Falling for the Goddess

I Won’t Be Coming Back Tonight

Neither Sara Hart nor Adrian Blake were talkative people, but the dinner table was filled with laughter and conversation, thanks to Lucas Graves’s lively presence. He managed to coax smiles and laughter from Madam Blake, while Sara Hart maintained a quiet, soft smile throughout.

Throughout the meal, Sara didn’t say a single word to Adrian. She wasn’t good with words, and every time she thought of speaking, she had no idea what to say. She made a mental note to ask Ella Duvall for advice on how to improve her conversation skills.

Dinner stretched for nearly an hour, and after the meal, Lucas Graves stayed a while longer to chat with Madam Blake. As people age, they often crave company and conversation, and Madam Blake was no different, clearly enjoying the lively atmosphere.

As the clock approached eight, Madam Blake prepared to return to the Blake family’s old villa. Before leaving, she turned to Adrian. "Adrian, bring Sara to my place for dinner tomorrow." Then, glancing at Lucas, she smiled. "And, Lucas, if you’re free, you should join us as well."

"Of course, I’d love to!" Lucas Graves responded with enthusiasm.

But before the conversation could go any further, Adrian Blake interrupted, "Grandma, I have a business trip to M Country for a meeting tomorrow."

Madam Blake’s smile faltered, a look of mild displeasure crossing her face. She knew how busy he was - after all, she had been through the same thing when she was younger, but she still found it frustrating. "Why must they schedule meetings on weekends? Don’t they give anyone a break?"

Adrian softened his tone to soothe her. "I’ll visit you as soon as I return."

"Fine," Madam Blake sighed. Then, looking over at Sara, she suddenly had an idea. "Why not take Sara with you? It could be a nice getaway for her. Otherwise, she’ll just be here alone."

Sara glanced at Adrian, who remained expressionless, his gaze lowered.

"Grandma, I can visit friends. I won’t be bored," Sara replied softly, her tone gentle. "I don’t want to intrude on his work."

After all, Adrian was going for business, and she couldn’t see how tagging along would be appropriate. Besides, Adrian clearly didn’t want her to go.

Sara’s response, however, struck a chord with both Adrian Blake and Lucas Graves, albeit in different ways. Lucas sighed inwardly, thinking Sara must not be interested in Adrian at all. How could she pass up such an obvious opportunity? Could she be planning to meet up with that guy with the silver hair and the Koenigsegg instead?

Noticing Sara’s response, Madam Blake didn’t push the matter any further. "Alright, then. If you get bored, come to my place and keep me company. But it’s good for young people to go out and have some fun."

She chuckled, adding, "Adrian is so serious all the time. Even if he were here, he wouldn’t be much company. You should go out and spend time with people your age."

Lucas Graves was taken aback by how protective Madam Blake seemed to be of Sara Hart. Her affection was obvious.

Once Madam Blake left, Sara also suggested that Alice Miller return to the old house with her for the weekend, knowing Adrian Blake wouldn’t be around, and Alice Miller could help take care of Madam Blake.

With the house now quiet, only Sara Hart, Adrian Blake, and Lucas Graves remained.

"Well, I guess I’ll head out now…" Lucas Graves said, glancing between the two of them, feeling awkward with the thick tension in the air. He made a quick decision to escape.

Adrian Blake grabbed his coat. "I’ll walk out with you."

Sara Hart was caught off guard. Before she could react, Adrian was already striding out of the house.

Lucas looked back at Sara’s slightly stunned expression and offered a quick explanation. "We’re meeting up with some friends. See you later!" He quickly hurried after Adrian.

Sara stood in the living room, staring at Adrian’s cold, retreating figure, and realized something: she hadn’t been mistaken earlier. Adrian seemed... upset.

---

At Meisi bar, the exclusive club the four friends co-owned, each of the men settled into their familiar seats in a private room on the third floor. Noah Ashford and Eric Thorne were engrossed in a business discussion while Adrian Blake sat in silence, his thoughts elsewhere.

Lucas Graves kept sneaking glances at Adrian Blake, trying to gauge his mood, but the man’s expression was as unreadable as ever. After they had left the villa earlier, Lucas Graves had taken the passenger seat, knowing Adrian Blake probably didn’t want to be around Sara Hart right now, though he didn’t know how to help.

