Chapter Three — The Man Behind the Title
1913 Words
Mia had spent the last several weeks trying to understand Adrian Blake.
She had failed.
Completely.
Every time she thought she had figured him out, he surprised her.
He could be cold in the morning and unexpectedly considerate in the afternoon.
He could criticize a presentation for twenty minutes and then quietly help the person who had created it fix every mistake.
He expected perfection from everyone.
Especially himself.
And although Mia would never admit it out loud, she had started to respect him.
Not because he was the CEO.
Not because his name was printed on half the company's buildings.
But because she had begun to see the person behind the title.
Still, she didn't understand him.
Not completely.
There was something about Adrian that he never allowed people to see.
A wall.
A very high wall.
And Mia had learned not to ask questions about it.
Until one evening.
It was almost nine o'clock when Mia suddenly looked up from her computer.
The office was unusually quiet.
Most of the employees had already gone home.
She had spent the entire afternoon working on a presentation and had finally finished it.
She reached for her notebook.
Nothing.
She checked her desk.
Nothing.
Her bag.
Nothing.
Then she remembered.
The conference room.
She had left her notebook there earlier.
Mia sighed.
"Of course."
She grabbed her coat and walked back toward the conference room.
The lights were mostly turned off.
She found the notebook exactly where she'd left it.
"Finally."
She picked it up and turned toward the elevator.
Then she noticed something.
Light.
A thin line of light came from underneath the door of Adrian's office.
Mia stopped.
She looked at the clock.
9:12 p.m.
He's still here?
She wasn't surprised.
Adrian had a strange relationship with working hours.
Still, something about the quiet hallway made her hesitate.
She walked toward his office.
She knocked.
No answer.
She waited.
Nothing.
Mia knocked again, a little louder.
"Mr. Blake?"
Still nothing.
She carefully opened the door.
"Adrian?"
He was sitting behind his desk.
He looked up.
For a moment, his expression was unreadable.
Then his eyes moved toward the notebook in her hands.
"What are you doing here?"
"I forgot this."
She held up the notebook.
"I came back for it."
He nodded.
"Okay."
Mia turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
Something about him looked different.
His tie was loosened.
The top button of his shirt was undone.
His jacket was hanging over the back of his chair.
Several documents were spread across his desk.
But it wasn't the paperwork that caught her attention.
It was his expression.
He looked tired.
Not ordinary tired.
Exhausted.
Mia hesitated.
"You've been working all day."
"I usually do."
"That's not healthy."
"I didn't realize you were my doctor."
"I'm not."
"Good."
Mia rolled her eyes.
"You're welcome."
Adrian looked down at his desk.
Mia watched him for a moment.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
He looked up.
"I don't need to look fine."
Mia nodded slowly.
"That's true."
She turned toward the door.
She didn't want to push him.
Whatever was bothering him wasn't her business.
At least, that's what she told herself.
"Mia."
She stopped.
She turned around.
"Yes?"
Adrian was staring at the papers on his desk.
"My father built this company."
Mia said nothing.
She walked back toward the desk and stood a few feet away.
"I didn't know."
"Most people don't."
Adrian leaned back in his chair.
"He started it when he was young. One small office. Three employees."
Mia looked around the enormous room.
"And now?"
"Now there are thousands of employees."
She smiled slightly.
"That's impressive."
"He was impressive."
There was something in Adrian's voice that made her smile disappear.
"He expected me to take over when he retired."
Mia waited.
"And did you?"
Adrian looked toward the window.
"He passed away before that happened."
The room became very quiet.
Mia's expression softened.
"I'm sorry."
Adrian nodded once.
"It was years ago."
"That doesn't mean it stopped mattering."
He looked at her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Most people probably avoided conversations like this with him.
They would have apologized and left.
But Mia stayed.
Not because she wanted to know his secrets.
Because she could see that he needed someone to listen.
Adrian looked down at his hands.
"After he died, everyone expected me to become him."
Mia frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"My employees expected it. The board expected it. Business partners expected it."
He gave a small, humorless smile.
"They wanted the next version of my father."
"And you weren't?"
"No."
"What was he like?"
Adrian was silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
"He was warm."
Mia smiled softly.
"Patient."
He paused.
"He trusted people easily."
Mia looked at him.
"And you don't?"
Adrian's expression changed.
"Not anymore."
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
Mia waited.
Outside the window, rain began tapping softly against the glass.
Adrian finally spoke.
"Because sometimes trusting people costs more than you expect."
Mia didn't ask him what had happened.
She knew he wasn't ready to explain.
Instead, she walked toward the window.
The city looked completely different from this high above.
Thousands of lights.
Thousands of people.
Thousands of lives Adrian probably knew nothing about.
"You know," she said quietly, "I think everyone expects too much from people."
Adrian looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"People decide who you should be before they actually know you."
He said nothing.
"They look at your name, your job, your family, your achievements..."
She turned toward him.
"And then they decide what kind of person you're supposed to be."
Adrian watched her carefully.
"My father was a good man," he said.
"I know."
"You never met him."
"I know."
"Then how can you say that?"
