Chapter 52 Shaken
The car moved steadily along the road, the city passing by in a blur of buildings, traffic lights, and people who had no idea what had just happened inside that space. Neither Adeline nor Julian had said another word to each other at first, and the silence was not the calm kind. It felt stretched, like something had been pulled too tight and might snap if either of them said the wrong thing.
Julian kept both hands on the wheel, his eyes on the road, but his mind was not there. It kept going back to the way Adeline had looked a few minutes ago, the way her voice had changed, the way she had said his name like she needed him to move right that second.
He had seen Adeline angry many times. He had seen her cold, sharp, even ruthless, but what he had just seen in front of that shop had not been any of those things. It had been something else entirely, something that did not fit the image she always carried so carefully. That thought stayed with him as he drove, and after a few minutes, he finally let out a quiet breath.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
The words were simple, but they felt heavier than usual, and Adeline did not respond immediately. She was still sitting with her arms crossed, her gaze forward, her expression carefully blank, like she was trying to return to the version of herself she preferred. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded normal again, but there was still a slight tightness under it.
“For what?” she asked, even though she knew exactly what he meant.
Julian kept his eyes on the road. “For taking you there,” he said. “I didn’t think it would make you uncomfortable.”
Adeline let out a small breath, almost like she was steadying herself before answering. “I’m not angry,” she said, and the words came out quickly, like she didn’t want him to think otherwise. “It’s fine.”
Julian glanced at her briefly before looking back ahead. “You didn’t look fine.”
That made her jaw tighten slightly, but she didn’t turn to him. “I said I’m not angry,” she repeated, her tone a little firmer now, like she was trying to shut the conversation down before it went further.
Julian didn’t push immediately. He let the silence settle again for a few seconds before speaking once more. “You asked me to drive,” he said. “I should’ve done it faster.”
That made her pause for a moment. It was small, but noticeable. Then she nodded once, her gaze still fixed ahead. “Yes,” she said quietly. “You should have.”
The words were not harsh, but they carried an intensity that made it clear she meant them. Julian accepted that without arguing. He simply nodded slightly and tightened his grip on the wheel for a second before relaxing again.
“I didn’t realize it was that serious,” he said.
Adeline didn’t respond to that. Instead, she shifted slightly in her seat, uncrossing her arms only to rest them in her lap. Her fingers intertwined for a moment before she let them go again. She took a slow breath, then another, like she was trying to bring herself fully back under control.
“I’m fine,” she said again, softer this time, but it sounded more like she was telling herself than him.
Julian heard it, but he didn’t respond. The car continued moving, the steady hum of the engine filling the silence between them. After a few more seconds, Adeline spoke again, her voice calmer now, more composed.
“Can you drop me back at the office?” she asked.
Julian glanced at her again, this time a little longer. “Already?” he said. “We just left.”
“I have things to do,” she replied.
Julian’s brow lifted slightly. “You always have things to do,” he said. “You can take a break for lunch.”
Adeline shook her head immediately. “Not today.”
Julian slowed the car slightly as they approached a turn, then looked back at her again. “Come on,” he said. “It’s just lunch. You can spare an hour.”
Adeline’s expression didn’t change. “No,” she said simply.
Julian let out a small breath through his nose, clearly not satisfied with that answer. “You’re avoiding me now?” he asked, half joking, half serious.
That made her turn her head slightly, her eyes meeting his for a brief second. “I’m not avoiding you,” she said. “I just have something to do.”
“What?” he asked.
Adeline didn’t hesitate. “Work.”
Julian almost smiled at that. “You’re always working.”
“And you’re always talking,” she replied immediately.
That earned a small, quiet laugh from him, but it didn’t last long. “So that’s a no?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said.
Julian sighed softly, shaking his head just a little. “You’re so stiff.”
Adeline didn’t react to that. Instead, she leaned her head back against the seat, her eyes closing slowly like she was done with the conversation entirely. “Drive,” she said quietly.
