The evening breeze drifted through my open window,, brushing against my skin like a memory I couldn't quite hold on to... I lay on my bed,, lost in thoughts of Adrian., His name alone was enough to send ripples through my chest—confusing,, thrilling, dangerous ripples.
Just then,, a sharp knock on my door jolted me back to reality.
"Who is it??" I called,, pulling myself up from the sheets,, brushing away the tangle of thoughts.
"Lily—babe!, Let's go!, We're buying our dresses today!" Her voice sang through the door,, bright and impatient.
I let out a soft laugh. "Yeah,, coming!" I replied,, stretching my arms above my head before swinging my legs off the bed.
But as I opened the door,, I froze.
Adrian stood before me...
His hands were casually tucked into his pockets,, and his piercing gaze met mine like he'd been waiting for this moment... He didn't speak at first—just smiled... A slow, breathtaking smile that sent a thousand butterflies fluttering in my stomach..
"Let's go,," he said finally,, his deep voice like velvet. "Lily and Mike are waiting for us downstairs..."
Still shaken by his unexpected presence,, I nodded silently. He stepped slightly to the side,, gesturing for me to follow, The air between us crackled with something unspoken as we walked toward the elevator...
As we waited,, he turned to me suddenly and extended his hand,, his lips curling into a teasing smile.
"By the way,, it's Adrian William.. CEO of QUEEN Company,, Nice to meet you."
I blinked,, momentarily thrown by his formal tone. I took his hand,, and the instant our palms touched,, a strange warmth spread through me...
"You're CEO of QUEEN Company,, Adrian William," I repeated slowly,, then tilted my head. "But… I heard your name was some Mr. K?"...
He raised a brow,, amused. "No,, no. That's just something printed on the company's paperworks division,, Confidential stuff."
I narrowed my eyes slightly. "So… what's your name in your paperwork??"
He didn't flinch.. Didn't break eye contact. Instead,, he leaned closer,, a spark in his gaze. "You're really interested in me,, aren't you?? Maybe because I'm your rival."
I laughed nervously. "No,, no. I just… I knew someone in my past,, His name started with K too..."
For a brief moment,, his expression faltered. He looked away. The elevator dinged...
I hesitated before offering my hand. "Same here,. It's a pleasure to meet you—Rimi Miller,, CEO of MIRAIN Company."
His eyes returned to mine,, gentler this time. He smiled,, and something in that smile made my heart tremble...
The elevator doors opened,, and we stepped in. The silence was thick,, like we were both drowning in questions neither of us dared to ask...
On the ground floor,, Lily and Mike were waiting by the car... The moment Lily saw me,, she rushed over with a dramatic flair and grabbed my hand.
"Rimi is coming with me!!" she announced proudly...
Mike groaned. "No way! I want to go with you,, Lily."
She rolled her eyes. "Not today,, Mikey."
Mike turned to Adrian with a mock glare. "You and Rimi can go together,, right?"
I felt Adrian's eyes on me again. I didn't meet them,, My pulse quickened with each passing second.
"Fine,, fine,," Lily waved. "Mike and I will go together... You two take Adrian's car,, See you at Nickel Fashion!"
Adrian turned to me with a smirk,, "Shall we?"
I nodded,, unsure whether the pounding in my chest was anticipation or panic...
As we walked toward his car,, my breath caught.
A sleek Rolls-Royce Phantom...
"You're full of surprises,," I murmured.
He chuckled,, the sound low and rich,, then stepped forward to open the door for me. Every movement of his was deliberate,,practiced… magnetic.
As I reached for the door to close it,, he leaned in suddenly,, My breath hitched...
He was close—so close... The scent of his cologne surrounded me—woodsy and intoxicating... My heart thundered.
Before I could react,, his fingers brushed my arm as he reached for my seatbelt...
He clicked it into place,, his face inches from mine...
"There," he said,, his voice softer now, almost tender.
"Thanks," I whispered,, not trusting my voice.
