Chapter2
996 Words
Chapter 2:The Gentle Savior
Ariana’s POV
Adams didn’t leave.
He stayed.
Not out of obligation, but because when he looked at me, I could tell he didn’t see a broken woman, he saw someone worth protecting.
“Let me cook for you,” he said softly, rolling up his sleeves like he did every day. “You’ve had enough chaos for one night.”
“I—” I paused, unsure if my heart was racing from fear, relief, or the fact that a man like Adams was standing in my kitchen, offering me peace.
I nodded.
He moved confidently around the kitchen, humming something low under his breath while cutting vegetables and heating a pan. He didn’t pry, didn’t push, he just… let me breathe.
“I’m guessing stir-fry is okay?” he asked over his shoulder, glancing back with a half-smile.
“Perfect,” I said, sitting at the island, my hands finally still.
I watched him work. The way his shoulders flexed beneath his white button-down. The way he added a dash of something into the pan without even measuring. He moved like a man who’d learned to take care of himself—and now wanted to take care of someone else.
We ate quietly at first, sitting across from each other like we’d done it a hundred times before. Then, the words started to come. Slow. Honest. Unfiltered.
“I never thought I’d see Roy again,” I admitted, playing with my fork.
Adams nodded. “He didn’t exactly make a graceful exit.”
“I used to love him,” I whispered, almost ashamed. “But I also lost myself with him. He made me feel small. Like I was always wrong—even when I wasn’t.”
“You’re not small, Ariana.”
I looked up. His eyes were locked on mine, unwavering.
“You’re powerful. He just couldn’t handle it.”
I swallowed hard, the knot in my throat loosening slightly. “How do you always know the right thing to say?”
He chuckled. “I don’t. I just say what I mean.”
After dinner, I offered to clean, but he shook his head and told me to rest. I watched him rinse the dishes, every movement so effortlessly kind, it made my chest ache.
And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel alone.
I felt acknowledged.
By the time we settled on the couch, I felt a sense of relaxation and release from physical and emotional tension. I found myself laughing at his stories, leaning into him without realizing, my fingers brushing his arm.
Then my phone buzzed.
I almost ignored it—until I saw the name.
Mr.Smart – CEO.
My body went still.
Adams, who had just been mid-laugh, froze too.
“You okay?” he asked, his smile fading.
I didn’t answer. I just held up the phone, showing him the name.
He stared at it for a second too long.
Then… silence.
“Adams?” I asked slowly. “You know him?”
His jaw tensed. The relaxed energy from earlier was gone. “Yes,” he said finally, voice clipped. “That’s my father.”
My world tilted.
“What?”
Adams exhaled and stood, running a hand through his hair. “He’s Roy’s boss. And… technically, mine too.”
I blinked. “I thought your last name was Adams.”
“It is. I took my mother’s name after the divorce. I don’t use his.” He paced. “He wasn’t around much. Barely even a father. I kept my distance… until recently.”
My stomach twisted. “Why recently?”
He turned to me then, eyes full of emotion. “He’s stepping down. He asked me to take over.”
The words rang in my ears.
“You’re going to be Roy’s new boss?”
“I already am.”
The air left my lungs.
“Ariana, I didn’t plan this. I didn’t go looking for your ex. I didn’t even know you two were connected until today.”
“And now you’re his boss,” I whispered. “You’re his boss… and my—” I cut myself off. What even were we?
“This looks bad, doesn’t it?” I murmured.
He stepped closer, voice low. “It only looks bad if we care what people think. Do you?”
I looked up at him, torn between the man in front of me… and the storm that was surely coming behind us.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I just know this feels real. Too real to ignore.”
Adams reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers. “Then we hold on to that. Let the rest fall where it may.”
Before I could respond, another knock echoed through the apartment.
Not the doorbell this time.
Just a heavy, angry knock.
I stood slowly, dread coiling in my stomach. “If that’s Roy again…”
Adams didn’t wait. He strode to the door and yanked it open.
Sure enough, Roy.
And this time, he looked completely unhinged.
“You son of a b***h!” he shouted, pushing past Adams. “You used her to get to me!”
“Roy, stop!” I yelled, stepping in front of him.
But he didn’t even look at me.
“You think this is revenge?” Roy seethed. “You think you can humiliate me—steal my wife, take my job, and walk away clean?”
“I didn’t steal anything,” Adams said calmly. “You lost her all by yourself.”
Roy’s fist balled.
I gasped.
But Adams didn’t flinch.
“You want to throw punches?” he said. “Or do you want to finally face what you broke?”
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then Roy’s lip curled, and he stormed out without another word.
The door slammed again.
And this time, it felt like a warning.
- Writer