Now, frustrated by the lack of progress, Lucas Graves turned to the other two. "Why aren’t you guys doing anything to cheer him up? At least talk to him!"

Eric Thorne looked at Lucas Graves like he was an i***t. "Your intelligence level is seriously on par with Kyle Thorne."

Kyle Thorne, who wasn’t even present, was dragged into the conversation: “What did I do?”

Lucas Graves protested, "That’s just plain rude!"

Noah Ashford shook his head, amused. "Do you think this is something that can be fixed with a few words? We all know what Adrian hates the most. There’s no point bringing it up over and over."

"Besides, nothing’s confirmed yet. And it’s not like Adrian even likes Sara. He’ll sort it out on his own."

Men’s friendships often didn’t require much talking. They understood each other without needing to say too much.

Lucas, though he often joked about Adrian’s love life, was actually the one who cared the most. Hearing this advice from his older friends, he decided to let it go, trusting that Adrian would handle it in his own way.

The four of them continued their night as usual, drinking and chatting idly.

"Oh, by the way, North Capital University’s anniversary is next week. I got an invite. You guys going?" Lucas Graves asked suddenly.

Apart from Lucas Graves, who had studied abroad, the rest of the group had all attended North Capital University. With the university’s 80th anniversary coming up, they were some of its most prominent alumni.

Noah Ashford twirled a dice in his hand, looking uninterested. "Not really my thing."

For someone of his standing, it wasn’t about the school boosting his status - it was the other way around. Besides, his company was demanding, and he had family matters to deal with. He didn’t have time for these kinds of events.

Eric Thorne had also received an invitation but didn’t feel much of a connection to the school. If he went, it would just be a formality.

"Not going."

"And you, Adrian?"

Adrian Blake had remained quiet for most of the conversation. After a brief pause, he replied, "I have a meeting that day."

"So no one’s going, huh? Guess I’ll skip it too. It sounds boring anyway," Lucas Graves said, leaning back into the couch.

---

Back at the Villa, Sara Hart had finished her evening routine and carefully disinfected and treated the scrape on her hand. She couldn’t afford to let her hands get injured.

She glanced at the clock on the wall - it was already 11 p.m., and Adrian Blake still wasn’t back.

The house felt emptier than usual, and by this time, Adrian would usually be home. Sara figured that since Lucas Graves mentioned they were meeting up with friends, they were probably out drinking and would be back late.

She sat on the bed, trying to focus on a book she had brought with her, but as the clock ticked toward 11:30, she found herself staring at her phone, debating whether to call him.

Would it seem too clingy? Would he be annoyed?

But she had just decided to be more proactive. It was just a phone call - surely Adrian wouldn’t mind.

Sara opened her contacts and stared at Adrian’s name, but her finger hovered over the call button, hesitating.

Would he think she was checking up on him? Would he find it intrusive?

11:30 wasn’t that late. Maybe she should wait a little longer.

Sara couldn’t concentrate on her book. Over the past few weeks, she had noticed that Adrian wasn’t as distant as she had initially thought. Their relationship seemed to have softened, even if just a little.

Adrian wasn’t the type to get angry easily. In fact, he was always composed and polite. But tonight, he seemed different. Cold, distant.

Sara sat still, her lips pressed together, watching the clock. When the minute hand hit midnight, she took a deep breath.

"Sara, you can do this. Be brave. It’s just a phone call," she whispered to herself, building up the courage to dial.

After a few rings, Adrian’s familiar cool voice came through the line.

"Hello?"

"It’s me, Sara," she said softly, her heart pounding. "Um... I was just wondering when you’ll be back?"

There was a brief pause before Adrian replied, his tone distant.

"I won’t be coming back tonight."

Sara froze. It took a few seconds for her to process his words. Flustered, she hurriedly mumbled, "Oh, okay... sorry to bother you."

She quickly hung up, her shoulders slumping as she felt a dull ache in her chest. The coldness in Adrian’s voice was unmistakable.

A few days ago, he hadn’t been like this. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, their relationship was improving, even if only by a little.

But it seemed she had been wrong.

Her knuckles whitened as she clutched her phone. The villa felt even emptier, the silence suffocating.

Sara set her phone aside, blinked back the sting of tears, and turned off the light. She curled up on her side of the bed, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to ward off the loneliness that filled the room.