Chapter 5

Ava Sinclair had braced herself for grandeur, but stepping into the apartment left her truly astounded.

She had once overheard Lily Johnson mention Waterside Plaza, a haven for New York's elite. Despite being high-rise apartments, none were under 5,000 square feet. Ava had imagined Adrian Sterling's living quarters to be a spacious flat, yet the entry into a soaring living room, complete with an elegant staircase, took her by surprise.

"This place has got to be around 7,000 or 8,000 square feet, right?" she observed.

Heading to the fridge to fetch two bottles of water, Adrian Sterling responded casually, "Add both floors, and it's more than 9,000."

"How many rooms?" Ava inquired as Adrian placed a bottle on the kitchen island for her and opened his own.

Eager to avoid any misconceptions, she quickly clarified, "Don't misunderstand. I just want to know how acquainted I should get."

"You'll be meeting my grandmother tomorrow. She's just here for lunch, about two hours. Which areas do you think you'll need access to?" Adrian queried.

Thinking it over, Ava listed, "The kitchen, the dining room, and the bathroom."

Adrian nodded, "You'll also need to familiarize yourself with where the dinnerware is kept, how to adjust the air conditioning, and the location of the TV remote, among other things. It's best you get a head start."

"Alright, then give me a tour," Ava responded with earnest enthusiasm.

"Why don't you start exploring on your own first," Adrian suggested, placing his water back on the table and starting to unbutton his shirt. "I need to make a call in my room. Come find me if you have any questions."

"Sure," Ava replied, ready to cooperate. "Go ahead."

As Adrian made to ascend the stairs, he halted at her words.

Leaning on the sleek black handrail, he cast a calm look downward. "There's one more thing—you'll need to change the way you address me."

Ava momentarily froze. Given their contractual relationship, she had always maintained a formal tone, addressing him as "you."

Adrian, towering a few steps above, exuded a detached yet compelling charm, even with a casual grip on a crumpled cigarette pack.

"It might be good to start practicing in advance," he hinted. Their marriage was born out of convenience, with Adrian aiming to quell his grandmother's incessant nagging and melodramatic threats about dying unsatisfied without witnessing his wedding.

A sharp nudge from his grandmother and a casual conversation about his father's old friend, Robert Sinclair, led Adrian to a strategic decision. Sinclair and Vincent Dalton Sterling, Adrian's father, were once close friends who had jokingly agreed to a child marriage pact. After decades of silence, Robert's sudden reappearance seeking help placed Adrian in a unique position. Opting for Robert's less favored daughter, Ava, after some investigation seemed like an efficient solution.

Their agreement was quickly formed, and their meeting surprisingly smooth, given both held no romantic expectations of marriage.

With this context, Adrian's tone carried a hint of seriousness, "I mean no offense, but... ' Darling.'"

Ava, feeling the weight of the moment, didn't falter. Determined to uphold her end of the contractual spirit, she addressed him as " Darling," albeit devoid of any warmth.

Adrian's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment. As Ava spoke, she shifted her gaze away, her unease masked partially by her cascading hair.

He didn't press further, instead softly suggesting, "Maybe practice a bit before bed."

"Okay," Ava agreed, quickly diverting the conversation as she moved towards the kitchen.

Adrian watched her steady exit before silently proceeding upstairs, leaving the conversation to hang in the still, spacious air of the luxurious apartment.

The drive home was enveloped in silence, a stark contrast to the formal exchange that had just taken place between Ava and Adrian. Ava had planned on hailing a cab, but Adrian, ever the gentleman, insisted on driving her home himself, despite her protests, leading her to the parking garage.

It was Adrian who broke the uncomfortable quiet. "How's your car holding up?"

"I'm arranging for it to be towed tomorrow," Ava replied. Eager to shift the mood, she ventured into new conversational territory. "How have you explained our meeting and subsequent relationship to your family? I don't want to accidentally say the wrong thing tomorrow."

Casually dressed in a grey T-shirt and sweatpants, Adrian seemed more down-to-earth, the night air softly ruffling his hair and softening the usual distance in his demeanor. "And what's your take?" he queried, turning the question around.

Ava thought for a moment. "We could say we were acquaintances in college, felt a mutual attraction but never acted on it, and then fatefully reconnected six months ago..." She trailed off, realizing a detail that needed clarification. "Which university did you attend?"

"Oxford," Adrian replied, hands steady on the wheel.

"That complicates things," Ava noted, the vast educational divide between them suddenly becoming glaringly obvious.

Changing the subject, Adrian inquired, "You had an interview at EchoDigital, right?"

"An office romance?" Ava was momentarily caught off guard. "But I haven't even secured the job yet."

Raising an eyebrow, Adrian prodded, "Doubting your chances?"

"Well, I only made it through the first round of interviews," she conceded.

"I've had HR forward your resume to Victoria Bennett," he mentioned after a brief pause, referring to the director of client services.

Ava waited, anticipating more information.

"It's settled. You'll join EchoDigital as an SAE," he finally declared.

A mix of relief and gratitude washed over Ava, prompting a grateful smile. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling."

Ten minutes later, they arrived at Ava's apartment complex, the streetlights casting a stark glow and attracting swarms of gnats, lending vibrancy to the early summer evening.

Ava thanked Adrian for the ride, her politeness consistent.

Adrian, accustomed to her formal demeanor, issued a reminder for the following day, "I'll pick you up in the early evening. Just bring a few toiletries for the downstairs bathroom. They likely won't venture upstairs, so there's no need to prepare the master bedroom..."

He stopped mid-sentence, noticing Ava's slow, deliberate movements to unbuckle her seatbelt, her attention fixed on something outside.

Looking in the same direction, Adrian saw a group of young men loitering inside the gate, their laughter and chatter piercing the night air.

Ava had always tried to avoid this scene, especially when working late, as these groups were known to gather at the entrance every night around ten.

After checking her phone, Ava was startled by the sound of a car door opening.

Glancing up, she saw Adrian offering to walk her inside. "Thank you," she said softly, surprised and touched by the gesture.

As they passed the group, Adrian asked, "Do these guys hang around here every night?"

Ava confirmed with a nod.

"And the property management doesn't intervene?"

"It's difficult with so many tenants," Ava whispered, sticking close to Adrian. "We're near a bar street. They're night shift workers, just waiting to gather before heading off."

Adrian didn't press further. As they passed the youth, their curious gazes followed, their tattooed arms and coarse language underscoring their menacing presence.

"Is this apartment rented by you?" Adrian asked, taking in the surroundings of the somewhat rundown complex.

Relieved to have walked past the group, Ava admitted, "Yes, I've been renting it since college. It's close to my former job."

"Why haven't you lived in the villa I transferred to you earlier?"

The question caught Ava off guard. "The commute was too long. I struggled to wake up in time."

With no further questions from Adrian, they reached the entrance to her building. "Thank you for tonight. I won't keep you any longer. Maybe you can visit another time," Ava said, her words courteous yet hinting at dismissal.

"Tomorrow at five," Adrian reminded her, signaling his departure.

"Okay," Ava agreed, watching him turn to leave before a thought struck her.

"Wait—" Adrian paused, looking back at her with a composed gaze.

Ava, slightly embarrassed, made a small suggestion. "Maybe you could practice too. Your form of endearment sounded somewhat stiff as well."