Julian glanced at her again, noticing the way her face had relaxed slightly now that her eyes were closed. It looked natural at first glance, but something about it felt off. It didn’t feel like she was actually tired. It felt like she was choosing not to engage anymore.
“You’re really going to sleep?” he asked.
Adeline didn’t open her eyes. “I’m resting,” she replied.
Julian watched her for another second before letting out a breath and focusing back on the road. He didn’t try to push her again since there was no point. He knew when Adeline decided to shut down, there was no getting through to her.
The rest of the drive was quiet, a little too quiet. Julian kept his eyes on the road, but his thoughts were far from it. They kept circling back to the same thing, over and over again. The way she had reacted, and the way her voice had changed. It didn’t make sense.
Adeline Carter was not someone who got shaken easily. She wasn’t someone who panicked or someone who avoided things. She faced everything head on, even when it was uncomfortable, even when it was messy. That was who she was. That was what made her dangerous and what made her different from everyone else.
So what was that?
Julian tightened his grip on the wheel slightly as the question stayed in his mind. A wedding dress shop. That was all it was. Nothing special, nothing threatening, just a normal place, and yet, she had reacted like it was something else entirely.
He glanced at her again. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing steady now, her expression calm again. If he hadn’t been there earlier, if he hadn’t seen it himself, he might have believed that nothing had happened at all, but he had seen it, and whether she liked it or not, he couldn’t ignore it.
A part of him, the colder part, the more calculating part, started to think differently about it. A weakness, that was what it looked like. Something that could shake her, something that could make her lose control, even if only for a moment.
That was not something he could ignore, but another part of him, one he didn’t pay attention to often, felt something else.
Concern. It didn’t make sense, and he didn’t like it, but it was there, because whatever it was, it didn't look small. It didn't look like a simple dislike. It looked… deeper.
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head slightly as if to clear the thought. It didn’t matter, not right now.
The car continued moving, the silence stretching longer and longer until it started to feel like time itself had slowed down. The road back to Carter Global Holdings wasn’t that far, but in that moment, it felt longer than usual.
Julian didn’t try to break the silence again, and Adeline didn’t open her eyes. Eventually, the familiar building came into view, standing exactly the way it always did. Julian slowed the car as he entered the parking lot, guiding it into a spot.
Before he could even say a word, before he could even turn fully toward her, Adeline’s eyes opened.
It was immediate, like she had been waiting. She glanced around quickly, confirming where they were, and the moment she saw the building, she nodded slightly to herself.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice calm again, like nothing had happened at all.
Julian blinked once, slightly caught off guard by how fast she moved. “We’re here…”
But before he could finish, she had already reached for the door. She opened it quickly, stepping out of the car without hesitation. Her movements were fast, efficient, and almost rushed in a way that didn’t match her usual composed nature.
“Adeline…”
“I’ll see you later,” she said, cutting him off before he could say anything else.
She didn’t wait for a response. Hell, she didn’t even look back. She simply shut the door and started walking away, her steps quick, her posture straight, her pace just a little faster than normal. Anyone else might not have noticed it, but Julian did.
He stayed in the car, watching her as she walked toward the building, her figure getting smaller with each step. She didn’t slow down and didn’t turn around. She just kept going until she disappeared through the entrance.
Julian leaned back slightly in his seat, his eyes still fixed on the spot where she had been just a few seconds ago.
That was not normal. Julian let out a slow breath, his fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel as his mind started to piece everything together again. The shop, her reaction, the way she shut him down, the way she closed her eyes to avoid him, and the way she rushed out of the car like she needed to get away as fast as possible.
It didn’t add up, but one thing was clear, and it was that there was something there, something serious enough to shake her. Something serious enough to make her lose control, even if only for a moment.
Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned back in his seat, his expression thoughtful now, almost calculating.
What exactly about a wedding dress could do that? What could be so bad, so strong, that it could make someone like Adeline react like that? He didn’t have the answer yet, but he was going to find out, and once he did, he would figure out what to do with it.