After Harris parked the car in the garage, Adrian stepped out without waiting. Relanie followed behind him while Harris and Reine stayed back.
He walked straight into the house and headed for the study. Inside, Mrs Vale sat at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. Mr Vale sat across from her quietly.
Adrian didn’t go to them. He turned and walked calmly to the floor to ceiling window, stopping there with his back to the room.
Relanie ca in after him and went straight to Mrs Vale. She sat beside her and called softly, "Mom."
Mrs Vale smiled and pulled her into a warm hug, patting her hair like she always did. "Have you told him?" she asked after pulling away from her.
Relanie sat upright and glanced at Adrian, then back at Mrs Vale. "No."
Mrs Vale nodded in understanding and patted her hair again. "It’s alright." she said. Then she looked at Adrian. "You know, right?"
"Know what?" Adrian asked calmly, still facing the window.
"You two will be getting married early next year." Mrs Vale replied, and the room fell quiet instantly.
Adrian turned his head and looked at Relanie. She was staring down at her hands on her lap. "I don’t know," he said simply.
Mrs Vale let out a small sigh. "You see, Adrian..."
"It isn’t happening." Adrian said abruptly.
She paused. "You haven’t even..."
"I said it’s not happening." he said again.
Mr Vale, who had been looking down, slowly raised his head. "You will marry Relanie," he said. "This family has been patient with you long enough. And frankly, you’re in no position to refuse."
Adrian finally turned to look at him.
He understood those words too well. He had lived with them for years.
Mrs Vale sent Mr Vale a look, then turned to Adrian. "What your father ans is that our family..."
"I know what he ant." Adrian cut her short.
Relanie, who had been quiet, looked up at that mont. "I didn’t agree to it either. Mom told . She said it was decided." She paused, then added, "I’m not complaining. I’m just saying... neither of us agreed." Then she looked back at Mrs Vale. "If he doesn’t want it, I don’t want it either."
"I’ve given you everything." Mr Vale said again, his voice was calm. "The position. The inheritance. The doors that opened because of the na Vale." He didn’t raise his voice.
"You sit in boardrooms because of this family. You drive what you drive, live where you live, and people speak to you the way they do because of this family." He then looked straight at Adrian. "Everything you have exists because we decided to give it to you."
Mrs Vale had turned her gaze to the window, staring at nothingness. Relanie lowered her eyes again, looking at her hands.
Adrian only looked at him calmly and silently. But When Mr Vale opened his mouth again to continue his words. He didn’t allow. "Careful." he muttered coldly.
Mr Vale stared at him for a long ti, then let out a short breath through his nose. He picked up his tea and took a slow sip.
Mrs Vale sighed and looked towards Adrian. "Adrian, there’s nothing difficult about making things official with Relanie. She has been with you since childhood. She’s the only one who understands you." She hesitated, then asked, "Or... is there soone else?"
Relanie looked up quickly, her eyes moving straight to Adrian.
Adrian didn’t answer. He let her finish, then gave a loud snort and turned his head to the side, his gaze landing on a portrait hanging on the wall. He stared at it for a mont. Then he spoke up moving his gaze to Mr Vale.
"If you think I’ll marry her because of what you just said..." His voice was calm. "...then you’ll be waiting a very long ti." He uncrossed his legs, stood up, and walked to the door. He opened it and left without waiting any longer...
After he stepped out of the house, he saw Harris leaning against the car. Relanie’s assistant was standing close to the fountain nearby.
"Go back to the company," he said while Harris nodded after a mont of watching him silently.
Adrian simply entered the car and left. He went to the private suite in the bar he mostly frequented and stayed there alone for hours, not drinking much, not doing anything important. He just sat there.
When it was getting close to dusk, he finally stood up and left. He got into the car and drove toward ho. Then, as an after thought, he made a turn.
Not long after, he stopped in front of a restaurant.
It was the sa place. The one where he had once seen her walk in. He had asked Harris to check and he had been told she worked there.
He stayed in the car staring at the entrance, not moving. He did not know why he stopped there, but a part of him waited. Maybe to see her co out. Maybe just a shadow.
But people kept going in and coming out, and none of them were her.
After a long ti, he started the car again and drove away...
–
When he got ho, he opened the door and walked in. The housekeeper stood up to greet him imdiately. Adrian only nodded and went upstairs. He entered his room, went straight into the restroom and stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself.
Then Mr Vale’s words ca back to his head.
You’re in no position to refuse.
He really thought about everything he had said. About the Vale na and the position. For a mont, he wondered if it was true. But he thought of other things too.
The telecommunications company and the investnt firm he had built on his own. With no Vale na or input attached to it. The properties he’d bought by himself.
He looked at his reflection again.
Mr Vale was not completely wrong, for the na had opened the first doors. But everything after that... he had built it himself.
Both were true. He had always ignored the first part and held on to the second.
Still he knew that what Mr Vale held over him was not money. It had never been money. It was Lia.
What he’d done several years ago. What only a few people knew.
Adrian stood there for a long ti. Then, without warning, Elara’s face ca into his mind again. Like always. He never bothered to wonder why anymore, he only let it stay in his head.
He turned on the tap and washed his hands and face. He then turned it off, looked at himself once more, and walk out...
He went to his study after that and sat down. He opened the file on the table, staring at it with a calm expression.
It was the one Harris had given him about Elara’s background.
He had read it several tis already but he hadn’t found any special information or detail apart from one thing. She had been left in Crelou by a woman who ca from the West. Valmont specifically.
After a while he closed the file and opened his laptop. He went through the financial reports from the investnt firm and worked for two hours straight.
Then he stopped.
He moved to a folder of photos on the laptop and sat quietly, staring at one in particular. She was standing on a stage with that calm expression on her face.
He stared at it for a long ti. Long enough that he did not notice when his eyes grew heavy. His head tilted back slowly against the headrest of his chair.
And just like that he was asleep...
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