THE CEO RUN AWAY BRIDE

BREAKING THE RULES

The rule was simple: No falling in love.

I broke it on day 12.

It started with a fever.

I woke up shaking. My head hurt. My throat felt like fire. The guest house was cold even with 3 blankets.

There was a knock. Adrian.

He walked in with a bowl of soup and medicine. No suit. Just sweatpants and a hoodie. He looked... human.

"You look terrible," he said.

"Thanks," I croaked.

He sat on the edge of my bed and put his hand on my forehead. His hand was cool.

"You have a fever," he said quietly.

For the first time since I met him, he didn't look like a CEO. He looked worried.

"I'll call a doctor," he said.

"No," I grabbed his wrist. "Please. Just stay."

He froze. Then he nodded.

He stayed for 3 hours. Reading emails while I slept. Bringing me water.

When I woke up again it was night and he was still there.

"Why?" I asked.

Adrian looked at me. "Because you said no. And you meant it."

Something in my chest cracked.

The next day I was better. But things were different.

He started having lunch with me.

He asked about Kemi.

He let me see my son on video call every night.

And I started waiting for him to come home.

Dinner #2 was in 2 days.

The stylist came again. This time the dress was black. Elegant. Dangerous.

"You and Mr. Blackwood have been seen a lot together," she said casually. "People are talking."

"Let them talk," I said.

At the restaurant, Damian was already there. With a woman on his arm.

He saw me and his smile dropped.

"Look who it is," he said. "The charity case."

Adrian pulled out my chair. "Watch your mouth."

"Or what?" Damian laughed. "You'll buy her too?"

Adrian leaned in. "I didn't buy her. She chose me."

The whole table went quiet.

Dinner was worse than the first one. Tension. Stares. My father finally looked at me. He looked old. Tired.

After dinner, Adrian walked me to the car.

"Did I do okay?" I asked.

"You were perfect," he said. Then he stopped. "Ella."

"What?"

He cupped my face with both hands. His thumb brushed my cheek.

"I wasn't supposed to do this," he whispered.

Then he kissed me.

It wasn't soft. It wasn't planned. It was 12 days of tension breaking all at once.

His lips were warm. His hands were in my hair. And for 10 seconds, I forgot about contracts, and Damian, and everything.

When he pulled back we were both breathing hard.

"That was a mistake," he said.

"Was it?" I whispered.

He didn't answer. He just opened the car door for me.

All the way home, neither of us spoke.

But his hand found mine. And he didn't let go.

Rule #1: No falling in love.

Too late.

Because I think Adrian Blackwood just fell too.

And the last dinner is in 3 days.

With Damian in the room.

This is going to end badly.

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TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 6: "THE LAST DINNER"