Chapter 5
1011 Words
Elena’s POV
I walk straight back to the bar, where Lily and Brad are waiting.
"You okay?" Brad asks immediately, still eyeing Adrian across the room.
"I'm fine."
"That guy's a dick."
"Yeah." I signal the bartender for another drink. "He really is."
Lily loops her arm through mine, but her eyes are bright with mischief. "Wait, should we tell them this place is literally yours?"
I press a hand over her mouth, shaking my head. "No. There's no need."
Brad grins, catching on. "You sure? Would be pretty satisfying. I know he doesn’t know about your fortune. So much for being humble."
"Trust me," I say. "They'll find out eventually."
Lily squeals, hugging me tight. "God, I love you. You're such a badass."
I'm not sure I feel like a badass. My hands are still shaking. My heart is still racing. But I smile anyway.
"Come on," I say, grabbing both their hands. "Let's get out of here. I'm done with this night."
We leave through the back exit, laughing and stumbling into the cool night air.
~~~~****~~~~
Adrian watched Elena disappear through the back exit, flanked by her two friends, but his eyes weren’t on Lily, they focused on Brad, who now held Elena by the waist, guiding her into a car before they zoomed off.
Gone just like that. His jaw tightened. It wasn’t always that easy for her to leave but now it was like she didn’t even care he was around.
"Adrian?"
Vivian's voice pulled him back. She stood beside him now, perfectly composed, her expression carefully neutral.
"I didn't realize Elena was... here," she said delicately. "You didn't mention bringing her along."
"I didn't bring her," he snapped, harsher than he intended. Vivian raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you come?"
He didn't answer.
Because he didn't have an answer. He'd come here with Marcus and the others for a client dinner. The wine here was supposed to be excellent, from some award-winning vineyard. He hadn't known Elena would be here.
And yet, the moment he'd seen her on that stage, laughing, dancing, touching that man.
His hands curled into fists.
He knew she was from the countryside, but running into her after their argument wasn’t on his agenda, and it had completely ruined his mood.
"You came to find her, didn't you?" Vivian's voice was teasing now, light.
"Have you fallen for your little wife?"
He turned to her, cold. "She's still my wife."
Vivian's smile faltered. Just slightly. "I know," she said softly. "And I know you still resent me for leaving." He didn't respond because she was right.
He did resent her. He'd resented her the day she walked away at the airport, choosing security over him. Choosing someone else's money over what they had. But that was years ago. She was young, and young people do stupid things, now she was wiser, and she came back for him.
He shook his head, pushing the thought away. This wasn't the time.
Instead, he thought about that man, ‘Brad’ or whatever his name was. The way he'd stepped between Elena and him. The way he'd looked at her. Protective, like she meant more to him.
Irritation flared in his chest.
Who the hell did he think he was?
"Adrian?" Vivian touched his arm lightly. "You're tensing up again."
He pulled away. "I'm fine."
"Are you? Because you look like you want to punch someone."
He didn't answer. Marcus approached, breaking the moment. "Adrian, we need to talk about the Langford deal. The client postponed the meeting again."
Adrian frowned. "Why?"
"Car accident. Multi-vehicle collision on the overpass. He's in the hospital." The business being halted piled up in the misfortune that came with night, and it was really starting to reach the brim.
"When's the rescheduled meeting?" he asked, forcing his focus back to work.
"Next week. He wants to meet at his estate outside the city."
Adrian nodded. "Fine. I'll handle it."
Marcus hesitated. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem... distracted, you know, with your divorce and all."
Vivian, being irritated, chirped into the conversation. “He said he can take care of it, why do you keep asking?” She rolled her eyes and then leaned closer to Adrian, who now pulled away.
Marcus, noticing the tension, threw his hands up in defeat and then turned to leave.
Vivian was still standing beside him. Too close. "Let me buy you a drink," she said, her voice low and sultry. "You look like you need it."
Adrian glanced at her. She was leaning in now, her perfume—heavy, cloying filling the space between them.
It was too much.
He stepped back.
"I need to finish some work first," he said stiffly.
She pouted. "Always working. You never change."
He ignored her and pulled out his phone, scrolling through emails he didn't care about. Anything to avoid this conversation. But Vivian didn't leave. She leaned closer, her hand brushing his arm.
"You know," she murmured, "if you need a distraction, I'm right here."
He froze. Her perfume was overwhelming now. Suffocating.
And suddenly, all he could think about was Elena. Her light floral scent. The way she smelled like citrus and summer. Clean. Pure. He frowned, shoving the thought away.
"I'm married, Vivian," he said coldly, stepping back.
She blinked, surprised.
"For now."
"For now," he repeated. "Which means I'm not cheating."
She tilted her head, studying him. "When are you planning to divorce her?"
He thought about the unsigned agreement sitting on his coffee table at home.
Elena's signature is at the bottom.
"Soon," he said casually.
But even as he said it, another thought surfaced. He'd ignore her. Let her struggle. Let her realize she couldn't survive without him. And when she came crawling back—begging him to reconcile—he'd make her pay for every humiliation she'd caused him.
He smiled faintly.
Yes.
That's exactly what he'd do. He would like to hear her admit he was right all along. That she couldn’t survive without him.
- Writer
