Chapter 3
Adrian carried her out of the limo in silence. Her weight in his arms was light, barely anything, yet something about holding her felt heavier than he expected. Not physically but something else. Something he couldn't quite name.
Her head rested against his chest, lips parted slightly, lashes brushing her cheek. She looked peaceful.Calm.Soft.
He had carried many women before. For far different reasons. But this felt different.
The night air was cool, brushing against his face as the driver opened the penthouse doors. Adrian didn't say a word, only nodded, his grip on her firm and sure.
Inside, the penthouse was dimly lit. Modern, clean, sharp just the way he liked it. He strode through the wide hallway, the floor quiet beneath his steps. His thoughts, though, were loud.
Why had he agreed to this marriage again?
Control. Power. Legacy.
But now that she was here, in his arms, her breath soft against his neck, it was harder to remember the cold logic behind it.
He reached the bedroom and pushed the door open with his foot. The room was spacious but not overly decorated. Just a king-sized bed with grey sheets, tall windows with drawn blinds, and soft lighting that gave the space a warm glow.
He placed her gently on the bed, careful not to wake her. But as he leaned over to adjust the pillow beneath her head, his eyes locked on her face.
She really was something.
Her hair had loosened a bit during the ride, and now soft curls framed her face. Her cheeks still held a faint blush, and her lips God, those lips. Slightly parted, pink, full. They looked soft. Kissable.
Too kissable.
He hovered for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall steadily. She stirred slightly, a soft sound escaping her mouth, something between a sigh and a mumble.
His hand hovered above her cheek, then retreated. No. Not now. He wasn't that man. He wouldn't take advantage of her vulnerability.
But he did want to kiss her.
"Dear God,"
He clenched his jaw, pulled the covers over her slowly, and stepped away. He needed a drink.
———
Elera woke to soft lighting and the faint hum of the air conditioner. Her body felt too warm, too safe and that alone jolted her awake.
This wasn't her room. This wasn't her house.
Then it came rushing back. The wedding. The limo. Adrian.
She sat up slowly, the sheets slipping off her shoulders. Her dress was slightly wrinkled, and her hair had come loose entirely. She looked down at herself and sighed. Somehow, she'd ended up in his bed. Had he brought her here?
She looked around. The room was sleek, clearly expensive, but it didn't feel cold. There were no unnecessary decorations. Just clean, modern furniture and a calming palette of greys and whites.Soft morning light perked through the windows and she gasped wondering what time it was.
Her eyes widened as she realized she slept through her own wedding night.Not like she was ready for it but that didn't ease her embarrassment.
Where was her husband anyways.'Husband'.She gulped.She was a wife now.
Her gaze fell on the door. Closed. She hoped she wasn't locked in not that she was expecting to be but she didn't know the man she married anyways.
She made her way to the door relieved to find it not locked, she then proceeded to the ensuite bathroom. After cleaning up as best she could, she found a set of soft leggings and a loose shirt folded neatly on the edge of the bed. Had he asked someone to bring them? Or did he do it himself?
She didn't know. And honestly, she didn't want to think too much about it.
she made her way out into the hallway, she followed the smell of coffee until she reached the kitchen.
He was there. Adrian. Dressed casually in a black shirt and grey pants. He looked up when she entered, expression unreadable.
"You're awake," he said simply.
She nodded.
"Sit," he added, gesturing to the stool across from him.
She sat, tucking her hands into her lap.
"There's breakfast," he said.
She nodded.She was famished .
He kept working on his laptop clearly expecting her to know what to do next
A few seconds passed before she worked up the courage to speak again.
"I have a request"
He looked up then.
"I go to acting school," she said slowly. "It's part-time. I… I'd like to keep attending."
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then, to her surprise, he nodded. "You're free to continue your studies."
She blinked.
I didn't marry you to imprison you,he added. So long as you maintain the Wolfe name and stay away from scandal, I don't care what you do with your days.
That stung. The bluntness. But also… it was a relief.
"Thank you," she murmured.
He nodded again, closing his laptop. " I had someone bring your things from your old room. They're in the guest bedroom next door to our room."
Elara choked on the toast as she heard the word 'our'.She coughed as she tried to get out the remnants stuck in her throat.
Adrian raised a brow as she passed her a cup of water.And it took all her will power not to glare at him.Though it still slipped out. He could at least pretend to panic at her body wrecking coughs.
