He leaned back in his chair, looking over the new contract we had just signed, he looked up at me and spoke as casually as if we were discussing the weather.
"Since you're now like my girlfriend," he said, "we're going to have to put a little show on for the media. Starting today."
I blinked. "Today?"
"Yes. Cancel all my meetings. We'll be out the rest of the day."
I dropped my jaw. "What? But, sir, we have the department heads' meeting in an hour. And you have the strategy review with the board—"
"uh, reschedule it."
He didn't even flinch, he just looked down at his phone as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Just like that. Like it was no big deal to wipe out an entire day full of important meetings.
I stared at him for one more second, trying not to let the shock settle too hard on my face. "You're serious?"
He finally looked at me then. ""Dead serious. This has to look real, Miss Miller. That means media presence, public appearances. We start with the charity auction this afternoon. Somewhere fancy, somewhere everyone will see us."
Before I could fully turn to leave, his voice stopped me again—calm, commanding.
"And Miss Miller," he added without looking up, "once you're done rescheduling everything, meet me in the car."
I tilted myself a little to the left, eyebrows raised.
"You have ten minutes," he said bluntly. "Don't be late."
And just like that, he dismissed me. No explanation,or a chance to protest, and without even looking in my direction.
I pressed my lips together to keep me from sighing and walked out of the office
Ten minutes to move mountains. Great.
****
When we arrived at the hotel, the second the car stopped, I glanced outside and saw them—photographers. A crowd. A red carpet stretching from sidewalk to doorway, and beyond the ropes, flashes from cameras were already popping like firecrackers.
Oh god.
Adrien didn't say a word. He only unbuckled his seatbelt, then shrugged off his coat in a single, effortless movement.
The door opened.
Cool air rushed in, and so did the sound of shouting voices—reporters, fans, people pressing against the barricades.
Before I could even fully process the chaos, Adrien reached across and draped his coat over me, shielding my face from the view of the cameras.
I froze for a second as he leaned in. "Stay close to me," he whispered softly. "Don't stop, don't look up."
Then he came out of the car and held out his hand for me.
I hesitated only for a moment and then took his hand and followed him.
As soon as I stood up his arm wrapped around me protectively with his coat still covering my head. His security team immediately closed in around us forming a tight circle of black suits and intene gaze.
Questions were shot at us like bullets.
"Mr. Walton, is this your girlfriend?"
"Who's she?"
"Is this the woman you've been seeing?"
I kept my head down and did exactly what he said, moving when and how he moved as the bodyguards pushed through the madness. The lights kept flashing and the shouting continued. It was chaos but somehow with Adrien guiding me it felt like organized madness.
Like he'd done this a hundred times.
And now… I was part of the show.
The moment we were inside, the chaos outside varnished as though it had never existed; the heavy glass doors closed behind us, muffling the noise, and the cool fresh scent of the hotel lobby wrapped around us.
Adrien didn't pause. he just kept walking
Still a little bit dazed, I matched his steps letting him lead me past the front desk
We got to the front of an elevator that seems to be the private elevator, the elevator doors swung open the instant we approached; as if it knew Adrien's name.
Inside the elevator, there was silence again; pierced only by the soft buzz of motion and of course, the quiet tick of Adrien's watch as he checked the time. He didn't speak to me or even looked in my direction. He was focused and unreadable
When the doors opened; he led me down a silent hallway lined with minimalist art and muted lighting; every footstep echoed just a bit against the carpet, the silence closing between us with every second.
Then he unlocked the door.
I braced myself for another hotel room. Something fancy but a hotel room all the same.
Instead, I walked into something else entirely.
A suite. large. Modern. The kind of space that is designed for people who didn't think twice before spending ten thousand-dollar nights. There were floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a glimpse of the skyline, glittering and distant. Soft music played from hidden speakers. The lights had been dimmed to a flattering glow, coloring everything gold.
And on the bed—carefully laid out—was a shiny black garment bag. Designer. There's no need for a logo to tell me it cost more than my monthly rent.
Two people I didn't recognize stood next to it. Both dressed in monochrome black, both sharp, fashionable and holding professional-level makeup brushes and tools that looked like scalpels. They nodded politely but didn't smile.
Adrien stepped aside, his expression unreadable. "Go in."
I hesitated, my feet curling in my shoes as I glanced around the room, as if this might still be some sort of mistake. But it wasn't. Everything, right down to the welcome drink sweating on the coffee table had been prepared for me. Am I getting kidnapped?
I stepped in.
Adrien's voice, when it came, was calm but filled with a hint of command. "There's a dress in the bag. Custom. It'll fit. The makeup artist knows what to do. You have thirty minutes."
I turned to him in shock. "You… did all this?"
He raised an eyebrow, almost disbelieving. "We're here for a show. You didn't think I'd let you walk in looking like an afterthought, did you?"
His words shouldn't have stung. But they did. Maybe because I hadn't expected any of this—least of all the strange flicker of whatever it was in his gaze when he said it, like as if he cared what people saw when they looked at me like it mattered. I mean it does but still… isn't this a bit much?
Adrien adjusted the cuffs of his shirt with a snap of precision and added, "Be ready when I come back."
And with that, he turned and left—no room for discussion, no glance back.
He closed the door behind him and I was left alone in the middle of a luxury suite… with two stranger and a silence that was heavy in anticipation.
I slowly exhaled, unsure if I wanted to scream, laugh or cry.
Typical Adrien.