Chapter 14 Fourteen

Chapter 14 Fourteen
I woke early on Wednesday with the coffee meeting weighing heavily on my thoughts. It was strange to think that ten minutes with Adrian could make me feel this unsettled. I tried to remind myself that it was only a conversation. Nothing more. But the truth was impossible to ignore. It would be our first time speaking alone outside the structure of work or the consultation.

And I knew it mattered.

I got ready quietly, keeping my movements slow so I would not wake Lily too soon. When I finally stepped into her room, she sat up sleepily and rubbed her eyes.

“Mama,” she said, reaching for me.

I lifted her into my arms, holding her close. Her small body relaxed against mine, and for a moment, the tension inside me eased. After breakfast, we went through our usual routine. I braided her hair, packed her bag, and walked her to daycare. She hugged me tightly before running toward her friends.

On the drive to work, my mind drifted again and again to the upcoming coffee meeting. I wondered what Adrian expected. I wondered what I expected. Each thought only made my stomach twist tighter.

When I entered the building, I checked my phone. A message from him waited.

I will be in the lobby café at ten. Take your time.

I put my phone away and focused on work, trying to distract myself. For a while, it worked. I lost myself in numbers and charts. But as ten approached, my heart began to beat harder.

At nine fifty-eight, I stood and smoothed my blouse. I took the elevator down, stepped into the lobby, and walked toward the café.

He was already there.

Adrian sat at a small table near the window. He wore a dark suit and no tie, a look that made him appear more approachable than usual. When he saw me, he stood immediately.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning.”

He waited for me to sit before taking his seat again.

“I appreciate you agreeing to this,” he said.

“It is only ten minutes.”

“I know,” he said. “I will keep it short.”

A server approached. I ordered a simple coffee. Adrian asked for the same.

When we were alone again, he said, “I know the last few weeks have been a lot for you. I want today to be easy.”

“That depends on what you want to talk about,” I replied.

He nodded once, as if expecting the hesitation. “I want to understand how you feel about everything. Not the process, not the meetings. You.”

I did not know how to answer that. My thoughts were tangled. My emotions even more so.

“I do not know yet,” I said finally.

“That is an honest answer,” he said quietly.

The server returned with our coffees, giving me a moment of relief.

After she left, Adrian continued, “I told you before that I want to earn your trust. I meant that. And I know it will take time.”

I nodded, unsure how to respond.

His voice lowered slightly. “But I also want to rebuild something between us. Not what we had before. Something new. Something better.”

My breath caught. I looked away quickly.

“I am not ready for that,” I said.

“I know you are not,” he said. “I am not asking for it now.”

We sat in silence for a moment, both watching the steam rise from our cups.

“Then why say it,” I asked quietly.

“Because I want to be transparent. I want you to know where I stand.”

His honesty pressed against me, heavy and careful.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could speak, someone approached our table.

A woman. Tall. Sharp suit. Confident stride.

She stopped right beside us.

“Adrian,” she said. “You did not tell me we were meeting here.”

He stiffened. His jaw tightened, but his expression remained calm.

“We are not meeting,” he said. “This is a private conversation.”

She looked at me then, her gaze sliding over me with a mixture of surprise and calculation.

“And you must be Amelia,” she said.

My stomach tightened. I did not recognize her.

Adrian stood, placing himself slightly between us. “Amelia, this is Claire Halton.”

The name hit me hard.

Claire Halton.

Chief financial officer of Knight Corp. A board member. And, years ago, one of the few people who had known about the secret marriage contract.

My pulse spiked.

She extended a hand, but her eyes studied me with thinly veiled scrutiny. I shook her hand out of politeness.

“I have been out of the country,” she said. “I returned yesterday to find quite a lot of… news.”

I glanced at Adrian. His jaw tightened further.

“I was under the impression,” Claire continued, “that you had disappeared permanently. That was the official explanation, after all.”

Heat rose in my face. “I had my reasons.”

“I am sure you did.” She folded her arms. “And now you are back. Convenient timing.”

“Claire,” Adrian said sharply. “Enough.”

She ignored him.

“You left without explanation. You cut all ties. And now suddenly you are here, working in the company again, having coffee with the CEO.” She tilted her head. “It raises questions.”

I felt tension creep up my spine. “My employment is not your concern.”

“Oh, but it is,” she said. “Everything involving Adrian is my concern.”

I frowned. “Why.”

Her smile was cold. “Because I am the executor of the original marital agreement.”

The room tilted.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

I stared at her, unable to speak.

Adrian stepped forward quickly. “Claire. Stop talking.”

She looked at him with a pointed stare. “She does not know, does she.”

“Claire,” he repeated, his tone firm. “Leave. Now.”

But the damage had already begun.

I gripped the edge of the table. “Executor of what agreement.”

Neither of them spoke.

My breath grew shallow. “What agreement.”

Adrian exhaled slowly. “Amelia, please. Not here.”

“Tell me,” I said, my voice quiet but firm.

He hesitated, and in that hesitation I felt the floor shift beneath me.

Claire answered instead.

“The marriage contract,” she said simply. “The one that did not fully dissolve.”

My blood ran cold.

I stared at her. Then at him.

“What do you mean,” I whispered. “It did not dissolve.”

Adrian closed his eyes once, as if bracing himself.

“You did not sign the second termination document,” Claire said. “You left before it was processed.”

I felt the air leave my lungs.

“That means legally,” she continued, “you and Adrian are still married.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“No,” I said quietly. “No. That is not possible.”

Adrian stepped toward me. “Amelia, listen to me. I was going to tell you. I swear. I was working on the paperwork. I wanted to handle it before I said anything.”

“You were going to tell her,” Claire scoffed. “You should have told her five years ago.”

I stood quickly, needing distance. The café felt too small, too crowded. My breath came uneven.

“I left,” I said. “I signed everything.”

“You signed one document,” Claire said. “Not the second.”

I shook my head. “That cannot be true. That cannot be real.”

Adrian reached for me, but I stepped back.

“Do not,” I said quietly.

His hand lowered instantly.

“Amelia,” he said, his voice tight. “I filed the request again. It can be finalized quickly. But yes. Technically. Legally. On paper. The marriage was never fully dissolved.”

My vision blurred for a moment.

This was the plot twist I never expected.

“We will talk about this privately,” he said. “Not here.”

Claire stepped back, her expression unreadable. “Good luck,” she said. “You will need it.”

She turned and walked away.

I stared at Adrian, feeling something deep inside me crack and shift.

“When were you going to tell me,” I asked.

“As soon as the paperwork was corrected.”

“You should have told me the moment you knew.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

Silence stretched painfully between us.

I turned away before he could say anything else.

“I need to go,” I said.

“Amelia,” he said softly.

I ignored him and walked out of the café.

I did not stop.

I did not look back.

Everything I thought I understood had just changed.

And nothing felt stable anymore.