Chapter 8

The words barely left her mouth when the group at the door visibly stiffened. Auntie Rose, linked arm in arm with the elderly woman, exchanged a brief look, while a slight shake traversed Adrian's upper body. His expression momentarily revealed his turmoil before he regained his composure.

"Understood."

The door's click, signifying its closure, felt like the removal of a great burden to Ava. Exhausted, she let herself collapse onto the sofa.

Lying to people was something she loathed, especially the idea of betraying someone's sincere trust. She spent a few moments in self-disgust before her thoughts drifted back to the contract. This arrangement, a marriage of convenience where each party had their motives, had always left Ava wondering about Adrian's intentions. Now, everything clicked into place.

Conflicted about her feelings towards their situation, she found herself lost in thought on the sofa and unwittingly fell asleep.

Ava's sleep was light, any minor noise waking her. It took her a moment to orient herself upon waking, followed by a few seconds to fix her hair.

As she got to her feet, Adrian entered.

Their eyes locked. Despite Ava's efforts to conceal it, Adrian immediately noticed the subtle indent on her right cheek and the slight messiness of her usually neat ponytail.

"Did you fall asleep?" he queried, approaching with his car keys.

"I had trouble sleeping last night," she responded, trying to appear nonchalant as she tucked her hair behind her ear, swiftly steering the conversation towards a more urgent matter, "Did Grandma find out anything before she left?"

"You waited to ask this?" Adrian quirked an eyebrow.

"Holding someone's trust obligates me to fulfill it," Ava briefly paused, "Did I do something wrong?"

"You did fine," Adrian reassured as he neared the sofa, turned off the TV, which had been airing some uninteresting variety show, and then faced her again, "The oversight was mine."

The layout of the house placed most bedrooms on the second floor, leaving the first floor for amenities like the gym and media room, plus one guest bedroom. The elderly lady had stumbled upon a full set of women's toiletries in the guest bathroom downstairs, arousing her curiosity. After finding out Adrian's master bedroom was upstairs, she inferred there were issues in their marriage.

Indeed, excess in any form can lead to trouble.

Ava inhaled deeply. "Was all of this for nothing then?"

Adrian offered a comforting smile. "Not exactly. She's under the impression we're going through a rough patch and have resorted to sleeping in separate rooms."

"And your response to that?"

"After we got our marriage license, I had to leave the country the very next day and didn't come back for six months. It's understandable for you to harbor some resentment, having to fend for yourself," Adrian explained, reaching for his car keys once more. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

Ava's anxiety dissipated seeing Adrian's casual demeanor. She walked to the foyer, changed her shoes, grabbed her bag, and was about to leave when Adrian called out, "Hold on a second."

He came forward, holding a black coat—the same one Ava had borrowed from his primary bedroom.

"It's chilly outside," he casually remarked.

Ava glanced down. "I'm fine, but thank you."

Without further ado, she opened the door and stepped out. Adrian made no further comment, but as they waited for the elevator, Ava noticed him placing the coat back on its hanger.

The descent into the building's damp, cold basement was a stark contrast to the warmth above. The sprawling parking garage of the Left Bank Residences felt even more expansive. An early summer breeze wafted through, carrying with it a chill that seemed to pierce right through, causing Ava, who had just woken up, to shiver involuntarily.

Adrian, heading towards the driver's side, caught this small gesture, squinting slightly before giving a silent, dismissive shrug.

Ava saw his smirk but chose to ignore it, swiftly getting into the passenger seat.

The journey home was quiet but lacked the heavy silence that had preceded it. Adrian filled the car with the sound of ethereal electronic rock, its slow rhythm and otherworldly tones offering a comforting backdrop.

Ava found herself pondering her interview the next day, gazing out the window in contemplation. Her reverie was broken by the ping of a message notification. Adrian stretched his arm towards the phone resting on the center console.

Her eyes unwittingly followed his movement, landing on his hands. The sight of his cold, pale fingers, defined knuckles, and the subtle veins created an unexpectedly stark allure.

"Caught your eye, have they?"

Lifting her gaze, Ava met Adrian's languid look. He possessed an innate aloofness and confidence, not born of his social standing but from a deep understanding of human nature. His sense of detachment was not so much aloof as it was a product of his perspicacity.

"If you're done, I'll answer it," he suggested, lifting the phone.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ava touched her nose. "Yeah, go ahead."

She turned back towards the window, only to hear the soft clicking of keys behind her. But before the typing ceased, the distinct ring of an incoming call filled the car.

Adrian activated the speakerphone, and the caller's voice instantly filled the car, overshadowing the background music.

"Let me guess, you're tied up again? Perhaps chauffeuring a lovely lady home?"

The remark caught Ava off guard, and Adrian, sensing something was off, slowly brought the car to a halt. Peering into the rearview mirror, he spotted a black McLaren following closely. Upon noticing their deceleration, the McLaren sounded its horn twice in quick succession.

