2. Bella #2
“My skills,” I say slowly. “You mean my degree in business analytics that I’ve barely used because Marcus wanted me to focus on planning the wedding?”
Something flickers in Adrian’s eyes. “He asked you to put your career on hold?”
“He didn’t ask,” I say, and I can hear the bitterness in my own voice.
“He suggested. He said it would be better if I wasn’t working for a competitor, that it would be easier to plan the wedding if I had more free time.
He said we didn’t need the money anyway, that his salary was more than enough for both of us. ”
“And you agreed.”
It isn’t a question, but I answer anyway. “I agreed. Because I loved him. Because I thought we were building a life together. Because I was an idiot.”
“You weren’t an idiot,” Adrian says firmly. “You were trusting. There’s a difference.”
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Is there? Because from where I’m sitting, they look pretty much the same.”
Adrian reaches across the table and takes my hand - the one that isn’t wrapped in his handkerchief. His touch is warm and steady, and I find myself not pulling away.
“Isabella,” he says, and again there’s something about the way he says my full name that makes me pay attention.
“What Marcus did to you today was unforgivable. But it doesn’t define you.
You’re smart, capable, and talented. And I’m offering you a chance to prove that - to yourself and to everyone else. ”
“By working for you,” I say. “Marcus’s biggest rival.”
“Yes.”
“So this is about revenge. You want to hire me to get back at him.”
Adrian doesn’t deny it. “Partly,” he admits.
“I won’t lie to you, Isabella. Having you work for me would certainly irritate Marcus.
But that’s not the only reason I’m making this offer.
I genuinely believe you’d be an asset to my company.
And I think you need this - a purpose, a direction, something to focus on that isn’t the wreckage of your relationship. ”
I pull my hand away and stand up, pacing the small room. My dress rustles with each step, a constant reminder of the day that was supposed to be perfect.
“I don’t know,” I say. “This is all happening so fast. A few hours ago, I was about to get married. Now I’m sitting in a café with my ex-fiancé’s rival, discussing a job offer. It’s insane.”
“It is insane,” Adrian agrees. “But sometimes the best decisions are made in moments of insanity.”
I turn to face him. “What if I say no?”
Adrian shrugs. “Then I’ll respect your decision. I’ll have my driver take you wherever you want to go, and you’ll never hear from me again. Unless you change your mind.”
“And if I say yes?”
“Then you start Monday. I’ll have my assistant set you up with everything you need - office, computer, access to our systems. You’ll work directly with me on our most important projects. And I’ll pay you twice whatever Marcus was making.”
My eyes widen. “Twice?”
“Twice,” Adrian confirms. “Plus benefits, stock options, and a signing bonus. I take care of my people, Isabella. Especially the talented ones.”
It’s a good offer. An incredible offer, actually. The kind of offer that I would have jumped at a year ago, before Marcus convinced me to put my career on hold.
But accepting it would mean aligning myself with Adrian Sterling. It would mean going to war with Marcus, in a sense. It would mean burning bridges that are probably already burned, but still.
“I need time to think,” I say.
“Of course.” Adrian stands and pulls a business card from his wallet. “My personal number is on there. Call me when you’ve made a decision. But Isabella?” He waits until I meet his eyes. “Don’t take too long. Opportunities like this don’t come around often.”
I take the card, my fingers brushing against his. For just a moment, I feel that same spark of heat I felt when he was cleaning my wounds. I pull my hand back quickly.
“I should go,” I say. “I need to… I don’t even know what I need to do. Figure out my life, I guess.”
“Where will you go?” Adrian asks. “You can’t go back to the apartment you shared with Marcus. Not tonight.”
I haven’t thought about that. The apartment is in both our names, but most of the furniture is Marcus’s. Most of the life we built there is his. The thought of going back there, of seeing his things and smelling his cologne and sleeping in the bed we shared, makes me feel physically ill.
“I’ll get a hotel room,” I say. “Or stay with Sarah. I’ll figure it out.”
Adrian nods slowly. “Let me at least give you a ride. My car is parked nearby.”
I want to refuse, want to maintain some shred of independence. But I’m exhausted, my feet are killing me, and I’m still wearing a wedding dress. Pride is a luxury I can’t afford right now.
“Okay,” I say. “Thank you.”
Adrian’s car turns out to be a sleek black Aston Martin parked just around the corner from the café. He opens the passenger door for me, and I have to gather my dress carefully to fit into the low-slung seat. The interior smells like leather and that same cedar cologne.
“Where to?” Adrian asks as he slides into the driver’s seat.
I give him Sarah’s address. My maid of honor has texted me approximately fifty times in the last few hours, each message more frantic than the last. I should probably let her know I’m alive.
We drive in silence for a while, the city passing by outside the windows. I watch the people on the sidewalks - couples holding hands, families laughing together, people going about their normal Saturday evening activities. None of them know that my life just imploded. None of them care.
“Can I ask you something?” I say suddenly.
“Anything.”
“At that business conference, six months ago. When you tried to warn me about Marcus. What did you know? What made you say that?”
Adrian’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I knew he was cheating on you.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. “What?”
“I saw him,” Adrian says, his voice carefully controlled.
“At a hotel bar with another woman. They were… intimate. Very intimate. I didn’t know if you knew at the time which is why I didn’t tell you right away.
I didn’t know if you guys had some kind of arrangement or what - I’d seen you at events with Marcus, but we’d never been introduced.
But I made it my business to find out. And when I did, I thought you deserved to know what kind of man you were planning to marry. ”
I feel like I can’t breathe. “Just the once? Or has this been going on?”
“I don’t know. I only saw them together that once. But based on how comfortable they were with each other…” Adrian trails off, but I can fill in the blanks.