For a moment,, he didn't move... Then,, as he stepped back,, I thought—just for a second—I saw a faint blush on his cheeks.
No… that had to be my imagination...
The drive started off silent,, the hum of the engine the only sound. I tried to focus on the city passing by, but my mind was a tangled mess of memories and feelings...
My phone buzzed...
"Luna?" I answered...
"Rimi! You have to come back!! QUEEN Group is ahead of us... We need to make changes—"
I sighed. "Luna,, calm down. I'm with someone right now."
"But—"
"I'll be back in a week... My father's overseeing things for now,. Just trust me,, okay?"
She huffed. "Fine. But don't disappear on me again!!"
I laughed. "I won't. Bye,, Luna."
As I ended the call,, Adrian raised a brow. "Best friend??"
"And my personal assistant,," I replied.
He grinned. "That explains the yelling..."
We both laughed,, and something in the tension eased. But then his name echoed in my mind again—kai,, A name from my past.
My heart clenched. Could it be…?
No. That kai was just a childhood crush. A dream. This Adrian was real,, and dangerous in ways I wasn't prepared for...
But why he exactly looks like kai , and the man who saved my life in that accident....
We arrived at Nickel Fashion,, and Adrian stepped out first... He circled the car to open my door, and this time,, he extended his hand. I hesitated—but then I placed mine in his...
There was something in his touch that made me feel like I could trust him,, And that terrified me.
As we walked,, a sudden tug at my dress made me stop. I looked down and gasped...
Adrian's watch was caught in my dress fabric.,,
His eyes widened slightly. "Wait,," he said softly. "If you pull it,, your dress will tear..."
He leaned in,, his fingers carefully freeing the thread. I stood frozen,, aware of every brush of his skin against mine...
"There," he said,, his voice almost a whisper.
I exhaled the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
Lily, of course,, caught everything. She smirked knowingly.
I shot her a look,, but she only giggled and led us inside.
The boutique was a dream—elegant chandeliers,, shimmering fabrics,, and the scent of designer perfume lingering in the air.
As I admired a display,, a man approached,, took my hand,, and kissed it...
I recoiled instinctively.,,
He chuckled. "Rimi,, meet Nickel—the top designer in New York,, " Lily introduced.
"Sorry,, I'm not used to… that kind of greeting,," I said,, straightening my posture.
"No offense taken,," he replied,, still smiling. "Let's find you the perfect dress."
I helped Lily first,, who twirled happily in a white wedding gown that sparkled like fresh snow...
Then Nickel returned,, holding a dress toward me. "This will look perfect on you."
It was a sky-blue gown with white gem detailing—delicate,, elegant,, radiant. I tried it on.
When I stepped out,, Adrian was waiting.
His eyes swept over me slowly... Something flickered in his expression—hunger, awe… pain??
"You look…" He paused. "Stunning..."
My breath caught. "Thank you."
Lily stepped out too,, radiant in her wedding gown. "You look better than me,," she joked.
"Not true!" I blushed...
Just then,,Adrian walked in holding a light pink dress.
"Try this one," he said,, holding it out to me.
I glanced at Lily. She raised her brows and smirked.
Curious,, I took the dress. Something about the way he was looking at me—like I was the only person in the room—made it impossible to say no...
When I emerged again,, his gaze locked on me. His jaw clenched, his hands in fists...
"This one," he said firmly. "This is the one."
My heart stuttered...
We finished picking our outfits and returned to the hotel,, laughter and light conversation filling the ride back.
That night,, Lily ordered food for everyone, and we spent hours eating and chatting. But even in the midst of laughter,, my mind kept drifting back to Adrian.
To the way he looked at me...
To the way he made me feel—like no one else ever had...
I had met countless men in my life—strong,, charming, successful. But none had made my heart ache like this... None had made me feel like I was standing on the edge of something bigger than myself...
Something dangerous...
Something beautiful.
Something real.
And as I lay in bed,, staring at the ceiling,, I knew deep down—Adrian William was different.
And my life was never going to be the same....