AGAINST ALL ODDS

A choice begins

Chapter Three

The market carried on, its rhythm unbroken, but Audrey felt as though something had shifted.

Adrian had come back.

She told herself it didn’t matter. That he was just another customer. That rich men had their odd ways, and maybe buying mangoes from a small market was some sort of thrill to him.

But deep down, she knew better.

She glanced at the bag of money in her crate. Again, he had overpaid. Again, he had walked away without asking for his change.

Again, she was left thinking about him.

Blessing hadn’t let up since he left, a permanent grin on her face as she fanned herself dramatically. "So, are you going to admit it now?"

Audrey, still bagging oranges for a waiting customer, gave her a tired look. "Admit what?"

Blessing leaned in. "That he likes you."

Audrey scoffed. "Because he came to buy fruit?"

"Because he came to buy fruit from you."

Audrey handed the bag to the customer, collecting the money before turning to Blessing. "You’re imagining things."

Blessing folded her arms. "You think I don’t see how he looks at you? Like you’re… interesting."

Audrey hesitated. Interesting? That word sat oddly in her mind. Was she interesting to him? She was just a market girl. Just another face in a sea of people who probably lived lives far too simple for his world.

She shook her head. "It doesn’t matter."

Blessing raised an eyebrow. "Doesn’t it?"

Audrey sighed, rubbing her temple. "Even if it did, what am I supposed to do? Chase after a rich man and beg him to notice me? I don’t have time for fairy tales, Blessing."

Blessing studied her, then sighed dramatically. "Fine. Stay in denial. But if he shows up again, you owe me more than suya. I want a full meal."

Audrey rolled her eyes, but a small, traitorous part of her wondered—Would he come again?

---

At the Estate

Adrian sat in the garden behind the royal estate, nursing a glass of whiskey as the evening breeze whispered through the carefully trimmed hedges.

It was peaceful here, but suffocating all the same.

His conversation at the dinner table still lingered in his mind. His father’s words had been clear. His duty. His responsibility. His future.

A future that had been decided long before he even had the chance to want something different.

He had spent years trying to accept it. The weight of expectations, the carefully curated alliances, the need to always be the perfect heir. And yet, for the first time in a long time, he felt something pulling him in a different direction.

He thought of Audrey.

Her wary eyes, the way she held her ground, the way she didn’t melt under the weight of his presence like so many others did. She wasn’t like the women in his world—polished, practiced, predictable.

She was real.

And real was dangerous.

"Thinking about something?"

Adrian turned to see Nathan, his closest friend, and advisor, stepping onto the stone pathway. Unlike Adrian, Nathan had a more relaxed air—his suit jacket unbuttoned, tie loosened.

"You only drink out here when something’s bothering you," Nathan observed, sitting beside him.

Adrian took a slow sip of his drink before replying, "My parents want me to marry Isabella Delacroix."

Nathan let out a low whistle. "Didn’t see that coming—oh wait, yes, I did."

Adrian smirked, but it faded quickly. "I should be used to it by now."

Nathan studied him. "But you’re not."

Adrian didn’t respond.

After a moment, Nathan leaned back. "So… what’s making it worse this time?"

Adrian hesitated.

Because he already knew the answer.

Because his thoughts kept drifting back to a girl in a market stall. To the way she had looked at him—not as a prince, not as a future king, but just as a man buying fruit.

To the way, for the first time in years, he had felt like something more than his title.

But he couldn’t say that.

Not yet.

Instead, he simply muttered, "I don’t know."

Nathan snorted. "Right. And I’m the Pope."

Adrian sighed, setting his glass down. "It doesn’t matter, Nathan. My life is already decided for me."

Nathan didn’t argue. He just gave him a knowing look before taking a sip of his own drink. "Maybe. Or maybe you’re just too afraid to change it."

Adrian didn’t respond.

Because maybe—just maybe—Nathan was right.

---

Back at the Market

The day stretched on, and as the sun began its descent, casting golden light over the busy streets, Audrey found herself lost in thought again.

The market had started to slow down, vendors packing up, the scent of roasted corn and suya filling the air. Blessing had left earlier, grinning like she already knew something Audrey didn’t.

She exhaled, shaking her head at herself.

This was ridiculous.

She barely knew Adrian. He had walked into her life twice.... twice!...and here she was, thinking about him like he was something more than a passing storm.

She scolded herself as she stacked empty crates, trying to shake off the restless energy in her bones.

But just as she was about to pull the stall’s covering down, a shadow fell over her.

"Leaving already?"

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

She turned sharply, and there he was—again.

Adrian stood before her, hands in his pockets, a small, amused smile playing on his lips. The streetlights overhead cast a warm glow on him, making him seem almost unreal against the bustling background.

Audrey gaped at him. "Are you stalking me?"

He chuckled. "I was in the area."

She crossed her arms. "You were in the area of a small market across town? Convenient."

He shrugged. "Maybe I like good fruit."

Audrey narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe you just don’t know how to stay away."

For a moment, he didn’t answer. Then, quietly, he said, "Maybe."

Something about the way he said it—soft, thoughtful—made Audrey pause.

The market noise faded into the background. The distant laughter, the honking cars, the rhythmic chatter of traders—it all blurred as they stood there, looking at each other.

Audrey swallowed, trying to find her usual sharp retort, but nothing came.

Adrian tilted his head. "Would it be so bad if I came back again?"

She should say yes. She should end this before it began.

But instead, before she could stop herself, she said, "I guess we’ll see."

Adrian’s smile deepened.

And with that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.

Audrey let out a slow breath, her fingers gripping the edge of the stall.

Oh, she was in trouble.

And she had a feeling she wasn’t the only one.