🔹Adrien Russell

The first day after the wedding was tiring. All this while during the controversy, I wasn't able to come to the office and assist Dad like I usually do. I attend the office everyday along with Dad to get acquainted with the business since the day when I take over isn't far. Everything is back to normal, except that now, I am married.

I haven't gotten used to it and I don't think I have to since this marriage means nothing. Neither to me, nor to Crystal.

But I can't help but feel a bit more responsible towards her. Whether I like it or not, I cannot run from the fact that she is my wife. The entire day, my mind kept running back to her wondering if she was alright in Brooklyn. Although I trusted Martin for her safety, let's not forget that her middle name is 'trouble'.

I even called her two times but her mobile was switched off, worrying me all the more. At last, I called Martin who informed me that he had dropped her at the house safely and her phone had run out of battery. Like, seriously. She had to go from Manhattan to Brooklyn and she didn't keep her phone charged.

Relieved about her, I decided to do one more important thing before going home. I had to see Sophie. The way she had been acting all this time scared the shit out of me. But I knew that I needed to sort things out with her, so here I was. In front of her flat.

I rang the doorbell and a few minutes later, it was opened by Sophie. She seemed surprised to see me but I gave her a small smile.

"Hi." I said in a small voice.

"What's with the formality? Come in." She replied with a wider smile and I walked inside as she shut the door behind me. An awkward silence took over us. I could not help but look everywhere but her, while she stared at the ground blankly. But that lasted for less than a minute.

"Shall we sit on the balcony? It's peaceful and comfortable there." She said, signaling me to come inside. We sat on the bean-bags present there and Sophie spoke again. "I wasn't expecting you at this time. What's up?"

I shrugged at her and answered, "Nothing much. Why? Do you not like it when I come here?" I joked. Sophie giggled and replied. "I love it when you come here Adrien." I looked at her but she avoided my gaze. Her blonde hair flew a little because of the wind and she tried to set them right and my mind immediately ran back to Crystal.

When the strong wind grazed her face, making her silky brown hair fly while she ruffled them on the night of our wedding, I just couldn't take my eyes off her. I can never deny that she looked ethereal that day. Just how I imagined my bride to be. Ever since we've been entangled with each other, it's like I keep looking for chances to see her.

Just like today when she helped me with my tie. Unconsciously, I kept staring at her beautiful features. The tiny frown on her forehead and the way she bit the corner of her lip while concentrating on the tie, everything about her attracts me and I just can't help it.

"Anyway, did you have your dinner?"

I heard a voice and that brought me back from my thoughts.

What the actual fuck am I doing?

I brought my focus back on Sophie and decided to stop beating around the bush.

"Sophie, why are you being like this?" I left her question unanswered. "If you are mad at me you can express it. I am ready to face it." She laughed and shook her head, then looked at me and said, "I can never be mad at you Adrien, even if I want to, I cannot." She simply shrugged. I sighed at her reply and sat in silence which she broke again.

"I haven't had my dinner either. Let's have it together, huh?" She held my arm and I looked at her. Her eyes hoped for me to agree and I gave a nod making her grin before pulling me to the dining hall.

"Sophie, can I ask you something?" I looked at her with hesitation and asked while we were both munching on the delicious food.

"Since when do you need my permission?" She smugly said and I kept my question forward. "You really aren't mad at me right? I mean, my marriage.." I didn't know how to put my thoughts in words but she understood what I meant.

"I am not mad at you, Adrien. Of course, when I heard the news, I was upset. I cried a lot. But now, no matter how much I cry, shout or yell, nothing can be changed. You are now married to Crystal." She said with a weak smile. Although she tried to sound convincing, I still had doubts.

"Sophie, I am sorry. I know I broke your heart. Everything happened in a blink of an eye and it was a lot for even me to take in." I explained.

Sophie shook her head and said, "I understand Adrien. I am sure the situation demanded for you to accept this marriage. You don't have to feel guilty or burdened. I have nothing against you."

"You aren't lying to me, right?" I confirmed and her eyes focused on the food.

"I won't lie to you, Adrien. It's true that I wanted to marry you. I fought with my fate for as long as I could because I wanted you. But even after my numerous attempts, when you couldn't be mine, I guessed you weren't meant for me in the first place. I have accepted it, Adrien." I exasperated with a glint of sadness in her eyes.

I sighed. "Sophie, you have the right to be upset with me."

This time she looked in my eyes and said, "And you have the right to have a good friend. And I will be that. Our friendship means everything to me. You are very important to me, Adrien." She said while grinning and I couldn't help but grin along.

I pulled out the fork out of her grip and held her hands in mine. "Sophie, you have no idea about the relief your words gave me. Thank you, thank you very much. I mean, I was so embarrassed that I didn't know how to talk to you." I said in a single breath.

"Sophie, you are my best friend and I don't want to lose you at any cost." I smiled at her and raised her hand to kiss her knuckles. She pulled out her hand with a smile.

"Enough of the emotional drama. Now, please have your food, you have barely eaten anything." She scolded me, like she always does. And I couldn't be happier to see my Sophie back.

We quietly ate for a few minutes before Sophie spoke again. "But there is one thing I am actually worried about." She said slowly.

"And that is?" I asked.

"You." I looked up at her answer. "I am worried about you getting entangled with someone who is with you for your money, once again."

I started to feel uneasy as the topic rose but I tried to act normal. "I don't understand." I said, averting my eyes.

