The city lights gleamed like scattered diamonds outside Adrian's office window, a reminder of the world he had fought so hard to conquer. Yet tonight, the glittering skyline felt hollow. His thoughts were not on contracts, mergers, or stock values—they were on her: Melissa.
She had a way of entering a room and bending it to her will, soft laughter trailing behind her like perfume. Adrian had felt the pull from that ver first day, that intoxicating combination of mystery and audacity. At first, he had convinced himself it was merely intrigue, a fleeting distraction from his meticulously organized life. But now, after weeks of dinners, late-night calls, and stolen moments in shadowed corridors, he realized he wanted more—and that thought unnerved him.
Yet someone else was watching. Someone who saw beneath the veneer of charm and velvet tones. Marcus. He had always been Adrian's conscience when he is out of it. At least for Marcus, that's what do. Melissa is not all that she portrays, there are shadows behind those elegance. Based on his experiences, she seems too fake and tonight Marcus seemed intent on proving it.
He burst into the office without knocking, the echo of his steps against the marble floor disrupting the calm. A folder slammed onto Adrian's mahogany desk, making the papers jump.
"What's this?" Adrian asked, lifting his gaze, his eyes narrowing at the bold intrusion.
"Background check," Marcus said, settling into the chair opposite him, arms crossed. "On your emerald goddess."
Adrian arched a brow. "You had her investigated?" His voice was calm, almost too calm, but beneath it, a spark of irritation flared.
"You're welcome," Marcus replied, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "She's clean. Too clean." He leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Like someone scrubbed her past with bleach."
Adrian's hand hovered over his pen. "You're being paranoid. Melissa—"
"Paranoid?" Marcus laughed, low and humorless. "Brother, paranoia keeps us alive. Call it an occupational hazard of being smart enough to run a business without getting stabbed in the back."
"I said she isn't a threat," Adrian insisted, shoving the file slightly aside.
Marcus's smirk widened. "And I'm Santa Claus, huh? Listen, I enjoy a good femme fatale story as much as the next guy, but promise me this—don't let her near the company books. If she's as clean as she looks, fine. But if she isn't…" He let the threat hang in the air.
Adrian's flat gaze dared Marcus to continue. "Get out," he said finally, his voice iron.
Marcus rose slowly, still smiling. "Fine. But when she stabs you, don't say I didn't warn you."
Alone, Adrian exhaled slowly. He stared at the folder as though it contained a poison he could not quite identify. Leafing through it, he noted the lack of any blemish, no whispers of scandal, no trace of danger. And yet, that very perfection unsettled him. Too clean. It was an unnatural state, like a diamond polished so finely that it almost hurt to look at. He seemed calm but actually deeply worried over his mother and friend's words.
Why did "too clean" feel so… dirty?
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. Images of Melissa in that silk dress, the way she had tilted her head and smiled as if she held the world in her palm, flashed in his mind. Her allure was undeniable, yet now every smile seemed laced with intent, every touch a calculated move.
His mind was in turmoil but what can a man in love really do?
The phone buzzed, breaking the moment. It was Melissa. A simple message: "Dinner? I have something to show you."
Adrian hesitated. His rational mind screamed caution, but the other part—the part that Marcus would warn against—hungered to see her again. He typed a short reply: "Eight o'clock. The usual place."
As he placed the phone down, Adrian's eyes drifted once more to the file. He knew one thing for certain: in the world of seduction and secrets, even the most glitt
ering gem could hide a razor-sharp edge but at this point he is helpless and can only hope not be disappointed.
It was the usual chat, seduction and touching- when one is one a mission, cards must be played welk right?
By the end of the nineth month, Adrian had tied the knot with Melissa regardless of what everyone says. That is love right? It was sweet at first but like they say, a chameleon is bound to change its colour with thing it comes in contact with and haven come in contact with Adrian, the mission is bound to begin.