Chapter 23 - Seraphina

It was a peaceful afternoon in the garden, the sun high in the sky, the scent of flowers surrounding me as I watered the plants. The moment felt serene, until I saw him.

Adrian.

He stood by the doorway of the mansion, his black shirt fitting his body perfectly, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. His hair, slightly tousled by the wind, framed his handsome face, and his deep Prussian blue eyes were fixed on me. I could feel his gaze, intense and warm, as though he could see right through me.

I couldn't help but admire him. He looked like a god, effortlessly handsome, even in the simple task of standing there. My heart fluttered for a moment, and then, as if a sudden spark of mischief lit up my mind, I decided to have a little fun.

I turned the water pipe toward him, making it look like I hadn't noticed his presence. Slowly, I twisted the handle, and without warning, I drenched him.

"Oops," I said with a dramatic gasp, feigning surprise.

His eyes widened in disbelief, then quickly narrowed in playful challenge. "Really?" he said, his voice filled with mock annoyance. Without a word, he grabbed another water pipe and aimed it at me, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

Before I could even react, he turned the nozzle and showered me with water.

"Adrian!" I gasped between laughter, trying to shield myself from the splash, but it was no use. He was relentless.

We were both soaked now, laughing and playfully drenched in the midday sun. I stepped back, aiming the hose in his direction, but he was faster, dodging my attempts and retaliating with even more water. The air was filled with the sound of our laughter, the rush of water, and the rhythm of us chasing each other around the garden like children.

Then, as if the universe decided to add to the chaos, the sprinklers suddenly turned on. The water hit us both from every direction, and in a moment of sheer, uninhibited joy, Adrian caught me by my waist.

I gasped as he effortlessly lifted me off the ground, spinning me around in the air, the water swirling around us. My heart raced as I laughed, my hands gripping his shoulders as he twirled me in the cool spray, the world spinning with us.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Nick and Lyra standing at the edge of the garden, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.

Nick's voice cut through the laughter. "You two seriously have a death wish, don't you?" he said, shaking his head.

I froze mid-spin, and Adrian stopped, both of us looking over at Nick and Lyra.

Nick crossed his arms and leaned against the fence, shaking his head with an exaggerated sigh. "You know, I always thought you guys were the type to get in trouble, but this is next-level ridiculous. Are you seriously having a water fight like a bunch of kids?"

Adrian shot Nick a look, amused. "Join us next time, if you're so jealous," he teased.

Nick raised an eyebrow, glancing at Lyra with a grin. "Why, so I can get soaked like you two idiots? No thanks. I like my clothes dry, and my ego intact, thank you very much."

I rolled my eyes at Nick's playful jab, but Adrian just smirked and said, "You're just upset because you're not as good at this as we are."

Nick scoffed, his smile never leaving his face. "Oh, please. You two should stop before you drown yourselves. It's like watching a bad rom-com with the waterworks and all."

I grinned. "Jealous?"

Nick looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Jealous? Please. I'd rather be drinking my coffee than playing water games in the garden. But, hey, you two have fun drowning yourselves."

Adrian chuckled, giving Nick a knowing look. "Next time, Nick. You can join the water fight, and we'll see how you hold up."

Nick threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. But I draw the line at getting my hair wet. You two might think this is fun, but I've got business to attend to... unlike some people who are too busy playing in the sprinklers."

I laughed, shaking my head at Nick's antics. "You're all talk, Nick. Admit it—you secretly want in on this fun."

Nick shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe I do, but I'm still waiting for the part where I get to be the one handing out the punishment."

Lyra, who had been quietly observing, finally chimed in, shaking her head with a smile. "You know, Nick, if you spent less time criticizing them and more time joining in, you'd actually get the fun part of it."

Nick rolled his eyes at Lyra. "I'll pass, thanks. I'll leave the water fights to the kids while I take care of more important things."

Adrian, with a cheeky smile, leaned down to my ear and whispered, "You hear that? He's just mad because we're better at having fun than he is."

I smiled back at him, my heart full. "I think he's just upset he's not in the spotlight."

Nick gave a dramatic gasp, clutching his chest. "Ouch, that one hit hard. But alright, I guess I'll let you two lovebirds have your fun while I go find some dry land."

We all shared a laugh, and as the moment settled, Adrian gave me one last playful squeeze before we both turned our attention back to Nick and Lyra. "Next time, Nick," Adrian said with a wink.

Nick just shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourselves that. I'll be in the dry zone while you two get drenched."

With that, we continued to laugh and play, knowing that, despite Nick's teasing, the fun we were having together was more than worth it.

The air in the mansion had lightened considerably since Jennifer's encounter, and as I stood in the kitchen, sipping my coffee, I couldn't help but feel that we deserved some fun amidst all the chaos. Life had been too tense lately, and Adrian, as composed as he always seemed, needed to loosen up.

As I finished my coffee, my gaze drifted toward the hallway leading to our bedroom, where I knew Adrian was getting ready for an important meeting. I'd passed by earlier and noticed his shirt neatly ironed and laid out on the bed, courtesy of the maid. A mischievous smirk tugged at my lips as an idea struck me.

