Chapter 13 Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Chapter 13
THIRD PERSON POV 

Adrian lay sprawled on his bed, one arm draped over his eyes, the other clenched around his phone. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioner and the distant noise of traffic outside his window. His laptop sat open on the desk across the room, the screen glowing softly, filled with documents, charts, and notes.

All of them were from Lydia.

Sent through Callahan.

Again.

He had not seen her all week.

Not in class. Not in the hallways. Not during project meetings. Nothing. No texts. No sarcastic comments. No irritated glares. Just absence.

And it was driving him insane.

He let out a slow breath and turned his head to stare at the ceiling, his jaw tightening. This was stupid. He hated her. He had always hated her. The way she questioned him. The way she never let him win. The way she made him feel like he was not always in control.

So why did it bother him that she was ignoring him?

Why did it feel like she had erased him from her world?

He sat up abruptly, running a hand through his hair. His room felt too quiet, too empty. Usually he liked the silence. Now it pressed against him, heavy and suffocating.

“She is doing this on purpose,” he muttered to himself.

She had to be.

Sending everything through Callahan like Adrian was incapable of handling a direct message. Like he was a problem that needed to be avoided. Like he was not even worth a conversation.

The thought made his chest tighten.

Good. He did not care. He did not want her around anyway.

Then why could he not stop thinking about her?

His gaze drifted to the window, but he was not really seeing the city lights. His mind was elsewhere.

That classroom.

The memory came back uninvited.

The tension. The shouting. The way her eyes had been burning with anger. The way he had stepped closer without even realizing it. The kiss that had not been planned, not gentle, not sweet.

He could still feel it, the way his hand had tightened around her wrist, the way her breath had hitched, the way she had stared at him like she did not know whether to push him away or pull him closer.

And the words.

The damn words.

She is mine.

His jaw clenched as his heart thudded harder against his ribs.

Why did he remember it so clearly?

Why did it still feel so real?

He hated that part of himself. The part that wanted to see her. The part that wanted to know where she was. The part that wondered if she was okay.

She had walked out of his life like that moment never happened.

Like he never mattered.

His fingers curled into a fist on the mattress.

Was she trying to prove something? Was this her way of pretending he did not exist? Of punishing him?

The thought made something dark twist inside him.

He did not care.

He should not care.

Then his phone buzzed.

The sudden sound startled him, slicing through his thoughts. He frowned, irritation flashing across his face as he grabbed the phone from beside him.

He expected Callahan. Or a random notification.

But when he saw the name on the screen, his breath stilled.

Dad.

His brows knit together.

Why was his father calling him now?

A strange unease crept into his chest.

He hesitated for a second, then answered.

“Dad?”

“Adrian,” his father’s voice came through, calm and controlled as always. “I was wondering when you would pick up.”

Adrian frowned slightly. “I picked up on the first ring.”

A small pause. Then, “Good. That means you are not busy.”

That did not sound reassuring.

Adrian shifted, dragging a pillow onto his lap. “What is this about?”

“You and Lydia.”

His jaw tightened instantly.

“What about her?”

There was a faint sound of papers shuffling on the other end. His father always did that when he was about to drop something serious.

“We have decided it is time for your first public appearance together.”

Adrian froze.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“No, I heard the words, I just do not understand them,” Adrian said, his tone sharpening. “Public appearance for what?”

“For your relationship,” his father replied smoothly. “People have been waiting. Investors. Board members. The press. They all want to see the future heirs together.”

Adrian laughed once, short and humorless. “You are talking like we are some kind of business merger.”

“In many ways, you are,” his father said without hesitation.

Adrian clenched his jaw. “She has been avoiding me for a week. She will not even talk to me. Everything goes through Callahan. And you want us to show up together like a perfect couple?”

“That is precisely why this is the right time,” his father replied. “Distance creates curiosity. Curiosity creates attention.”

“That is not how people work,” Adrian snapped. “That is how headlines work.”

A pause.

“Watch your tone,” his father warned.

Adrian inhaled slowly through his nose, trying to keep himself from saying something he would regret. “What exactly are you planning?”

“A party,” his father said. “A formal one. High profile. The media will be present. Important families, business partners, sponsors.”

Adrian’s stomach sank.

“And?”

“And we will announce your engagement.”

Silence filled the room.

Adrian stared at the wall across from him, his mind suddenly blank.

“Engagement?” he repeated.

“Yes.”

His fingers tightened around the phone. “You never discussed this with me.”

“There was nothing to discuss,” his father replied. “This has always been the plan.”

Adrian let out a slow, disbelieving breath. “You cannot just decide that.”

“We can,” his father said. “And we have.”

Adrian’s heart began to pound. Lydia was already avoiding him. Already acting like he did not exist. How was he supposed to stand beside her in front of cameras, smiling, pretending everything was perfect?

“She does not even want to see me,” he said quietly.

“That is irrelevant,” his father replied. “She will do her part.”

That sentence hit harder than he expected.

“She is not a contract,” Adrian snapped. “She is a person.”

“Do not get emotional,” his father said. “This is bigger than you.”

Adrian laughed again, but this time it sounded strained. “Funny. You say that every time it is about controlling my life.”

“This is about your future.”

“This is about your reputation.”

A sharp pause followed.

Then his father spoke, colder now. “You will attend. You will stand beside her. You will smile. And you will announce your engagement.”

Adrian swallowed.

“When?” he asked.

“This weekend.”

His eyes widened. “That is in three days.”

“Yes.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his free hand rubbing his face. “You are insane.”

“Prepared,” his father corrected. “Your stylist will contact you. Lydia’s family has already been informed.”

That made something snap inside him.

“You told her family before telling me?”

“Yes.”

Adrian’s chest felt tight.

She knew.

Of course she knew.

That was probably why she had been avoiding him.

His grip on the phone loosened slightly, his anger mixing with something else he did not want to name.

“You will not embarrass us,” his father continued. “This is your first public appearance together. The world will be watching.”

Adrian stared down at his carpet.

“And if I say no?”

His father did not hesitate.

“You will not.”

The call ended.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Adrian slowly lowered the phone onto his bed.

A party.

A public appearance.

An engagement announcement.

With a girl who would not even look at him.

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling again, his mind racing.

So that was why she disappeared.

Not because she hated him.

Not because she wanted space.

But because she knew what was coming.

And she was running from it.

Just like he wanted to.