THE CEO RUN AWAY BRIDE

THE FIRST DINNER

The dress was red.

Not "nice dress" red. "I'm going to start a war" red.

Adrian's stylist picked it. "Mr. Blackwood said you need to be unforgettable tonight," she said.

I stared at myself in the mirror. I barely recognized me. Hair up. Red lips. Heels that made me 6ft tall.

Tonight was dinner #1.

Tonight Damian would be there.

The Maybach was silent on the way to the hotel. Adrian was in a black tux. He looked at me once and didn't say anything. But his jaw tightened.

"Rule," he said finally. "Stay close to me. Smile. Don't talk to Damian. Don't cry. Don't run."

"I'm not 5," I muttered.

He almost smiled. "Good."

The hotel was full of cameras and billionaires. The moment we walked in, whispers started.

"That's Adrian Blackwood."

"Who's the girl?"

"Is that... the runaway bride?"

Adrian's hand found mine. His palm was warm. He laced our fingers together like we'd been doing it for years.

"Play the part," he whispered in my ear. His breath made me shiver.

We walked to our table. And there he was.

Damian. In a suit. With his father. And my father.

My father's face went white when he saw me.

Damian stood up slowly. "Well well. The bride."

"Damian," Adrian said, voice smooth as ice. "This is Ella. My date."

Damian's eyes burned into me. "You look beautiful, Ella. Shame you're with the wrong man."

I forced a smile. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

Dinner was hell.

4 courses. 2 hours. Questions. Stares.

"So Ella," Damian's father said. "What do you do?"

"She's helping me with a project," Adrian answered for me, hand on my knee under the table. "A very important project."

My father wouldn't look at me. Not once.

Halfway through, Damian "accidentally" spilled wine on me.

"Oh no!" he said, not sorry at all. "Let me help you."

Adrian caught his wrist mid-air. "Don't touch her."

The whole room went quiet.

Damian pulled his hand back, smiling. "Relax. Just being nice."

"You're done being nice," Adrian said. Then he looked at me. "Come. We're leaving."

He threw 50k on the table for the ruined dress and pulled me out.

Outside, the night air hit me. I was shaking.

"Are you okay?" Adrian asked. For the first time, he sounded... concerned. Real.

"Yeah," I lied. "Just tired of being a pawn."

Adrian stopped walking. He turned me to face him.

"You're not a pawn, Ella. Not to me."

My heart did something stupid.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

He was quiet for a long time. Then: "Because you said no. In front of everyone. And I've never seen anyone do that."

He reached up and brushed a piece of hair from my face. His fingers lingered.

"Let's go home," he said.

Home.

That word shouldn't have felt safe with him. But it did.

In the car, he didn't let go of my hand.

Two more dinners to go.

30 days on the contract.

And I was already breaking rule #1.

Because I was starting to want him to touch me again.

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TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 5: "BREAKING THE RULES"