I quickly grabbed the shirt and slipped it on. It was oversized on me, the fabric crumpling as I moved, and I didn't bother to button it all the way. I knew how much Adrian hated it when his things were out of place or crumpled—it was one of my favorite things to tease him about.

A few minutes later, I heard the bathroom door open, followed by his footsteps. I hid my smile as I heard him pause, likely realizing his shirt was missing.

"Seraphina," he called from the bedroom, his tone curious but slightly exasperated.

I leaned casually against the kitchen counter, pretending to examine a fruit bowl as I waited for him to find me. It didn't take long.

Adrian walked into the kitchen, his hair still damp from the shower, a towel draped over his shoulder, and his chest bare. His sharp gaze landed on me immediately, taking in the sight of his shirt draped over my frame. It was hopelessly wrinkled now, and I didn't even try to hide my amusement.

"Really?" he said, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "You know I need that shirt for my meeting."

I shrugged, trying to look innocent. "What? It looks better on me anyway."

His lips twitched, the corners threatening to curve into a smile, but he held it back. "You know I hate it when my things are crumpled."

"That's why I did it," I said with a sly grin, stepping toward him.

To my surprise, instead of the exasperated sigh or reprimand I was expecting, Adrian's expression softened. He took a step closer to me, closing the distance between us, and placed his hands gently on my waist.

"You're impossible," he murmured, his voice low. Then, with a small, knowing smile, he added, "But now my day will be perfect, knowing your fragrance will be with me the entire time."

My heart skipped a beat, betraying me entirely. How did he always manage to turn the tables?

I tried to recover, rolling my eyes playfully. "You're just saying that so I'll give you your shirt back."

He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "Keep it. It suits you better anyway."

I froze for a moment, the warmth of his breath and the weight of his words sending a shiver down my spine. Adrian straightened, his smirk now fully formed, and walked back toward the bedroom, leaving me standing there, flustered and speechless.

As he disappeared down the hallway, I muttered under my breath, "Why does he always win?"

But deep down, I didn't mind losing—not when it came to him.

I sighed, crossing my arms as I stood in the kitchen. His smirk was too much for me to handle, and I knew he'd already won this round. I grabbed a napkin, wiped the smudged coffee off my lips, and made my way to the bedroom.

Adrian was standing by the mirror, buttoning his jacket when I appeared at the door, still wearing his crumpled shirt. He glanced at me through the reflection, a playful gleam in his Prussian blue eyes.

"Decided to give it back?" he teased, tilting his head slightly.

"Only because you'll probably miss your meeting otherwise," I shot back, but there was no heat in my voice. I slipped the shirt off and handed it to him, smoothing out the wrinkles as best as I could before reluctantly placing it in his hands.

"Good luck salvaging this mess," I added with a grin.

He shook his head, laughing under his breath. "It's fine. It'll still have your scent."

I watched as Adrian effortlessly slipped into the shirt I had just handed him, smoothing out the wrinkles with a practiced ease. The very same shirt that had been crumpled and thrown in a bit of chaos now fit him perfectly, as if it had always been meant for him. Even though the fabric was still a little wrinkled, he managed to look immaculate, as always.

"See you later, Mrs. Castellanos," he said with a wink, brushing a soft kiss against my temple as he made his way to the door.

I stood there for a moment, staring after him, a smile tugging at my lips. He never failed to surprise me, to make me feel like he was constantly one step ahead. Even when we played games like this—where I thought I had the upper hand—he always managed to turn the tables.

"That man," I murmured under my breath, shaking my head with disbelief. "Always knows how to keep me on my toes."

I couldn't help but smile at the memory of his teasing grin, the way he knew exactly how to rile me up and make my heart skip a beat in the process. He never took anything too seriously, but somehow he made even the smallest moments feel significant.

With a sigh, I shook off my thoughts and turned to make sure I had everything ready for the day. But as I was about to pick up my phone, I heard the soft click of the door shutting behind him.

And then, as if on cue, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Adrian.

"Don't miss me too much, Mrs. Castellanos."

I couldn't hide the smirk that spread across my face as I typed a quick reply, "I'll try not to. But I can't promise anything."

A few seconds later, the phone buzzed again, his playful words appearing on the screen.

"I'll be thinking of you all day. Don't go causing too much trouble without me."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress the amusement bubbling inside me. Typing back with a teasing tone, "I'll make sure to keep the chaos in check... unless, of course, you want me to make a mess of things."

Another pause before his reply came through, flirtation dripping from his words.

"I'm counting on it. Maybe I'll let you be a little mischievous... as long as it's for me. Besides, I'll be thinking about you. All day."

I paused for a moment, then typed back with a playfully defiant reply, trying to keep my cool. "Well, you don't know that you're always on my mind."

I hit send quickly, hoping my words didn't sound too revealing, but my heart was already pounding, knowing how effortlessly Adrian could twist any situation to flirt with me.

Before I could put the phone down, another message from him came through.

"See you soon, Mrs. Castellanos. Try not to miss me too much."

I shook my head with a smile, feeling my cheeks flush slightly despite myself. As much as I tried to play it cool and not admit how much he affected me, I couldn't help but let the warmth in my chest spread at his words. Deep down, I knew I couldn't avoid it forever—he had this way of making everything feel like it had the potential to be something more, even when I wasn't ready to admit it just yet.