Chapter - 6 > A Devil in a Designer Suit
1143 Words
The evening streets were nearly empty.
Streetlights reflected off the rain-soaked pavement as Maya tightened her grip on her umbrella.
Standing beside the sleek black luxury car was Victor Knight.
Unlike Adrian's calm presence, Victor's smile felt... rehearsed.
Too polished.
Too perfect.
Every instinct in Maya told her to be careful.
"Miss Bennett," Victor said warmly. "I hope I'm not interrupting your evening."
"You kind of are."
He chuckled.
"I like honest people."
"Good."
"Because I'm about to be honest too."
Maya crossed her arms.
"If this is about selling my bakery, I've already answered that question."
Victor smiled.
"Oh, I'm not here on behalf of Knight Holdings."
"No?"
"I'm here because of my cousin."
At the mention of Adrian, Maya frowned.
"What about him?"
Victor leaned casually against his car.
"May we talk somewhere more comfortable?"
"I'm comfortable right here."
He looked around the quiet street.
"In the rain?"
"I've had worse conversations."
For a brief moment, Victor's smile faltered.
Then it returned.
"I understand why Adrian chose you."
Maya blinked.
"Chose me?"
Victor nodded.
"So... he hasn't told you."
"Told me what?"
Victor pretended to hesitate.
"I probably shouldn't interfere."
"Then don't."
She turned to leave.
"Miss Bennett."
She stopped.
"My cousin doesn't believe in love."
Her back stiffened.
"He believes in winning."
Victor slipped both hands into his pockets.
"To him, every person is a negotiation."
Every word settled heavily in Maya's mind.
"He offered you a contract marriage, didn't he?"
She slowly turned around.
"How do you know that?"
Victor smiled knowingly.
"Because I know Adrian."
"He only approaches people when he needs something."
"He needs you."
"But not because he cares about you."
Maya's expression became unreadable.
"What does he need?"
Victor looked directly into her eyes.
"His inheritance."
Meanwhile...
Across the city...
Adrian was still in his office.
It was nearly nine at night.
The lights on the executive floor had long been switched off, except for the one in his office.
He wasn't reading financial reports.
He wasn't reviewing contracts.
Instead...
He was staring at the untouched marriage agreement lying on his desk.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Ethan entered carrying two cups of coffee.
"I figured you'd still be here."
Adrian accepted one.
"Thank you."
Ethan sat across from him.
"You've been unusually quiet."
"I'm thinking."
"Dangerous hobby."
Adrian gave him a look.
Ethan smiled.
"About Maya?"
"...Maybe."
Ethan nearly spilled his coffee.
"I knew it!"
"You know nothing."
"I know you've rejected three acquisition proposals today."
"So?"
"You forgot a meeting."
"I rescheduled it."
"You also ate three chocolate cupcakes."
Adrian frowned.
"How do you know that?"
"I bought them."
Silence.
Then Ethan sighed dramatically.
"My boss is changing."
"I'm not."
"You smiled yesterday."
"It was brief."
"You asked the chef to learn how to bake cinnamon rolls."
"I was curious."
"You Googled 'How to apologize to a stubborn woman.'"
Adrian froze.
"...You checked my browser history?"
"The IT department accidentally projected your laptop onto the conference room screen."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"I'm firing everyone."
At the same time...
Back outside Bennett's Bakery...
Maya looked at Victor carefully.
"My answer won't change."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't asked you anything yet."
"You don't have to."
She smiled politely.
"Whatever this is, I'm not interested."
Victor slowly walked toward her.
"You should be."
"I already rejected Adrian."
"I know."
"And now you're here."
"Exactly."
He stopped a few feet away.
"My cousin isn't telling you the whole truth."
"What truth?"
"He needs a wife because of our grandfather's will."
"I know that."
"But did he tell you what happens if he fails?"
She shook her head.
Victor's eyes gleamed.
"He loses control of Knight Holdings."
Maya's eyes widened slightly.
"So?"
"So..."
Victor smiled.
"You aren't a woman to him."
"You're a solution."
His words landed like stones.
"He doesn't love you."
"He doesn't even know you."
"He simply needs someone impossible to buy."
"And congratulations..."
Victor clapped slowly.
"You fit the job description perfectly."
Maya remained silent.
Victor watched her carefully.
The seed of doubt had been planted.
Exactly as he intended.
"I thought you deserved to know."
He reached into his pocket and handed her a business card.
"If Adrian bothers you again..."
"Call me."
"I'll make sure he leaves you alone."
Without another word, Victor got back into his car.
As the vehicle disappeared into the rainy night...
Maya looked down at the card in her hand.
For the first time since meeting Adrian...
She questioned his intentions.
The next morning...
Knight Holdings.
Adrian had barely stepped into the lobby when his grandmother called.
"Adrian."
"Good morning, Grandma."
"I heard you proposed."
News really did travel fast.
"It wasn't exactly romantic."
"I didn't expect romance."
She laughed softly.
"I expected common sense."
"I have common sense."
"You offered a stranger fifty million dollars."
"..."
"That's not romance."
"That's a corporate merger."
Even Adrian couldn't argue with that.
His grandmother continued,
"Tell me honestly."
"What?"
"Do you like this girl?"
He answered immediately.
"No."
"Too quickly."
"I barely know her."
"And yet..."
She smiled knowingly.
"You've stopped talking about the company."
"What do you mean?"
"You've spent the last five minutes talking only about Maya."
Adrian fell silent.
His grandmother's voice softened.
"Your grandfather wasn't trying to force you into marriage."
"He was trying to remind you that life isn't measured only by profit."
Before Adrian could respond, the call ended.
He stood motionless.
Thinking.
Across town...
Maya unlocked the bakery doors.
She tried to focus on kneading dough.
On measuring flour.
On decorating cakes.
But Victor's words echoed endlessly in her mind.
"You're not a woman to him..."
"You're a solution."
She sighed.
"Stop thinking about him."
Lily looked up from arranging fresh pastries.
"Thinking about who?"
"No one."
"The billionaire?"
Maya nearly dropped a mixing bowl.
"I said no one!"
Lily laughed.
"Oh..."
"So it is the billionaire."
Before Maya could deny it...
The bell above the bakery door chimed.
Both women looked up.
Standing at the entrance was Adrian.
This time...
He wasn't wearing an expensive suit.
Instead, he wore dark jeans, a simple navy sweater, and white sneakers.
His hair was slightly messy, as though he hadn't bothered styling it.
For the first time...
He looked less like New York's most powerful billionaire...
And more like an ordinary man.
Maya blinked in surprise.
Adrian gave her a small nod.
"Good morning."
She folded her arms.
"What happened?"
He looked confused.
"To what?"
"Did your billionaire wardrobe go on vacation?"
A few customers laughed.
To everyone's surprise...
Adrian smiled.
"I was told I looked too expensive."
Maya couldn't stop the tiny smile tugging at her lips.
She quickly hid it.
She had no idea...
That someone was secretly photographing the moment from across the street.
And by sunset...
Those photos would be on every entertainment website in the country.
- Writer
