Chapter 3
Adrian came around the hood and stood right in front of me.
"If you ever need help with anything, you can come to me," he said.
I locked eyes with him, a little hesitant, and asked, "Why are you helping me?"
Adrian's gaze softened. "You helped me out before. At that party in Port Veridia.
"If it weren't for you, I would've been set up. Someone had spiked my drink."
Suddenly, I was right back in that moment two years ago.
I'd gone to Port Veridia with Cassian for a business trip, and at the party.
I just happened to spot Adrian getting cornered by a bunch of old men, trying to force drinks on him.
He looked really out of it, so I made up some excuse to pull him aside.
Then I called his personal assistant to get him home safely.
"Just because of that?" I asked.
Adrian paused for a couple seconds, looking away from me.
"Not exactly," he said.
His voice was soft.
"After that... I kept an eye on you a few times."
He went on, "One time at the Galleria, I saw you browsing for a long time in a baby store.
"Later, I realized you were buying things for a classmate's child because their family was having a tough time."
He continued, "Another time, it was pouring rain, and you handed your umbrella to an elderly flower vendor on the street.
"Then you ran inside Althaea University, completely drenched."
"And..."
He suddenly trailed off, as if he realized he'd said too much.
"All in all, you're a genuinely good person," he concluded.
"You deserve to be treated right," Adrian said, his voice gentle.
I froze, caught completely off guard.
He remembered all those tiny things about me, even the ones I'd forgotten myself.
My heart skipped a beat.
[OMG HE'S SO IN LOVE WITH HER!!!]
[Adrian, are you a stalker or something? Nah, you're the ultimate secret admirer!]
[Whoever called Adrian a block of ice earlier, come out and apologize right now!]
[Girls, my heart's racing at 130; this is basically a love confession, right?!]
"And..." Adrian hesitated, suddenly realizing he'd said too much, and fell silent.
He took off his charcoal overcoat and gently draped it over my shoulders.
The warmth from his coat made the cold night fade away in an instant.
[Aaaaaah! He just draped his coat over her!]
[Adrian, you're scoring major points tonight!]
[Cassian, just go away already! I'm living for this!]
[Agreed, Cassian can be carried out now. Thanks.]
"Cassian's not good enough for you, Avalon," Adrian said, sounding dead serious.
"You can dig up stuff on him yourself, or if you trust me, I can get you all the dirt right now," he added.
He sounded a bit rushed.
"If the shoes don't fit, just toss them. The same goes for people.
"If they're not right, let them go. No point dragging it out," he suggested.
He glanced at my feet and said, "There's some cream in the right pocket of the coat. After you wash up, make sure to use it."
[Girl, Avalon, just look at him! Seriously, just look at him!]
[Adrian, you're my new heartthrob.]
[Adrian's got god-tier observation skills.]
I ignored the floating comments again.
My emotions were all over the place.
"Thanks. I'll think it over," I replied.
"Actually, I need your help with something right now," I said.
"What is it?" Adrian asked.
I took the engagement ring box out of my bag and flipped it open.
"This ring doesn't mean anything to me anymore. Can you help me take care of it?" I asked.
Adrian took the ring from my hand, examined it closely, then looked up at me.
"Would it be alright if I kept it?" he asked.
"You want to keep it?" I stared at him, genuinely surprised.
"It's from one of my favorite designers," he explained, his gaze sincere.
"I'll send you the money for it," he added.
[Oh, really?]
[Adrian saw the ring was exactly his size, went home, slipped it on, and cracked up under the covers like a kid.]
[Adrian was so excited, he stayed up all night and couldn't sleep a bit.]
[Adrian went home, put the ring on, and was so happy it hit him right in the feels.]
[Hey, is anyone else noticing the plot's totally gone off the rails?]
The comments flying by made me wince a little.
But seeing Adrian's earnest expression, the weight in my chest eased up.
"If you like it, it's yours. Your birthday was last month, right? Just take it as a late birthday gift," I said.
Adrian gripped the velvet ring box hard, his voice hoarse.
"Alright, thanks for the birthday gift. It's cold out, head upstairs and get some rest. Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight. Take care on the road," I said.
When I got home, I kicked off my high heels and headed straight for the shower, letting the water wash away the exhaustion and everything weighing me down.
After washing up, I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The cream Adrian gave me was really effective, cool, and refreshing.
And the pain in my feet faded away.
The bullet comments started popping up again:
[The plot's not following the usual script. What's the supporting actress supposed to do now?]
[Normally, she'd turn into a villainess, right?]
[No, don't let her become a villainess! I just want to see her happy!]
[Can't she just boss up and focus on her own thing?]
[Yeah, let her boss up and focus on her own thing!]
[So, when is the main heroine finally going to show up?]
The main heroine?
I rolled over and buried my face in the covers.
I was finally starting to accept this ridiculous reality.
I was just a side character in someone else's story, and Cassian was the male lead.
I was supposed to be the stepping stone for his love story, get betrayed, and end up with a miserable exit.
But what made it so?
I was, Avalon, privileged, accomplished, and proud.
Why should I have wasted my life on a man who didn't even care about me?
Why should I let myself be just a stepping stone for someone else's love story?
Seven years had been a long time, sure.
But walking away then had beaten spending a lifetime stuck in a lie.