Married to the CEO

Chapter 3 — One Week Until the Wedding

As the car drove away from Laurenté Restaurant, I leaned against the window of my car and stared at the city lights passing by.

I should have been thinking about everything Adrian had said.

About his girlfriend.

About the fact that he didn’t love me.

About the marriage we had both agreed to for the sake of our families.

But somehow, there was another feeling I couldn’t push away.

I was excited.

I was actually excited to get married.

A small smile appeared on my lips before I could stop it.

I was going to marry Adrian Lewis.

The man I had loved quietly for years.

The man I had never imagined would one day become my husband.

My heart fluttered at the thought.

But the happiness didn’t last long.

I remembered his words.

Don’t expect love.

I’m not leaving my girlfriend.

Nothing changes.

My smile slowly disappeared.

Was I really doing the right thing?

Could I really marry someone who had no feelings for me?

Could I live beside him knowing that his heart belonged to another woman?

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Maybe I was being foolish.

Maybe I was letting my feelings make this decision for me.

But if I said no now, I knew I would always wonder what could have happened.

So, for now…

I decided to take the risk.

Even if I was the only one falling.

---

The Next Morning

I was sitting inside the conference room of my office, going through several documents that needed my approval.

My laptop was open in front of me, and a pile of contracts sat beside my hand.

I was halfway through reviewing a proposal when my phone rang.

Mrs. Lewis.

Adrian’s mother.

I immediately answered.

“Hello, Mrs. Lewis?

“I hope you’re not too busy.”

“Not really. Why?”

She laughed softly.

“I’m calling about the wedding.”

My heart immediately skipped.

“The wedding?”

“Yes, dear. I want you to start preparing.”

I sat up straighter.

“Preparing?”

“We’ve already hired a wedding planner.”

My eyes widened.

“Already?”

“Yes. And there’s something else.”

I waited.

“The wedding will be next week.”

I froze.

“Next week?”

“Yes.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

Next week.

I was getting married next week.

To Adrian.

The man I had secretly loved for years.

A smile slowly spread across my face.

“Okay .”

“I’ll send you the organizer’s contact details. You can discuss everything with her.”

“Of course.”

“And don’t worry about making it too grand. We agreed that the wedding would be exclusive.”

“Just family?”

“Family, close relatives, and our business partners and investors.”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me.

“That sounds good.”

“We want it private. There will be no unnecessary media attention.”

“I understand.”

“Good. I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lewis.”

“Call me Mom once you’re married.”

I froze for a second.

Then I laughed awkwardly.

“Okay… Mom.”

She laughed.

“See you soon, Elena.”

“See you.”

The call ended.

I stared at my phone.

One week.

Just one week.

I was going to become Adrian’s wife.

I couldn't stop the small smile from returning.

For once, I allowed myself to imagine it.

Walking down the aisle.

Seeing him waiting for me.

Wearing a beautiful wedding dress.

Standing beside the man I had loved in silence.

Maybe it was foolish.

Maybe it was hopeless.

But I was still happy.

Even if I was the only one who knew why.

---

I picked up my phone again.

There was one person I needed to message.

Adrian.

I opened our conversation.

For a few seconds, I stared at the empty message box.

Then I started typing.

Elena:

Hi. Your mom called me about the wedding. We only have one week left, so we should start preparing.

I paused.

Then added another message.

Elena:

Is there anything you want to add to the wedding? Also, do you have a preferred suit color?

I waited.

A few minutes passed.

Then my phone buzzed.

Adrian:

You decide.

I stared at the screen.

That was it.

Three words.

Cold.

Short.

No questions.

No excitement.

Nothing.

I typed another message.

Elena:

Are you sure? It’s your wedding too.

His reply came almost immediately.

Adrian:

Whatever you want.

I stared at the message.

My smile disappeared.

Of course.

Why did I even expect anything else?

To him, this wasn't a wedding.

It was an arrangement.

A responsibility.

A business decision.

Nothing more.

I locked my phone and placed it face down on the table.

“Fine,” I whispered.

“If that’s how you want it.”

I pushed the wedding thoughts out of my mind.

I had work to do.

There were still dozens of documents waiting for my attention.

So I opened my laptop again and focused on my work.

I refused to let three cold words ruin my day.

I refused to let myself think about how badly I wanted him to be excited about our wedding.

Because the truth was simple.

I was the only one looking forward to it.

---

A few hours later, my phone vibrated again.

This time, it was Mom.

Mom:

Elena, don’t forget. We have a meeting this evening with the Lewis family.

I quickly replied.

Elena:

What meeting?

Her response came shortly after.

Mom:

The meeting with Lewis Tech International Group. Their investors and several of our business partners will also be there.

I frowned.

Elena:

What are we discussing?

Mom replied.

Mom:

Your engagement.

I stared at the screen.

My engagement.

So this was becoming real.

Not just between our families anymore.

Soon, everyone connected to our companies would know.

I placed my phone down and leaned back in my chair.

For years, I had secretly loved Adrian.

And now, in just one week—

I would officially become his fiancée.