listened for a moment, his jaw tightened. "I don't care about the wedding PR right now! If the stock drops another four points, there won't be a company left to merge. Just... just get the legal team on it."He pulled the headset off and slammed it onto the desk. Adrian reached for a wine bottle, pouring amber liquid into a glass with his hands shaking with anger. "You look like you're about to tear the world apart," a soft feminine voice said from the shad

The First Glitch

Adrian hadn't slept. His expensive white shirt was wrinkled, his tie had been tossed into a corner, and his hair was a mess from him running his hands through it in frustration. He stared at a large digital map on his desk. A blinking red dot that represented the Matthews Star, his company's most important cargo ship—hadn't moved in hours. "What do you mean you can’t find it?" Adrian’s voice was low, but it held a sharp edge that made the air in the room feel cold. "Sir, the GPS went dark at three in the morning" the logistics director whispered. The man looked like he was about to collapse. He was pale, shaking, and sweating through his suit. "We’ve tried every backup, every satellite override. The workers are out there searching the last known coordinates, but the ship is just… gone. Five hundred million dollars in electronics and raw materials. It's vanished." Adrian swept his arm across the desk, knocking a heavy glass vase onto the floor. It shattered with a loud noise that

The Small Desk

Lucy walked toward the back corner, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had seen the headlines. She had seen the photo of Adrian looking like a madman.Jonathan was already there. He was sitting at a small, cramped wooden desk tucked between two bookshelves. It was a spot meant for one person, but he had already pulled up a second chair, leaving almost no space between them."You're late, my muse," Jonathan said, not looking up from his sketchbook. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I was beginning to think the Duke had finally kidnapped you."Lucy sat down, her shoulder brushing against his. The desk was so narrow that their legs were forced to tangle under the wood. Every time she moved, her thigh brushed against his denim jeans. "The Duke is the least of my worries today. Did you see the news?"Jonathan finally looked at her. His dark eyes were calm. "I saw. A lost ship and a very angry fiancé. How are you holding up?""I'm... conflicted," Lucy admitted, opening her textboo

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Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

New Adrian

Not What I Expected

Trending

Taking a Risk

Another Cafe Meeting

His Muse

A Story

A Long Night

The First Glitch

The Small Desk