THE BILLIONAIRE’S PLUS-SIZE BLIND DATE

Chapter 3

Adrian’s Pov

I woke up the next morning with a stupid, helpless smile plastered across my face, staring at the bright screen of my phone.

Elowen had sent a text three minutes ago: I survived the night with the oyster lover. My grandmother is currently celebrating with more lasagna. Help.

I chuckled, running a hand through my messy hair. For the first time in years, I wasn't waking up and immediately checking stock market reports or reading company emails. I was thinking about a girl with loud laughter, incredible green eyes, and a sharp tongue that did not care even a little bit about my bank account.

As the CEO of Sterling Crown Group, my entire life was built on money and power. Women usually looked at me like I was a shiny prize to win. They memorized my suit brands, laughed at jokes that were not funny, and tried so hard to be perfect that it made my stomach hurt. But Elowen Briar had called me a stern school principal to my face. She had teased me about my taste in food. She saw me as just Adrian—a regular guy who liked cooking garlic lasagna and worked in business.

And God, it felt good.

Two hours later, I was sitting in my top-floor office at the Sterling Crown headquarters, surrounded by glass walls and dark hardwood furniture. Below me, the city looked like tiny toy cars and crawling ants.

My best friend, Cassian Vale, threw open my office door and dropped onto the leather sofa across from my desk. He stared at me with narrowed eyes, tossing a manila folder onto the glass table.

"You're doing it again," Cassian said, pointing a finger at me.

"Doing what?" I asked, putting down my silver pen.

"You've been staring at that phone for ten minutes with a goofy smile on your face," Cassian said, shaking his head. "You usually look like you want to fight a wall during morning meetings. Who is she?"

I leaned back in my chair, unable to hide the small grin tugging at my lips. "Her name is Elowen. My grandmother’s friend set us up."

Cassian’s eyes went wide. "Wait. You actually went on that blind date? The one where you pretended to be a regular guy?"

"I didn't pretend to be anyone else," I argued softly. "I just... didn't tell her my last name. She thinks I'm an ordinary businessman named Adrian Cole."

Cassian leaned forward, his face suddenly getting very serious. "Adrian, are you crazy? You are the chief executive officer of a billion-dollar company! You own half the buildings in this city! You can't just lie to a girl about who you are!"

"I'm not lying!" I snapped, standing up from my desk and walking over to the wide glass window. "I just want her to know me first, Cassian! Every woman I've ever dated looked at my family name and my money before they even looked at my eyes. Elowen doesn't care about any of that. She likes me for me."

"And what happens when she finds out you've been lying by omission?" Cassian asked loudly, his voice echoing in the large room. "The bigger the lie gets, the harder the crash is going to be. If this girl actually matters to you, you need to tell her the truth right now. You can't build a real relationship on a fake foundation."

Before I could answer him, my phone began to buzz on the desk. The caller ID showed my grandmother's name: Beatrice Sterling.

I picked it up and pressed it to my ear. "Hello, Grandma."

"Adrian!" her sweet, old voice cheered through the speaker. "Odette told me everything! She said Elowen actually liked you! Tell me the truth, did you ruin it or was it wonderful?"

"It was wonderful, Grandma," I admitted quietly, looking out over the bright city line. "She's... amazing."

"I told you so!" Grandma said happily. "She is a sweet, strong girl. But listen to me, Adrian. Don't hide behind your wall forever. A good heart can forgive a lot of things, but it cannot forgive a lie if you hold onto it for too long. Tell her who you are before someone else does."

"I will," I whispered into the phone. "I just need a little more time."

That evening, I left my black sports car in the private garage and took a regular cab to a small street food market on the dark side of town. I wore a plain gray hoodie and jeans, leaving my watch and bodyguards behind. For the first time in my life, I felt completely free as I walked through the crowded market, smelling fresh fried dough and roasted corn.

"Over here, principal!" a bright voice called out.

I turned around and saw Elowen waving at me from a colorful food stall. She wore a bright red coat that made her glow under the hanging yellow string lights. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it almost knocked the breath out of me.

"You actually showed up," she teased as I walked up to her. "I was worried a fancy businessman like you wouldn't eat street food."

"I told you, I love good food," I smiled, stepping close to her. The sweet smell of her vanilla perfume mixed with the night air. "Lead the way."

We walked side by side through the noisy crowd. No one looked at me. No one whispered my name. No one took picture with their phones. I was just a guy walking next to the most fascinating woman in the world. She bought us paper bags filled with hot, sugary churros, and we sat together on a green park bench near a small fountain.

"I love places like this," Elowen said softly, taking a bite of her churro. "Everything is real. Nobody is trying to pretend to be richer or better than anyone else."

"Do you meet a lot of people like that?" I asked quietly, watching her face.

Elowen’s smile faded a bit, her eyes turning dark as she stared at the glowing water in the fountain. "All the time in my business. Rich people usually think their money makes them special. They treat normal people like furniture. I dated a guy once who cared more about his expensive watches and showing off to his friends than he did about me."

She looked straight into my eyes, her voice getting very soft and serious.

"I could never trust a really rich man, Adrian," she said softly. "Money changes people. It makes them fake. Promise me you’ll never become one of those guys who thinks money makes him better than everyone else."

My heart dropped into my stomach like a heavy lead stone. A wave of pure guilt hit me so hard I felt sick. My throat felt completely dry, and the words I wanted to say got stuck right in my mouth.

I was staring at the woman I was falling in love with, and I was holding a dangerous secret that could destroy everything between us in a single second.

"I promise," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper.

Elowen smiled brightly again, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside my chest, and leaned her head lightly against my shoulder. I pulled her closer, silently praying that I would find the courage to tell her the truth before my beautiful dream turned into a nightmare.