The Russo family had made their peace with the Santoris family, but both of their families still had many enemies, and today one of them was trying to assassinate Nicholas. His driver was skilled, but he was no match for the two cars that tried to run them off the road. They veered off an unmarked exit and hit a rock, immobilizing their vehicle, so Nicholas, his driver, and bodyguards decided to split up, to throw them off his scent.

He called for backup and started walking deeper into a remote wooded area at least a half-hour from the city, it would take time for his men to get there, so he needed to hide.

Adelyn had been filming a periodic drama in the same area for a late-night scene when she saw a familiar figure walking down the road.

"Hello there! Were you at Hotel X a couple of nights ago?" she asked as the driver stopped the car in front of Nicholas.

"No," he answered. Which had her do a double-take, and look at him more closely.

"I know you're the same guy I met that night. Are you waiting for a lift? I can drop you home," she suggested. All her ideas had been shut down when Nicholas said no to all of them.

This guy is so stingy with words, she thought.

"Come on, it's difficult to get a cab around here. Nobody else will offer you a ride," she was trying to return the favor when he helped her hide from Viggo, and he was trying to make it difficult for her.

Nicholas was about to reject her again when his phone buzzed. He got a message from one of his guys that said his backup came, but they encountered their enemies, so he could either lay low and wait for them or get out if he could.

His expression turned rigid, "Okay, you can drop me off at the metro," he said it like he was doing her a favor.

Adelyn smiled with her small victory but was disappointed when Nicholas said he wanted to go to the train station. 'Oh well, at least I have at least 30 minutes to get to know him," she thought.

She openly stared at him the whole ride, liking what she was seeing. He looked like his skin was tanned, probably from being outdoors a lot, which made her wonder what he did for a living. Did it involve using the muscles he hid under his suits? She wanted to touch his muscled arms but refrained from doing so when she noticed he was staring at her dangerously.

His eyes told her to back off. "Too bad, you look very handsome, if only you were more approachable," she thought. The dirt and mud on his clothes and shoes did not turn her off, she did not know why he was walking outside the city, but she knew that he was not poor because of the rare watch he was wearing on his wrist and the expensive Italian shoes on his feet.

"So, what were you doing alone on the road? Where was your driver? Do you know that it's dangerous to roam in the area I picked you up from?" She asked, a little concerned, but he just dismissed her questions.

"Hmm..."

"I can drop you at our house, taking the metro will take time," she suggested trying to convince him to tell her where he lived. Adelyn was very talkative, whereas Nicholas acted like he would lose a dollar for every word he spoke.

"It's fine, I can manage," he turned towards the window to end the conversation. She smirked at his reply but kept sneaking glances at him from time to time.

When they reached the train station, Nicholas jumped out of the car without saying thank you or goodbye.

After he disappeared from her sight, she remembered that she never asked for his name.

-=-

The next day, Adelyn is on the set studying her lines when a bouquet of fresh-cut red roses appears in front of her. She scoffed, knowing who sent her the flowers.

"Your cheeks are probably softer than those petals. I would love to have a feel if you'd let me," Viggo smiled and sat on the seat in front of her.

"Ugh, so cheesy," she thought, making her cringed. He was a little too forward for her taste and a little loud when it came to clothing choices. The shirts he wore always had some garish kind of animal or floral prints. Some days she thought he was more primped than she was, with his manicured fingernails, neatly trimmed hair, and stylish clothing.

Adelyn ignored him and continued memorizing her lines.

"Adelyn, where did you go during the party at Hotel X? I went looking for you, but you disappeared," Viggo said, not minding that she ignored the flowers he gave her.

"I went home early ", she replied, not lifting her head.

"Adelyn, I have tickets for the new concert, I'll pick you up at 8? Viggo asked.

" I am not interested, please leave me alone I cannot concentrate," Adelyn slapped the table lightly.

"Adelyn, why are you so unreasonable, I like you, and you're lucky I choose you to be my girlfriend. I suggest you take what I'm giving you. This offer will not last forever. I can make your life worse than this," he said arrogantly.

Because of her constant rejection, Viggo made her his project. "Instead of being grateful that I am willing to date her, she keeps on rejecting me. I will bend you to my will. You'll see, eventually, every woman falls into my hands. You just need extra work," he thought. He was not courting Adelyn to marry her, as soon as he gets her to bed, she will be forgotten.

"Come on, one date," Vigoo nagged.

"No. I will be busy that day," she clenched her teeth.

He raised his eyebrows and mocked, "Oh really? Doing what?"

"Meeting my boyfriend," Adelyn blurted out, the panic reflected in her face. Viggo tried to catch her expression, but with her head bent down pretending to read her script, she was able to hide it well.

He laughed out loud, "Adelyn stop lying, I checked your records, and you've been very much single since the day you were born," Viggo smirked.

Adelyn would not let him win, "Not everything about my life has been written down, in some record. We just got together recently because he came back from aboard. I did not want our relationship to affect my work, so we kept a low profile," she lied already, so it does not matter whether if the lie is small or big.

"I want to meet him, this boyfriend of yours, bring him to the met gala," Viggo challenged her confidently.

The Met Gala was the biggest party in the entertainment industry. All the people in the industry gather at this party every year to establish connections, catch up with old friends and find new ones. This is the event a celebrity goes to be seen and recognized, to be assigned new projects, or to be gossiped about.

For one night a year, all the celebrities, big and small, gather together to pretend to be nice, like each other, and smile though they are all vying for the same job.

Adelyn frowned, she enjoyed coming to this party because she gets to dress up. Now Viggo is going to ruin it for her. Where is she going to get a fake boyfriend within a week?

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