Adrian lips curved into a half smile at her expression"Yes ..Our bedroom"
Her eyes widened " We are sharing a bedroom .?"
" We are married are we not.?" Came his reply.
" Y..yes of..of course.Just thought that we ..you ..know…." Her mouth closed as she turned a deep crimson as she noticed the amused look on his face. And she cursed herself for seven different kinds of fool.But she felt a flutter in her belly at the smile on his lips.Knowing she caused it. It was no news that Adrian Wolfe rarely smiled.
" Thank you I appreciate it," she said,remembering he has given her permission to continue her schooling.
Silence followed. Not awkward. Just… full.
He got up to pour himself another cup of coffee, and for a brief second, she saw it again. The way he moved like he was always in control. Always watching. Always calculating.
"I meant what I said," he added, now standing beside her. You're not here to be a prisoner. I'll give you your space.
Elera looked up at him, heart thudding a little too loudly. "And if I do not want space? "
He stilled.
Then, surprisingly, his lips curved just a little. Not a smile. But something close.
"Let's take things one day at a time."
She nodded, unsure what to make of that.
He walked towards her, and for a second, she thought he might want to kiss her . But he didn't. He just nodded and left.
She shook her head wondering why she thought he wanted to kiss her.But even after he was gone, she could still feel the heat of his gaze. The force of his half smile. She stood at the table for a while , not sure what to make of his oddities. The man, her husband was a puzzle.
She sank into the chair he vacated and wondered what she was to do. Everything was moving too fast for her. As though her life was going by too fast. She thought of Adrian and wondered how marriage to him would be like. Would he always be this cold, detached man for the rest of their lives.
She didn't know much in the way of married life but she was sure it wasn't like this. Where the married couple barely spoke to each other. She frowned suddenly then. She'd be damned if she were going to live the remainder of her life like this. Her husband might be cold, calculating , intimidating and so many other things but she was far from a simpering female.
They had to have a talk . She couldn't keep going on like this with this uncertainty
And maybe just maybe Adrian Wolfe wasn't exactly what everyone thought he was.She could only hope so as that was the only way their marriage could become something.She wasn't sure what as long as it was something better than this.
Later that afternoon,when she got bored she went into the guest room and found her things neatly arranged. Her scripts, her notebooks from school even her little stack of dream journals. Everything was there.
She picked up one of her acting notebooks, running her fingers along the worn edges.Her mind drifted back to that morning, thinking about how Adrian looked that morning. The image of him standing there, dressed in black and grey, etched itself into her memory. He had looked ravishing. Even in the simplest of clothes.
His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing strong forearms and the faint blue trace of veins. His dark hair was tousled just enough to seem effortless, and his jaw set and clean tightened every time he concentrated on something. He moved with purpose.
She remembered the way the morning sun had hit the side of his face, casting a glow on his sharp cheekbones and nose. And those eyes sharp, focused, unreadable had flicked toward her just once, but it had made her chest flutter with something unnameable. Not attraction exactly. Something more confusing.Her mind replayed everything his words, his hands, the way he'd looked at her lips, as thou he wanted to kiss her.
Was it just her imagination?
Or had something shifted between them?
"Nahhh"
she said out loud she prolly just imagined it.she thought.
She sighed and sat cross-legged on the floor, the notebook open in her lap. Then she closed her eyes and whispered one of her monologues under her breath. Something she was supposed to perform in class next week.
Her voice was rusty at first, then it gained confidence, even if no one was there to hear it. Maybe acting was the only place where she truly felt free.
She looked at her phone and stared at the empty notifications.
No calls. No texts.
Not even from her mother.
They hadn't even bothered to check if she made it to her new home. If she was safe. Alive. Married.
Her throat tightened.
A laugh escaped her lips dry and bitter. "Of course not," she whispered to herself. Why would they?
Frustrated, she opened her messages and typed quickly.
Hey Lily, it's me. I'm okay. I… I got married. I'll explain everything later, I promise. Just… I miss you.so much.
She stared at the message, hovering over the send button. Then pressed it.
Tears burned her eyes but didn't fall. Instead, she clutched the notebook tighter, as if it could hold her together.
Her mind drifted back to Adrian,he seemed so different from what was portrayed in the news.
Andl,maybe just maybe Adrian Wolfe wasn't exactly what she had expected
Not quite the monster.
Not quite the savior.
But something else entirely.
She soon fell asleep on the couch.