Episode 5. The first meeting
892 Words
The ride was silent.
Elisa sat alone in the backseat, fingers tightening around the handle of her bag while the city lights blurred past outside the tinted windows.
The farther they drove, the more unfamiliar everything became.
Tall buildings replaced crowded streets.
Luxury replaced warmth.
And somewhere between one traffic light and the next.
Elisa realized there was truly no turning back anymore.
When the car finally stopped, her breath caught slightly.
A towering black high-rise stood before her, its glass walls glowing against the dark evening sky.
The driver stepped out immediately before opening the door for her.
“This way, Miss Hart.”
Elisa followed him quietly inside.
The lobby was massive.
Elegant.
Cold.
Dark marble floors reflected the golden lights hanging overhead while silence wrapped around the building like a second skin.
Nothing about the place felt lived in.
It felt expensive.
The driver led her toward a waiting area overlooking the city.
“Please wait here,” he said respectfully. “Mr. Kane will see you shortly.”
Shortly turned into hours.
The sky outside darkened completely while Elisa sat alone beneath the quiet hum of the building.
Staff members moved silently through the halls.
Nobody disturbed her.
Nobody spoke unless necessary.
And slowly…
The waiting itself began to feel intentional.
Like a reminder that Adrian Kane’s world moved entirely on his time.
Eventually, a woman dressed neatly in black approached her.
“Mr. Kane is ready to meet you in the penthouse,” she said politely. “I’ll take you up.”
The elevator ride was silent.
Long.
Every floor that passed felt like a door closing.
When the doors finally opened, Elisa stepped into a space so vast it barely felt real.
Floor-to-ceiling windows.
Dark furniture.
The kind of quiet that had been bought, not borrowed.
And him.
Adrian Kane stood with his back to her, looking out at the city while rain painted the glass in blurred lights.
Even from behind, he looked intimidating.
Sharp.
Still.
“Elisa Hart.”
His voice was low. Calm.
The kind of voice that probably ended arguments before they even started.
She straightened slightly.
“Mr. Kane.”
He turned slowly.
Dark eyes moved over her once.
Then again.
Not lingering exactly.
Measuring.
“You’re smaller than your picture,” he said finally.
Elisa crossed her arms lightly.
“And you’re exactly what I expected.”
Something faint shifted in his expression.
Not amusement.
Not quite.
“I doubt that.”
He stepped closer.
Elisa didn’t move.
“If you think I’m going to beg or cry or act grateful,” she said quietly, “you’re going to be disappointed.”
Adrian stopped a foot away from her.
Then—
“Good.”
The answer caught her off guard.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Rain tapped softly against the glass behind him while the city lights flickered below.
Adrian finally walked past her before sitting on the dark leather couch near the center of the penthouse.
“Sit.”
Elisa hesitated briefly before sitting across from him.
A woman entered quietly with tea before disappearing just as quickly.
Neither of them touched it.
Adrian leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.
“This arrangement comes with conditions.”
The words sounded cold.
Professional.
Like he was discussing a contract instead of a marriage.
Elisa folded her hands together quietly.
“I assumed it would.”
His eyes rested on her briefly before he continued.
“You’ll stay in the east building behind the main house.”
Elisa frowned faintly.
“The east building?”
“It’s private,” Adrian said simply. “You’ll be more comfortable there.”
Something about the way he said it made the real meaning obvious.
Distance.
He wanted distance.
“You’ll only come to the main house for meals, formal gatherings, or public events requiring our appearance together,” he continued.
“And outside of that?”
“There should be little unnecessary interaction between us.”
The words landed harder than they should have.
Elisa looked at him carefully.
“So this is strictly business to you.”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
Just truth.
Adrian reached for the untouched tea beside him but didn’t drink it.
“This marriage benefits both parties,” he continued. “You get financial security for your family. I get stability in the public eye.”
Public image.
That was all she was.
A solution.
A role.
Not a person.
Elisa swallowed quietly before asking,
“And what happens if I don’t fit into your world?”
Adrian’s gaze lifted to hers.
“I think you will.”
The answer surprised her.
Not because it was kind.
But because he sounded certain.
Adrian stood then, adjusting the sleeve of his black shirt.
“Everything you need has already been prepared at the estate.”
Prepared.
Like her arrival had been planned long before she signed the contract.
He walked toward the windows again, ending the conversation without saying it directly.
Elisa stood slowly.
For a second, she considered saying something sharp.
Something angry.
But exhaustion settled heavier than pride.
So instead, she simply asked,
“And if I decide I hate you?”
Adrian looked at her reflection through the glass.
Then finally answered—
“That would make things easier for both of us.”
- Writer
