Lana's POV
The little caresses never ended till we reached our destination.
I was thinking it might be a date or a small house party with a few other billionaires here and there, but the scenario I saw took the words out of my mouth.
"Listen very carefully to this…." He said, still sitting with the coolest undisturbed face anyone could ever have.
Then he adjusted his tie. "Never leave my side no matter what!" His voice got deeper.
"There are people here. A lot of eyes and paparazzi in there. No one expects I'd show up, so you must play calm. Don't make me look like I've lost my control". He paused, still looking straight. "Is that clear!"
My attention had shifted from the beauty that was before to the way and manner in which this man spoke to me.
He had never talked in such a condescending tone to me before.
As if I were one of his employees, he could throw oorders to.
The grip on my clutch tightened so hard that my knuckles almost turned white.
It felt like the little caresses earlier during the car ride were a distant hallucination I still couldn't believe.
This version of him—the cold, calculating part of him—was a stranger.
"Is that clear?" he repeated.
"Crystal," I snapped.
I never intended for the words to come out that sharply more than I had intended. Vibrating with a sudden heat rising in my chest I couldn't control.
"But let's get one thing straight, Adrian. I am your wife, not your assistant, and even if you think I was a sudden stray you picked up to fill a seat, I still deserve some respect from you! If you wanted a puppet, you should have stayed at the office."
The silence that followed was very heavy.
For the first time all night, his composure cracked.
He turned his head slowly, his eyes wide with a genuine, stunned silence.
He looked like a man who had forgotten that the person beside him had a heartbeat and a spine.
I didn't give him the satisfaction of a second look.
I pushed the door open and stepped out, with the humid air of the docks hitting my face as I stepped out onto the concrete.
I stood there, smoothing the fabric of my dress, waiting for him to catch up and play the part he was so worried about.
When he finally reached me, his face was back to its original mask again, but I noticed there was a new tension in the way he offered his arm.
I didn't care as long as he wouldn't repeat what he did again.
So I slid my hand into the crook of his elbow, my fingers digging in just enough to remind him I was there.
The moment we crossed the gangplank onto the yacht, the transformation was instant.
The boat was a floating palace of glass and gold, blindingly bright against the dark water.
I wanted to gawk at the sheer scale of it, but then, I remembered he was by my side so I kept my chin level still high, and activated my mask of bored elegance hoping and praying it would hide my heart as it raced.
I never expected that our or rather say his presence would have so much effect as it did.
It was like someone had pulled the plug on the music and blew a loud whistle to announce.
Every single person in the room became quiet I could swear that I had a pin on the floor, we all would have heard it.
The low hum of elite conversation died out and was replaced by a suffocating chill silence.
All heads turned.
Necks craned.
Champagne flutes paused halfway to mouths.
"The almighty Mr. Adrian" had arrived, and to top it off he wasn't alone.
I guessed the headlines that would be on people's minds for days were going to be interesting.
The whole place got so tense, that the host, who was a man who dripped in linen and expensive watches, had to hurry toward us with his eyes darting between Adrian and my hand on his arm.
When I looked around again I noticed people had started going back to their previous conversations.
"Adrian! A surprise doesn't even begin to cover it," the host chuckled nervously.
Adrian didn't reply as expected
Tchhh… I scuffed in my head.
He turned and looked at me, still with that creepy-looking smile on his face.
"And... who is this lovely addition to the evening?"
That was what got Adrian's attention.
He just looked down staring deep in my eyes, his eyes dark and warning, it was like a silent command to be careful with what I say and to stay in my lane.
That was what those eyes screamed.
So I looked at the man before us meeting his gaze with the most lovely smile I could ever form.
"I'm Lana," I said, my voice sounded extra sweet but I left it right there.
No title.
No explanation
That was what he wanted right?
I'd just let the mystery do the work while more people began to swarm around Adrian like little sharks sensing blood.
As the men pulled him into a dense circle of talk about offshore accounts and market shares, I let my eyes wander.
Wander into the crowd.
Although I was scared that maybe I could get recognized by anyone in the crowd, I still just wanted to let my eyes scan around and still half-listening to the little conversation Adrian was having in case I was asked a question.
Till my eyes noticed a figure that moved through the crowd near the stern.
My heart skipped.
The steps.
The tilt of the head... It was definitely a silhouette I knew far too well to be seeing here.
What the fuck! Was he doing here?
Who had invited him?
I thought this gathering was for only the elites?
Adrian must have noticed the confusion and tension in me, because it was at that moment that he held my hands and drew me closer, pretending to wipe something from my lip.
Then he whispered very calmly in my face.
"Anything wrong?"
I shook my head then took a little step back.
I was still very mad at him and he had no right to have spoken to me in such a manner.
Now he wants to act all caring.
He could go to hell.
I wasn't falling for any of that again.
But that was not the main reason I moved back.
I still wanted to see the person with my own eyes, the one I thought I had seen.
And he was still standing there.
He's back to my face.
Maybe it wasn't him.
Maybe I was just acting up.
But I could swear, I felt it in my bones.
Maybe I needed a bathroom break.
Just freshen up so that I can start thinking straight.
"Adrian…." I gently placed my hand on his shoulder as I quietly whispered his name. "I have to use the bathroom".
He nodded. Then I left immediately.
I could feel eyes on me as I walked away but most especially I could definitely feel Adrian's eyes on my butt.
And yes! I made sure to wiggle it extra as I walked