Chapter 9

"Adrian, shut the fuck up." I grit my teeth as a headache forms, sharp and unforgiving, like it's personally offended by his existence.

But does Adrian pick up on my rapidly declining will to live? Of course not. "But like I'm just saying, if Google gets deleted, and we can't Google what happened to Google... how will we ever know what happened to Google?"

I stare at him, my soul slowly leaving my body. "Do you ever just... hear yourself? Like, do the words leave your mouth, take a moment to reflect, and then decide, 'Yeah, this is the dumbest thing ever, let's go ruin someone's day'? Or do they just free-fall out of your brain with no parental guidance?"

He blinks at me, completely unbothered. "No, but like, think about it. If dictionaries get deleted too, how will we know what words like parental guidance mean?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, mentally composing myself.

I let out a slow, suffering sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as Adrian watches me with the kind of amusement that makes me want to throw him into a shredder.

"Die before I kill you myself, you stupid ass bitch," I mutter, half a prayer, half a threat.

Adrian, completely unfazed—because of course he is, just grins. "Wow. Someone's awfully rude today. Does it have something to do with a certain short, pretty, sarcastic brunette whose number you forgot to ask for?"

I freeze. That bastard.

He's an asshole, but unfortunately, he's not wrong. I don't think I've ever regretted something so much in my life. How the fuck did I forget to ask Iliana for her number? Our date—yes, date, at least according to me had been going so well. I was happy, we were talking like we have known each other forever, and then, like a complete moron, I just said bye and walked away.

And now, my second biggest regret? Telling Adrian.

I glare at Adrian, my patience hanging by a thread. "I don't think you understand the seriousness of me hitting you."

He just smiles, completely unfazed by my very real threat. "Not my fault you don't know how to flirt with girls. Face card is not everything, Zaden. You can't win all girls with your pretty face."

I stop mid-step, then smirk. "Oh, I know what this is. You're being bitchy because Kia pays you no attention. She doesn't even glance your way, and it's absolutely destroying your sensitive little ego. Even after you bought thousands on dresses—so many of them, by the way. Starting to think you just like playing dress-up."

Adrian's mouth opens and closes like a fish, his usual cocky demeanor short-circuiting. "I—That's not—I only bought those because uh to help girls in ngo and—Look, that's completely different, okay?"

I let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh my God. You did think the dresses would make her notice you. That's adorable. And tragic. And pathetic."

He scowls. "Shut up."

"Oh no, no, no, I want to hear more. Did you stand in front of the mirror and practice how you'd casually mention your new 'fashion investments'? Did you twirl?"

Adrian groans, running a hand through his hair, which only makes me smirk more.

UNO reverse bitch.

Adrian lets out an exaggerated sigh, clearly annoyed with me not taking his hints. "We are going somewhere today."

I don't even bother looking at him. "We are not. You are. You're going the fuck out of my house. Why are you even here? You have your own house and your fucking car business. Go there. Earn some money or some shit."

He places his hand on his chest, the picture of dramatic overacting. "I thought you liked my company, baby. Is that what our love means to you?"

I glare at him, and he quickly clears his throat, the sarcasm failing to land. "Right, uh, anyway, it's time for the annual business ball. It happens every year, and you should know that by now."

I groan, burying my face in my hands. "Fuck me. That's today? It happened last month."

He rolls his eyes, like I'm the one being ridiculous. "No, it didn't. It was last year, and you didn't even go. Come on, Zaden, you can't skip every year."

I squint at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "Watch me, bitch."

His eyes widen. "Don't misbehave Zaden. You know you'll look good in a tux."

"Not as good as you'd look in a body bag, Adrian."

"Now that's just hurtful" he whines

"Shut up. I will go get ready stop whining, Jesus." I say while pinching the bridge of my noes.

Adrian smiles, all smug and self-satisfied, clearly thinking he's won the battle. "Zaden, can you wear the blue suit, please? It really brings out your eyes and ass," he says in a high-pitched, overly dramatic voice that's somehow both annoying and hilarious.

I roll my eyes, crossing my arms. "Is that what you're into now? First dresses now my clothes? What more do you want—"

Adrian just grins wider, so I decide to shut up.

"I'm wearing black. Full black. Suit. Shirt. Everything. The only thing blue here will be your self confidence because it will be bruised, watching me walk out and realizing you'll never look this good. Now go get ready."

Adrian shakes his head, clearly trying to hold back a laugh, and blows me a flying kiss. "Alright, Mr. Sexy. Just don't make me fall in love with you more." Saying that he moves towards the guest room to get ready.

I roll my eyes at the idiot and turn on my heel, striding confidently toward my bedroom. I can hear him muttering something under his breath, but I don't care.

I go through my closet, my fingers brushing over fabric as I search for the perfect combination. After a moment, I pull out a fitted black suit, sleek with sharp tailoring that screams confidence. I grab a black shirt to match, leaving the top few buttons undone, revealing the tattoos on my chest—an art piece I've carefully curated. The black suit jacket fits like a glove, hugging my broad shoulders and trim waist, accentuating the strength in my frame.

I look in the mirror, smirking at the reflection staring back at me. Dark, mysterious, and undeniably hot. It's an outfit that demands attention and I'm not afraid to take it.

I adjust my cufflinks, making sure everything is perfect. The last thing I do is run a hand through my hair, just to make sure I'm still that effortlessly put-together guy everyone wishes they were.

I walk out of the room with an air of quiet confidence, feeling like the world just became my stage. When I step into the living room, Adrian smile slightly, and I can see his jaw tighten as he tries to hide the fact that he's actually impressed.

He's dressed in a sharp black suit too, with a crisp white shirt underneath that pops against the dark fabric. The suit fits him perfectly his broad shoulders filling it out like he's been carved from stone. The way it hugs his muscular frame gives him this raw, masculine energy that can't be ignored. He's got this effortless cocky attitude  about him, like he knows exactly how good he looks.

Adrian watches me. "Damn, Zaden. You know how to make an entrance."

I look at him and smirk. "You clean up nice too, Adrian. I guess?"

He glares at me, clearly trying to act like he's not affected by my compliment. "Don't get used to it," he mutters, though there's a hint of pride in his tone.

"Too bad you'll still be overshadowed by this." I continue, knowing I've hit a nerve.

In my defense I was being too nice, and he was feeling himself a little too much.

Adrian glares jokingly, but I can see the playfulness in his eyes. "Shut up, Zaden. Let's just go."

I shrug as I head toward the door. "Whatever. Just try to keep up."

He follows me, and we step out, heading to my Mercedes parked outside.

The engine roars to life as I start the car, the familiar hum vibrating through the seat. Adrian hops in beside me. I shift the gear, and we start driving towards the venue, the city lights blurring past us as the night takes on a life of its own.

The hum of the engine, the cool air rushing through the windows, and the tension between us fill the car, but neither of us breaks the silence. We're both in our element—me in the driver's seat, him waiting to see if I'll crash. He is an idiot.