Mia smiled.
"Because of the way you talk about him."
Adrian looked away.
Mia continued.
"You don't have to become him."
His eyes returned to hers.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I don't think you understand."
"I think I do."
She took a small breath.
"Your father built this company. He created something important. And now you're responsible for it."
Adrian nodded.
"But that doesn't mean you have to become exactly like him."
He stared at her.
"You don't have to be as warm as he was. You don't have to trust everyone. You don't have to make the same choices he would have made."
Mia smiled gently.
"You can be yourself."
Adrian didn't respond.
Nobody had ever said that to him.
Not like this.
For years, people had told him what he should become.
They had compared him to his father.
They had reminded him of the responsibility he carried.
They had told him to be stronger.
More careful.
More decisive.
More like the man who came before him.
But Mia was saying something completely different.
She was telling him that he didn't have to become anyone else.
"You don't have to be your father to make him proud."
The words stayed between them.
Adrian looked at her.
Something inside him shifted.
He didn't know what to say.
So he said the only thing that felt honest.
"Thank you."
Mia smiled.
"You're welcome."
She picked up her notebook.
"I should go."
Adrian nodded.
"Goodnight, Mia."
She walked toward the door.
"Goodnight."
Her hand touched the handle.
She turned around.
"And Adrian?"
He looked up.
"Yes?"
"Go home."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"You're giving me orders now?"
"Someone has to."
He almost laughed.
"Goodnight, Mia."
"Goodnight."
She left.
The door closed quietly behind her.
Adrian remained in his chair.
He looked toward the door for several seconds.
Then he looked down at the papers in front of him.
For the first time that night, they didn't seem so important.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
His father's photograph sat on a shelf across the room.
Adrian looked at it.
For years, he'd wondered whether he was living up to his father's expectations.
Whether he was strong enough.
Successful enough.
Good enough.
But Mia had made him question something he'd never thought to question before.
Maybe the goal wasn't to become his father.
Maybe the goal was simply to become the best version of himself.
He looked at the clock.
9:35 p.m.
He stood.
For once, he decided to listen to Mia.
He picked up his jacket and left the office.
───
The next morning, Mia arrived at work expecting everything to return to normal.
She had no idea that her conversation with Adrian had affected him.
She simply sat at her desk and opened her computer.
Daniel appeared a few minutes later.
"Morning."
"Morning."
He placed a coffee on her desk.
Mia looked at it.
"What's this?"
"Peace offering."
"For what?"
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"That sounds suspicious."
Daniel laughed.
"You're learning."
Mia took the coffee.
"Thank you."
He leaned against her desk.
"Did you work late last night?"
"No."
"Did you see Adrian?"
Mia paused.
"Yes."
Daniel immediately looked interested.
"Where?"
"In his office."
"At what time?"
"Why?"
Daniel smiled.
"Because you were both there late."
Mia sighed.
"I forgot my notebook."
"Right."
"That's what happened."
"I believe you."
"Good."
Daniel nodded.
"Completely."
Mia looked at him.
"You don't believe me."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Before Daniel could answer, a familiar voice came from behind them.
"Daniel."
Daniel immediately straightened.
"Yes, sir?"
"Are you finished?"
"Yes."
"Then get to work."
"Of course."
Adrian walked past them.
Mia watched him.
He looked exactly the same as always.
Perfect suit.
Calm expression.
Confident posture.
But something was different.
He looked less tired.
As if he had actually slept.
Adrian stopped beside Mia's desk.
"The presentation from yesterday."
"Yes?"
"Excellent work."
Mia blinked.
"Again?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Again?"
"You complimented me yesterday."
"I remember."
"And now you're doing it again."
"Would you prefer criticism?"
"No."
"Then accept the compliment."
Mia smiled.
"Thank you."
Adrian nodded and walked away.
Daniel watched him leave.
Then he looked at Mia.
"Okay."
"What?"
"Something is definitely happening."
Mia laughed.
"Nothing is happening."
"He complimented you twice."
"So?"
"He doesn't compliment people twice."
"Maybe he's changing."
Daniel stared at her.
"Did you hit your head?"
Mia laughed again.
Across the room, Adrian glanced back at them.
His eyes met Mia's.
For a brief second, neither looked away.
Then Adrian returned to his office.
Mia looked down at her computer.
She couldn't explain why that small moment had made her smile.
Maybe because, for the first time, she felt like she was seeing the real Adrian.
Not the CEO.
Not the businessman.
Not the intimidating man everyone was afraid of.
Just Adrian.
A man carrying expectations that were never entirely his.
A man who had spent years trying to prove that he was strong.
A man who had forgotten that he didn't have to carry everything alone.
Mia didn't know what would happen next.
She didn't know that this conversation would change the way Adrian saw her.
She didn't know that he would begin trusting her in ways he had never trusted anyone else.
And she certainly didn't know that the guarded man behind the title would slowly become less guarded around her.
For now, she simply returned to work.
And Adrian returned to his office.
But something had changed.
Not dramatically.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
The wall around Adrian had developed its first c***k.
And Mia was the person who had unknowingly created it.
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