Chapter 5 It's Our Wedding Night

On the other end of the line was Adrian's close friend, Simon Morgan.

He sounded half impressed, half entertained. "Man, I gotta hand it to you. That was clever. You shook off the Knight family's grip and even got rid of Alice."

That had been Adrian's plan from the start.

His late mother had set up the marriage when he was just a baby.

Even though she was long gone, he couldn't bring himself to go against her wishes.

Still, the idea of spending his life with someone he didn't even know didn't sit right with him.

If she decided to end it on her own, that would be the best outcome, he told himself.

Through the balcony's glass door, Adrian's eyes landed on Sophie, carefully hanging his suit jacket on the rack. She had to stretch onto her toes just to reach.

He stayed quiet for a moment before responding, "She hasn't ditched me yet."

Simon, who had been all set to rant about spoiled society girls, stopped short.

"I heard she was running her mouth, saying she'd never marry a scarred-up guy like you if the Knights weren't filthy rich. Don't buy into her little act, man. Rich girls are all the same-fake and only after money."

Adrian's fingers drummed lightly on the balcony railing. "Maybe."

Simon went on talking without pause. "Believe me, Alice won't stick around for long. The only way she might stay is if she realizes you're not actually broke and don't have any scars at all-"

"Enough." Adrian's voice cut through, calm but firm. "How's the situation at the company?"

...

By the time Adrian ended the call, it was late.

Since the apartment only had one bathroom, Sophie politely offered, "You can shower first."

Adrian didn't argue and went in without a word.

The moment the door clicked shut, Sophie rushed to the bedroom. She scooped up her pillow and blanket, then set them down on the living room couch, making herself a little nest for the night.

Sure, they were legally married, but in her heart, Adrian was still a stranger. Sleeping in the same bed wasn't even a thought.

Once her makeshift bed was ready, she went back to the bedroom to change out the sheets.

She had just finished smoothing out the last wrinkle when a deep voice came from behind her.

"What are you doing?"

She jumped, spun around, and froze.

Adrian was standing there, fresh from the shower, his bare chest still damp, a towel hanging loosely around his hips.

Her foot slipped, and she lost her balance.

Adrian moved fast to support her, but her sudden weight dragged him down too, and they both tumbled onto the bed.

He caught himself with his arms braced on either side of her, leaving her trapped beneath him. Her palms had landed on his chest, and she could feel the strong, steady beat of his heart against her skin, the heat radiating from his body making her cheeks burn.

Flustered, she yanked her hands back like she had touched fire, her face bright red.

The scent of clean soap and warm skin filled her head, making her dizzy.

"You... you-" she stuttered, her voice barely a whisper.

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he studied her.

All he knew about his new wife was what Simon had told him.

According to Simon, Alice was shallow, loved attention, and had a long list of exes.

But this girl? She was blushing like crazy just from a touch.

Was she pretending?

Wanting to test her, Adrian leaned on one arm, caught her wrist with the other, and pressed her hand back against his chest.

"It's our wedding night," he murmured with a faint, teasing smile, lowering his face close to hers. "What's there to be so nervous about?"