Resolved to clarify matters, Adrian parked the car at the side of the road. "I need to have a brief chat with them," he informed Ava as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Do I need to join you?" Ava asked, gripping her bag a bit tighter.

"There's no need," Adrian reassured her, stepping out of the car, "They're just some friends, not family."

Approaching the curbside, the McLaren also stopped. Simon Russell and Wesley Liang, each with a cigarette in hand, exited the car, eyeing Adrian's Rolls-Royce Cullinan with evident interest and amusement.

"Got company?" Simon inquired, "Is it the same person from the supermarket earlier today?"

As they conversed, the McLaren's back window descended, revealing a young woman with a somber look on her face. She fixed her gaze on Adrian. "Adrian, you've got a girlfriend now?"

"That's Adrian for you, always 'busy.' But lo and behold, he's actually just accompanying someone on a grocery run," Simon teased, addressing his comment to his cousin, Selina Russell.

Despite the sibling's playful ribbing, Adrian remained unfazed, casually standing with one hand in his pocket and offering a relaxed glance toward Wesley, who had yet to speak. "So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Adrian asked.

Wesley, who hadn't seen Ava but picked up on Simon's earlier hint, grinned and passed a cigarette to Adrian, gesturing with a nod, "Off to Mystic Haven."

Checking his watch, Adrian questioned, "Why are we heading there so late?"

"Blame him," Wesley said, tilting his head towards Simon.

Simon looked back at the car. "This stubborn girl insisted on tagging along, boasting all through dinner about turning of age last Tuesday. She nagged me into calling her mom, took a good half hour to get her blessing to come with us."

Accepting the cigarette, Adrian received a lighter from Simon. The night breeze intensified, but Adrian cupped the flame, its flickering light briefly illuminating his squinting visage against the swirls of smoke. In that hazy moment, his gaze returned to the McLaren's back seat.

Selina Russell was utterly mesmerized.

Adrian, with his effortless and languid allure, navigating life with a kind of detached elegance, was exactly the type of man she admired most. Even a mere glance from him felt as though it carried the weight of a well-aged wine, enchanting and slightly intoxicating.

"Adrian, you're extremely handsome," she said with genuine admiration.

Before Adrian could reply, Simon, unable to hide his annoyance, jabbed the car window with his elbow, "Kid, what do you know about being handsome?"

"Surely more than you," Selina retorted, shooting him a defiant look before she rolled up the window.

Simon, being an only child, held a deep bond with his cousin's family, treating Selina almost as if she were his own sister.

Wesley, sensing the tension, decided not to further provoke Simon. Turning to Adrian, he suggested, "We've all run into each other; why not come along?"

Adrian, casually holding a cigarette, exuded a sense of indifferent coolness, "I'll have to pass, I've got plans."

Simon pressed, "It's Wesley's birthday, you know. You skipped it last year. Give us some face this time."

His insistent hints to Wesley, however, fell flat.

"If you've got pressing matters, feel free to attend to them," Wesley remarked nonchalantly.

As Adrian was about to respond, a vibration from his pocket caught his attention. It was a text from Ava, likely overhearing part of the conversation. She succinctly wrote, "If you're preoccupied, proceed with your evening. I can manage a cab ride home."

Adrian paused for a moment, contemplating, before replying, "Off to a friend's birthday. It'll be brief. Care to join?"

Ava quickly responded, "It doesn't seem right to intrude on people I don't know. I'll find my way back."

"Noting the time, Adrian pointed out, "It's already half-past nine."

The implication being the undesirable crowd she might run into if she were to head home alone at that hour surprised Ava. As she deliberated on how to decline politely, Adrian made his way to her side of the car.

She lowered the window to see Adrian leaning in, casually poised with one hand on the car roof, the other holding his cigarette, embodying a naturally rakish charm.

"I was about to decline, but..." Ava started, only to be cut off by the sudden appearance of a young girl behind Adrian.

Selina, head cocked to the side, eyes wide with a blend of innocence and intrigue, exclaimed, "Wow, what a beautiful lady!"

Adrian glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, unbothered by her forwardness, "Do you always warm up to people this quickly?"

"Only if they're as attractive as you are."

Flattered and amused by the interruption, Ava offered a smile, "Thank you."

Selina's effervescent personality meant she was a one-person entertainment squad. Happy to engage with Ava, she looked up at Adrian, smiling broadly, "Adrian, your girlfriend is stunning."

Simon was about to step in and retrieve his overly forthright sister when Adrian interjected with a dismissive coolness, as if making an offhand remark, "She's not my girlfriend."

Ava, realizing a clarification was needed, quickly added, "Yes, you've got the wrong idea. I'm actually..."

"My wife."Adrian relaxed his stance, hands finding their way back into his pockets. His gaze, deep and clear like polished obsidian under thick lashes, lent him an air of composed detachment and subtle pride.

In that moment, as the early summer night air mingled with the sounds of the evening, time seemed to stand still for everyone present, not just in silence, but as if frozen in a tableau.