Theyre Scared Of How Much You Matter To Me
Lia realized something terrifying the moment she walked into the gala beside Adrian.
People were afraid of him.
Not casually intimidated.
Afraid.
And somehow—
that fear became even more obvious whenever Adrian looked at her.
—
The ballroom glowed beneath enormous chandeliers, gold light spilling across marble floors and crystal glasses while live music drifted softly through the crowd.
Everything looked expensive.
Elegant.
Untouchable.
Exactly Adrian.
Except tonight—
he kept touching her.
And that changed everything.
His hand rested low against her back while they moved through the crowd together.
Possessive.
Natural.
Like letting her out of reach physically irritated him.
The first twenty minutes alone nearly emotionally exhausted Lia.
Not because of the event.
Because of Adrian.
Every businessman who approached them watched him carefully before even looking at her.
Every woman speaking to Adrian noticed the ring immediately.
And Adrian?
Adrian acted completely uninterested in anyone except her.
It should've been embarrassing.
Instead—
warmth spread through her chest every single time.
"You're staring at me again."
Adrian's gaze shifted instantly toward her from where he'd been half-listening to a board member ramble beside them.
The cold expression vanished immediately.
Softened.
Focused entirely on her.
"There you are."
Her pulse stumbled.
"What?"
"You disappeared into your thoughts."
The businessman standing beside them looked deeply uncomfortable witnessing the sudden intimacy.
Honestly?
Fair.
Adrian's attention on her always felt too personal for public spaces.
Lia lowered her voice slightly.
"You're supposed to be socializing."
"I am."
"You literally stopped listening to him halfway through."
The older man beside them coughed awkwardly.
Adrian didn't even pretend guilt.
"He was repeating himself."
God.
Sometimes she genuinely didn't understand how anyone survived working for him.
The businessman quickly excused himself moments later looking emotionally defeated.
Lia stared after him before glancing back at Adrian.
"You scared him away."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"He was staring at your mouth while talking."
Silence.
Then Lia physically closed her eyes.
"You cannot be serious."
"I'm always serious about you."
The honesty nearly ruined her emotionally.
Because Adrian sounded completely calm saying it.
Like possessiveness around her had become natural instinct.
The ballroom lights reflected softly in his dark eyes while his thumb brushed lightly against her lower back through the fabric of her dress.
Comforting himself.
Grounding himself.
Lia noticed that lately.
Adrian touched her more in crowded places.
Like reassurance.
Like confirming she was still there.
"You're jealous tonight," she whispered softly.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Never hesitation.
God.
He genuinely had no shame anymore.
Lia looked around the ballroom carefully.
Women absolutely stared at Adrian.
That part wasn't surprising.
He looked devastating tonight in his black suit.
Cold.
Powerful.
Beautiful in the dangerous kind of way.
But the thing that shocked her most?
Adrian never noticed any of them.
Not once.
Every single time Lia looked at him—
his attention already rested on her.
Like nothing else in the room held value.
The realization made her chest ache.
A woman approached them moments later holding champagne.
Tall.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Her smile toward Adrian felt practiced.
Familiar.
Lia immediately recognized the type.
"Oh," the woman said smoothly. "So the rumors were true."
Adrian's hand tightened slightly against Lia's back.
Not enough to hurt.
Enough to feel possessive.
His expression cooled instantly.
"Vanessa."
The woman's eyes drifted briefly toward Lia's ring.
Something unreadable crossed her face.
Then she smiled politely.
"You've become difficult to reach lately."
"I've been busy."
The answer came cold.
Dismissive.
Nothing like the softness he used with Lia.
Vanessa laughed lightly.
"You disappeared from literally every social event for months."
Adrian's thumb brushed once against Lia's waist.
Grounding himself again.
"I had better things to focus on."
The meaning behind the words settled heavily into the silence afterward.
Because Adrian didn't even try hiding it anymore.
Not publicly.
Not privately.
Nothing mattered more than Lia.
Vanessa clearly understood that too.
Her eyes softened slightly before she looked at Lia.
"Well," she murmured quietly, "now I understand why."
The compliment caught Lia off guard.
Before she could answer, Adrian spoke calmly beside her.
"She's tired."
Lia blinked softly.
"What?"
Adrian looked down at her immediately.
His expression softened again.
"You've been standing too long."
Vanessa physically stared at him.
Actually stared.
Like she'd just witnessed something impossible.
Honestly?
Same.
Because Adrian sounded genuinely concerned.
Not performative.
Not polite.
Just attentive in that terrifyingly intense way only he managed.
Vanessa laughed softly under her breath.
"I never thought I'd see Adrian Monteverde in love."
The room went quiet.
Not awkward quiet.
Heavy quiet.
Because Adrian didn't deny it.
Didn't look uncomfortable.
Instead—
his eyes stayed completely fixed on Lia.
Warm.
Gone.
Completely ruined for her.
Then calmly—
with enough sincerity to stop her breathing for a second—
"She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.
Because he said it so easily.
Like truth.
Like fact.
Vanessa looked genuinely stunned afterward.
Then slowly—
almost understanding something—
she smiled faintly.
"That explains why everyone in this room looks terrified of her."
Lia blinked rapidly.
"What?"
Vanessa glanced around the ballroom subtly.
Toward businessmen watching Adrian carefully from a distance.
Toward people whispering quietly whenever he touched her.
Then back toward Lia again.
"They're not scared of you," she said softly.
Her eyes flicked briefly toward Adrian.
"They're scared of how much you matter to him."
The realization hit hard enough to physically still her.
Because suddenly—
everything made sense.
The staring.
The caution.
The way people watched Adrian whenever he looked at her.
They weren't witnessing obsession anymore.
They were witnessing vulnerability.
Adrian Monteverde loved exactly one thing enough to destroy himself over losing it.
And everyone around him knew it.
Adrian noticed the exact second the realization crossed her face.
Of course he did.
His fingers curled slightly more firmly against her waist before he leaned closer.
Close enough that only she heard him.
"You're overthinking."
Lia looked up at him carefully.
The ballroom blurred around them for a second.
Because suddenly—
she understood just how deeply Adrian belonged to her now too.
Then softly—
almost helplessly—
"You really love me that much?"
The look on Adrian's face nearly ruined her permanently.
Not offended.
Not surprised.
Just completely sincere.
"Yes."