Chapter 3 - Moving In With The Enemy
Two days later, my life fit into five suitcases.
Adrian had sent a private car to pick us up from our tiny apartment in Brooklyn.
When we arrived at his TriBeCa penthouse, I felt like I had stepped onto another planet.
It was massive, sleek, and utterly silent.
"Welcome home," Adrian said, standing in the foyer in a tailored suit.
He looked too big, too commanding for the space.
"It's huge!" Mia squealed, running toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"Mia, don't run!" I warned.
"Let her run," Adrian said gently. "The place is practically empty anyway."
He gave us a tour.
My bedroom was a massive suite down the hall from his, complete with a walk-in closet filled with brand-new designer clothes in my exact size.
Mia's room had been transformed overnight.
It was painted soft pink, with a custom canopy bed, an art station, and shelves filled with toys.
"You didn't have to do all this," I said, my throat tight.
"If we're going to do this, we do it right," he replied, adjusting his cuffs.
"The press will be watching. The board has eyes everywhere."
"Starting tomorrow, you wear the ring."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box.
Inside was a diamond ring so large it caught the light and practically blinded me.
"Adrian, this is too much."
"It belonged to my grandmother," he said softly.
He took my left hand. His fingers were warm, sending a strange jolt of electricity up my arm.
He slipped the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.
"We need to get our story straight," he said, clearing his throat and stepping back.
"We started dating secretly six months ago. We fell in love over late-night project meetings."
"We wanted to protect Mia from the media, which is why we kept it quiet."
I nodded, trying to ignore the way my heart was suddenly pounding.
That evening, for the first time in his life, Adrian Kane ordered pizza.
We sat on the floor of his immaculate living room.
Mia talked his ear off about dinosaurs and her stuffed elephant, Gerald.
I watched in amazement as this ruthless billionaire patiently debated whether a T-Rex could beat a Triceratops.
He was different here.
The cold armor he wore at work was slightly cracked.
Later, after I tucked Mia into bed, I found Adrian on the terrace, holding a glass of scotch.
"Thank you," I said softly, stepping out into the cool night air.
"For everything. My lawyer called today. They filed the restraining order against Marcus."
Adrian turned to me, the city lights reflecting in his eyes.
"I told you I'd handle it."
"You did. But you're doing more than just handling it. You're being kind."
He looked at me for a long time.
"I'm not a kind man, Lily," he warned, his voice low.
"Don't confuse a business arrangement with something else."
But as a gust of wind blew my hair across my face, he reached out and gently tucked it behind my ear.
His touch lingered for just a second too long.
May you like
The tension between us was thick, dangerous, and undeniable.
I realized then that protecting my daughter might cost me my heart.