"I don't want you to be around someone who is after your money, Adrien. I have seen you heart broken once and I cannot see it again." Sophie held my hand and said.

Why are we even talking about this?

"It's not how you think it is, Sophie." I replied, trying to brush off the topic.

"Come on, Adrien. Crystal decided to help you only because you offered her your money. She married you because she wanted the luxury that you have. Why else do you think she agreed to this." Sophie's arguments annoyed me.

"Sophie. This is how deals work. I needed her to marry me for the media to shut down and she needed money. We offered each other that and it is efficiently helping both of us. And about me being heartbroken. Let me tell you, my heart has got nothing to do with this." I cleared up sternly and hoped that she had got the clue to not to talk about it anymore.

The rest of the dinner passed with small talks, nothing related to my marriage and I was thankful for it. I left Sophie's house quite late that night and on my way back, I couldn't help but think of her words. It was true that Crystal had married me for money but it wasn't something I had to be conscious of. It was a deal.

My marriage... was a deal. And although I would never admit it, I didn't feel good about it. I had always been very sincere about relationships and marriage. I had always thought of it as something very sacred. But things never went the way I wanted them to. I was tied to someone in a matrimony for something materialistic. And it wasn't the first time.

With old memories rushing back to me and the new emotions I was trying to avoid, I finally reached the penthouse. As usual, it was quiet and dark when I entered and I almost forgot that there was someone else I was sharing the house with. Exhausted, I went straight to my room and called it a day.

🔹️

There is one thing in this world that everyone hates. The alarm clock. I groaned and rolled over to shut it's shrill voice and woke up to see the rising sun. I finished my morning routine and went to the gym. Unlike the day before, on my return, I met with silence. While getting ready in my room, I heard a bit of movement in the living room and the ring of the doorbell announcing the arrival of Lily. I did not bother wearing a tie and left the room with my belongings for the office.

"Good Morning." I greeted the ladies before seating myself on the dining table beside Crystal and they greeted me back.

"Where is your tie, today?" Lily noticed the missing element of my formal attire. I looked up at her and made up an answer. "Um.. there's nothing important to do in the office today. Just looking up for some locations with Dad, so I didn't need to wear one." She nodded slowly, unsatisfied with my answer.

After a few minutes of silence, she questioned again. "I had been wanting to ask you, why do you both stay in different rooms?" Both Crystal and I stilled at her question. We glanced at each other, hoping to find an answer. "We don't." Crystal blurted out. I glared at her for giving such a ridiculous answer. "I mean, we both need some privacy, so our things are kept in different rooms but we stay together in Adrien's room." She tried to reason and Lily gave us suspicious glances while nodding skeptically.

The time in the office passed by in a woosh. I did not have a lot to do so I packed up earlier than usual and came back to the penthouse by almost seven in the evening. Changing into comfortable clothes, I came back to the living room, intending on watching a good movie after a long time. As I went there, I saw Crystal already sitting on the couch while looking intently at her phone. As she glanced at me coming towards her, she immediately put her phone aside and grabbed a magazine that was kept on the coffee table.

Not weird at all.

Ignoring it, I plopped on the couch a little away from her and turned the TV on. I could feel her continuous glances on the side of my head and I looked at her as she snapped her eyes at the book.

"Is the TV disturbing you?" I asked her, frowning. What is she even up to?

"No. I'm fine." She did not look up at me and answered. Sighing, I put my focus back on the movie, but before that, I got myself a pack of doritos from the kitchen. I glanced at Crystal. Her head ducked down at the book but she stared at it blankly, as if in some deep thought.

I offered her my doritos and she shook her head, declining them. Once again, without looking at me. There was something seriously wrong with her. She was acting as if I had almost caught her in something illegal and she was trying not to make it obvious. Well, her behaviour wasn't helping.

"Are you tired?" I asked after a few minutes and she again just shook her head.

Now this was getting on my nerves. I hate such responses. Frustrated with her bland replies, I turned towards her and nearly snapped. "What is so interesting in that magazine?" I struggled to keep my voice soft.

"N-Nothing much, just random stuff." She looked slightly panicked andI looked at the cover of the magazine. and could not stop myself from smirking.

I nodded, still smirking. "Strange. Not everyone can read a magazine upside-down like you can." Her wide eyes snapped at the book and red color crawled up her face. My smirk widened as she put the book aside and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. To avoid her embarrassment, she began to speak.

"Umm.. Adrien?" When I looked at her, she continued. "Do you mind if I use a bit of space in the bookshelves in your study. I have a bunch of novels that I have to keep." She asked carefully. Thinking for a second, I answered. "Yes. One of the corner shelves is empty. You can use that. If you need more space, let me know, I will arrange it." She gave a small smile to my reply. We spent the next few minutes watching the movie silently, until her phone kept on the table ringed.

I glanced at it and read the name 'Evan'. As soon as Crystal saw the name, she sprang up as if the couch was on fire and answered the call with unusual excitement. Frowning, I watched her walk to the balcony while talking on the phone.

Annoyance flushed inside me as I watched her laughing and talking on the phone for the next twenty minutes.

What the actual fuck?

On one hand, she was reading a magazine upside down to avoid talking to me and on the other, she talked to the Evan guy like there was no tomorrow. I could not help my growing dislike for the said man. His involvement with Crystal irked me. Crystal trusted him with the secret of our marriage and always gave him her undivided attention. Unlike the way she is with me.

Paying no heed to her anymore, I turned the TV off and went back to my room. As if on cue, I received a call from Sophie.

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