Soft morning light slipped through the curtains, brushing across the quiet room like a gentle whisper. The night before had ended in silence — the kind of silence that carries the weight of everything unspoken. Lila stirred slowly, her lashes fluttering as her eyes adjusted to the warm glow spilling over the sheets. She turned her head slightly and saw Adrian sitting at the edge of the bed, already awake, his gaze fixed on her with a stillness that made her chest tighten.
For a long moment, neither spoke. The only sound was the soft hum of the air and the faint rhythm of their breathing. Adrian looked as though he hadn't moved for hours — his hands resting on his knees, his shirt still halfway buttoned, his eyes tracing her as if he couldn't quite believe she was real.
Lila pushed herself up slowly, the sheets falling around her waist. "Why did you tell everyone we're married?" she asked softly, her voice still husky from sleep. "You made them all believe something that wasn't supposed to leave that paper."
Adrian's jaw flexed, and for a moment, he didn't respond. His silence made her nervous. Then, without a word, he stood and walked toward the small wardrobe near the bed. Lila watched, her brows furrowing in confusion. He opened the top drawer, reached inside, and pulled out a white envelope — the one that held their marriage contract.
Her breath caught. "Adrian…"
He didn't look at her. Instead, he tore the envelope open, pulled out the papers, and in one slow, deliberate motion, began to rip them apart — piece by piece. The sound of tearing paper filled the room, sharp and final.
Lila's heart raced. "What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Adrian turned to her, the last of the papers crushed in his hand. "Ending what never should've been written," he said simply. His voice was low, but there was an edge of fire beneath it. "I don't need a contract to keep you in my life, Lila. I don't need paper to tell me how I feel about you."
She blinked, unable to find words. "You can't just— Adrian, that was the deal. The whole reason we—"
"The deal is over." He tossed the shredded papers into the wastebasket beside the bed. "Because I don't want a pretend wife anymore."
Her lips parted. "What are you saying?"
Adrian's gaze softened as he took a step closer. "I'm saying I'm in love with you." His words landed heavy, real, and unguarded. "Somewhere between all the lies and the pretending, you became the only thing that feels right in my world. And if you don't love me back, that's fine. Our contract's gone. You're free to walk out that door and never look back."
Her throat tightened. She could hear his heartbeat in the stillness — steady, sure, waiting. The morning light fell across his face, catching the faint stubble along his jaw, the quiet vulnerability in his eyes.
She swallowed hard. "You… love me?"
"Yes," he said, without hesitation. "Completely. I've fought it, ignored it, tried to bury it under every reason I could think of, but I can't anymore. I love you, Lila Harts."
The way he said her name made something inside her unravel. She wanted to look away, to hide from what she was feeling, but she couldn't. Adrian stood before her — no walls, no pride, no distance — just a man who had chosen her.
Lila lowered her gaze, her heart pounding wildly. She thought of the first day she'd met him, how cold and unreadable he had been. The man standing before her now was different — stripped of all his armor, raw and honest.
When she finally looked up, her voice came out barely above a whisper. "You know this marriage was never supposed to be real. It was for the company, the papers, the investors…"
"I know," he interrupted softly. "But the feelings became real. You became real."
Her chest rose and fell quickly. He took another step closer, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek.
"Do you love me, Lila?" he asked, his voice almost trembling.
The question hung between them, fragile and full of everything they'd avoided saying.
She looked at him for a long moment, every memory flashing through her mind — the arguments, the laughter, the late nights when they worked side by side, the quiet glances they shared when they thought the other wasn't looking. She realized then that somewhere along the way, she had stopped pretending too.
"Yes," she breathed. "I love you."
The words were barely out of her mouth before Adrian pulled her into his arms, his lips finding hers in a desperate, aching kiss. It wasn't the kind of kiss that asked for permission — it was the kind that confessed everything he couldn't say.
Lila gasped softly as he deepened it, his hands sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her closer until she could feel the strength of his heartbeat against her chest. The air between them thickened, the room spinning with heat and emotion.
She didn't resist — she didn't want to. Her hands found his shoulders, then his collar, clutching him as if letting go would break her. The kiss grew slower, deeper, until it became something more — something that spoke of love, of surrender, of two people who had finally stopped running.
Adrian broke the kiss just long enough to look at her. "You sure?" he whispered, his forehead resting against hers.
Lila nodded, breathless. "Yes."
That was all it took.
He lifted her gently, laying her back against the bed as the soft light washed over them. The world outside didn't exist anymore — not the whispers, not the company, not the past that had haunted them both. All that mattered was this moment, the sound of their hearts beating in sync.
The air grew warmer, filled with quiet laughter, sighs, and the kind of tenderness that only comes when love is finally confessed. Their words faded into touches, their fear melting into something deeper. Time slowed, and the space between them disappeared completely.
Adrian kissed her again — slower this time, reverent. Every movement was filled with unspoken promises, every touch an echo of the love he'd finally admitted.
Lila felt his hand slide into hers, their fingers locking together. It was as if, in that single moment, every wall that had ever stood between them fell apart.
What happened next wasn't just passion — it was connection. Two souls finally meeting where they had always belonged.
When the room finally fell quiet again, the morning light had shifted, spilling gold across the sheets and over their tangled forms. Lila lay still, her head resting on Adrian's chest, her heartbeat slowly matching his. His fingers traced lazy patterns along her arm, the silence between them now peaceful — full of understanding.
She smiled faintly. "So that's it then," she murmured, her voice sleepy but playful. "No contract, no conditions."
Adrian chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "No papers, no rules. Just us."
She tilted her head up to look at him. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"I've been told," he said, his tone teasing, but his eyes held a quiet tenderness that made her heart melt all over again.
For the first time, Lila didn't feel like she was pretending. She didn't feel like a woman bound by an agreement or trapped in a deal. She felt free — chosen, loved, and seen.
As the day began to unfold outside, they stayed there — wrapped in warmth and truth, the pieces of their old life scattered in the bin beside the bed. The contract was gone, but something far stronger had taken its place.
Adrian tightened his arm around her and whispered against her hair, "You have no idea how long I've waited to say that."
Lila smiled, her eyes fluttering closed again. "Then say it again," she murmured.
"I love you," he said softly.
And this time, she didn't hesitate to whisper it back.
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