Stella's POV
A sleek black Bentley had pulled up at the curb, one of its windows slowly rolling down to reveal Adam's unmistakable profile.
*What the hell is he doing here?*
Adam sat rigidly in the backseat, his green eyes scanning the café until they locked with mine. Even from this distance, I could feel the intensity of his gaze—anger?
"Adam," I whispered unconsciously, my mind racing for explanations. *He should be with Grace right now.*
Henry followed my gaze, his expression immediately shifting from relaxed to concerned. "Is he here for you?"
I shook my head, setting down my cup with forced casualness. "I don't know. Probably just a coincidence."
Glancing around, I noticed several female students at nearby tables had spotted Adam as well. They whispered excitedly to each other, eyes darting between their phones and the striking man in the luxury car.
"That's Adam Lancaster," one girl whispered loudly enough for me to hear. "CEO of GT Group. God, he's even more handsome in person."
"But look at those eyes," her friend replied. "So intense. Like he could destroy you with a single glance."
*If they knew how accurate that assessment was, they'd probably run for the hills. If only they knew what a controlling, obsessive person he really is.*
I deliberately turned my attention back to Henry, determined to ignore Adam's presence.
The café door swung open, triggering the little bell above it. The cheerful greeting the barista had begun died in her throat as Adam entered, navigating his wheelchair with practiced precision.
The café fell silent, conversations halting mid-sentence as all eyes turned to the newcomer. Adam's presence seemed to suck the oxygen from the room, replacing it with crackling tension.
*Damn. He actually came in. What's his problem?*
I kept my eyes fixed on my tea, refusing to acknowledge him. From my peripheral vision, I watched him approach our table, stopping barely two feet away.
"You went to my office today," Adam said without preamble, his voice carrying clearly in the hushed café. "Why didn't you come in to see me?"
I finally looked up, meeting his gaze with deliberate indifference. "There was no need. I left the offer letter with your secretary. She should have given it to you."
Adam's jaw tightened, his eyes flickering briefly to Henry before returning to me. "No need to see me, but plenty of time for him?" The cold disdain in his voice was unmistakable.
"Adam," I said, confusion mixing with irritation, "what are you talking about?"
*Is he seriously jealous of Henry?*
Henry cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ms. Winston, I'm sorry, but should I...?"
"No, you're fine," I assured him.
Henry shifted uncomfortably, then straightened his shoulders and moved slightly in front of me. "Mr. Lancaster," he said with surprising firmness, "Ms. Winston has the right to decide who she wishes to see. Please show some restraint."
*Wow. Henry's actually standing up to Adam. That takes serious courage.*
Adam's eyes darkened dangerously. "Do you have any idea what our relationship is?"
The café had grown so quiet I could hear the espresso machine hissing in the background. Every eye was on us, curiosity and excitement evident on the faces around us.
"Perhaps we should continue this conversation outside," Henry suggested, glancing at our rapt audience. "We're disturbing the other students."
Adam's lips curved into a cold smile. "After you."
I reluctantly gathered my things and headed for the exit. The tension followed us outside.
Henry positioned himself protectively at my side as we faced Adam on the sidewalk. "Mr. Lancaster," he said in a low, urgent voice, "if you're a real man, you wouldn't use your ambiguous relationship with Ms. Winston to cause trouble. This could damage her reputation!"
Adam's eyebrows rose slightly. "Ambiguous?" He let out a short, humorless laugh. "What's ambiguous about a man spending time with his wife?"
I froze, stunned by Adam's casual revelation of our marriage. *Is he serious? Does he not care about Grace's feelings, or is he planning to follow in his father's footsteps and have two women?*
Henry's head whipped toward me, eyes wide with shock. "Wife? Is that true?"
The look on his face made my heart twist with guilt. I hadn't meant for him to find out this way.
"Yes," I admitted quietly. "Adam and I are married."
The light seemed to dim in Henry's eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again. "I see. I had no idea."
"I'm sorry, Henry," I said, meaning it. "I should go handle this. You should head back to campus, don't let this trouble you."
"Of course," he nodded, his expression now carefully neutral. As he turned to leave, he added, "Ms. Winston, if you need anything, please call me. Anytime, anywhere."
I could practically feel Adam's anger intensify at Henry's parting words, but I kept my focus on the retreating figure of the young man who had only shown me kindness.
I turned and headed straight for my car, not bothering to check if Adam was following. I pulled out my keys.
"Where are you going?" Adam's voice came from behind me.
"Home," I replied curtly, reaching for my car door.
"Wait, Stella—"
I whirled around, my patience finally snapping. "What do you want, Adam? Shouldn't you be with Grace right now? You had a scheduled meeting, didn't you?"
*Damn. I didn't mean to say that out loud.*
Before he could respond, I turned back to my car and yanked open the driver's door. To my complete surprise, Adam had already maneuvered to the passenger side and was opening that door.
"What are you doing?" I demanded. "I'm not giving you a ride, Mr. Lancaster."
"What are you doing?" he countered, his voice deceptively calm.
"What does it look like? I'm driving. Do I need to make an eye doctor appointment for you?"
*God, why can't I control my mouth around him?*
"Get in my car," he ordered, nodding toward the waiting Bentley.
I crossed my arms. "Whoever wants to can get in your car. I'm driving mine."
Adam's eyes narrowed dangerously. Without taking his gaze from mine, he spoke to his driver: "Take Ms. Winston's car back to the estate."
"What?" I spluttered. "This is my car, Adam! You have no right to do that!"
Something in Adam shifted—the calm exterior cracking to reveal a fury that should have frightened me, but only made me angrier. He turned abruptly, wheeling back to the Bentley with swift, precise movements.
I watched in shock as he reached the driver's side, stood up from his wheelchair with perfectly normal movements, and slid behind the wheel. The engine roared to life, and before I could process what was happening, Adam had accelerated directly toward my Audi.
The sickening crunch of metal meeting metal echoed through the parking lot. My beautiful car's rear end crumpled like paper, white smoke billowing from the damaged engine, while Adam's multi-million-dollar vehicle appeared completely unscathed.
"What the fuck, Adam!" I screamed, rushing toward my damaged car. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"
*He actually crashed into my car! Is he insane?!*
He calmly shifted to the passenger seat, leaving the driver's side empty. "My driver will take your car for repairs. You can drive mine."
I stared at him, utterly speechless. The message was clear: *You want to drive? Fine. You can drive my car.*
My hands trembled with rage as I approached the Bentley, knowing I had no choice now.
"You're insane," I hissed as I slid into the driver's seat.
Adam didn't respond, his expression once again unreadable.
"Why were you at the university?" Adam finally asked as I pulled smoothly onto the road.