Chapter 30 - Adrian

I sat through the meeting, the overwhelming urge to strangle someone rising inside me. The investor continued speaking without pause, each word blending into the next like a never-ending drone. I couldn't care less about this deal. My mind kept drifting to her—Seraphina. The way her smile lit up the room, the way her presence made everything else fade into the background.

But here I was, trapped in this endless conversation with an old friend of my uncle's. It was all about "family courtesy" and "respecting business alliances." Nonsense. I checked my watch. How much longer was this going to last?

I glanced over at Nick, silently pleading with him to end this for me. I wasn't sure how much more I could take. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I saw Seraphina's name flash across the screen.

I quickly texted him: "Get me out of here now. I can't do this anymore."

Nick's eyes shot me a glare, followed by a slow shake of his head. Of course, he was going to leave me hanging. Nick was my uncle's right hand—loyal to a fault, always following orders. He was never going to let me off the hook.

I stifled another yawn, trying to stay focused on the meeting. That's when my phone buzzed again. I looked down and saw Seraphina's message: "Look at the door."

I couldn't help but smile. My gaze shot up, and there she was—standing near the staircase, looking effortlessly beautiful. She waved at me, her eyes bright and mischievous. She was my escape, my breath of fresh air in this suffocating room.

I couldn't resist, texting her back: "What are you doing here?"

Her reply came almost immediately: "Aren't you hungry?"

God, yes. I was starving, but not for food. I was hungry for her. The old man beside me had drained every ounce of my patience, and I was done.

I nodded at her message, grateful that she had shown up. She was like a lifeline I could cling to in this sea of boredom.

She texted again: "Come out."

I glanced at Nick, who was still deep in conversation, blissfully unaware of the war that was happening inside me. I shook my head, pointing to him. He wasn't going to let me leave that easily.

She puffed her cheeks and sent me the most adorable pout I had ever seen. My heart skipped a beat. I smiled like an idiot. How could anyone resist her?

"Either you're coming out, or I'm coming in."

Now, I knew I had no choice. Of course, I wanted her to come in, but realistically, she couldn't just walk into the meeting like that. I loved her confidence, but she had an image to maintain.

So I stood up abruptly, excusing myself with a half-hearted apology to the group.

"Sorry, gentlemen, I have an emergency," I said, keeping my voice calm, though my excitement was nearly spilling over. "My partner Nick will wrap things up. Sorry for the disturbance."

I could see Nick's internal eye-roll as I confidently walked away from the table, completely ignoring his exasperated glare.

He'd be fine. I didn't care. All I cared about was walking towards the woman who had just made my entire day better.

I made my way toward the staircase where Seraphina was waiting. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she saw me approach. Without thinking, I waved back, a goofy smile plastered across my face.

She made her way toward me, and the instant I was close enough, I felt the weight of the moment settle around us. We both knew what I was doing. I was leaving that dull meeting, and I wasn't looking back. But, at the same time, it felt like more than that. It felt like she was the reason I was alive, the reason I was willing to give up everything to be with her.

She raised an eyebrow as I reached her.

"Well, looks like you made your choice," she said, her voice teasing but full of affection.

I grinned and replied, "Who wouldn't choose you?"

Sitting across from her, I felt a sense of peace settle over me—something I hadn't realized I'd been craving. The business world, with all its chaos and endless demands, seemed like a distant thought now, muted by the easy conversation between us and the quiet clinking of silverware. The way Seraphina laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke about something she loved—it made everything else fade into the background.

I watched her as she passed me a croissant, her fingers brushing mine for a brief second. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. There was something so undeniably magnetic about her. She had this effortless way of making even the most mundane moments feel special.

"Here, you're going to love this one," she said, her voice light with excitement.

I took a bite, and my eyes immediately widened. She was right—this pastry was better than anything I'd tasted in all the overpriced restaurants I frequented. "Okay, I admit it, this is better than anything I've had in those high-end places you always drag me to," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

Her laughter filled the space between us, soft and warm. "I told you! It's all about the simple things, Adrian."

I grinned, realizing just how true that was. The luxuries of my world had always seemed important, but now, with Seraphina, I found myself drawn to these moments. It was her. She had this way of turning ordinary moments into something meaningful, something worth savoring. And as I looked at her, smiling over her cup of coffee, I realized how much I'd been missing out on, all this time, by focusing too much on what the world expected of me.

I shifted in my seat, catching her eye. "You've really changed the way I see things, you know that?"

Her playful expression softened, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of something—maybe surprise, maybe understanding—pass over her face. "Is that so?" she asked, her voice teasing but with an underlying warmth.

I nodded, my gaze never leaving hers. "Yeah. I think... I think I'm starting to figure out what really matters."

And in that moment, I realized something else: no matter how complicated my world got, it was moments like this—simple, quiet, with Seraphina—that I'd always want to hold onto.

The day had dragged on, every moment feeling like it was slipping away too fast. But in the quiet corners of my mind, I couldn't ignore the thought that had been building for weeks. I had to tell Seraphina how I felt. This self-imposed distance, these walls I'd built around myself, were suffocating. It wasn't about pretending anymore. It wasn't about being the cool, collected person I thought I needed to be. No. This was about me, about us.

I knew what I felt. I had known it for a while. But that fear, the nagging doubt that held me back, it made every step feel like a leap into the unknown. And yet, despite that fear, I made my decision. Today was the day. I was going to buy her a ring—a symbol of how much I loved her. A promise of something more, something real.

So, I walked into the jewelry store, my heart pounding harder with each step. The store was quiet, the soft hum of classical music in the background, but it did nothing to ease the storm inside me. I stood in front of the glass cases, staring at the rings, each one more beautiful than the last, but none of them felt right.

I wanted something that matched Seraphina. Elegant, understated, and powerful all at once. She had a way of captivating the room with a single glance, her beauty subtle but unforgettable. After a few moments of deliberation, I spotted it—a simple, silver band with a small diamond, just enough to catch the light but not so much that it would overshadow the quiet strength she carried. I could already imagine it on her finger, a part of her.

The jeweler smiled as he packaged the ring. I held the small box tightly in my hand, the weight of it both thrilling and terrifying. It was a promise, but also a confession. A step I had to take, even if it scared the hell out of me.

When I walked out of the store, I was already thinking of the moment when I'd give it to her, the way her eyes would light up when she saw it. I couldn't wait for that moment. But as I stepped outside, everything changed.

There they were.

Nick walked into the store, and beside him, to my surprise, was Seraphina. She looked radiant, a soft smile on her lips as she chatted with him. I froze, caught off guard. My heart, which had been racing with excitement just moments ago, now plummeted into my stomach. The ring felt heavier in my pocket. My breath hitched. I wanted to go to them, wanted to walk up to her and hold her, but instead, I stepped back into the shadows, watching from a distance.

They didn't see me. Nick and Seraphina were too absorbed in whatever they were talking about to notice me lurking in the corner. Nick was talking to the jeweler now, asking about prices and specifications, while Seraphina casually browsed the rings. I could see the way she smiled at a few pieces, the way her fingers traced the delicate designs. I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest. It was irrational, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being left behind.

And then it hit me like a punch to the gut.

What if she had already decided? What if she had already found something she wanted, something she didn't need me for? What if she was just being nice to me, and I had convinced myself of something more, something deeper than what actually existed between us?

The thought made my stomach churn. My mind raced, spiraling through a thousand scenarios, each one more painful than the last. The ring in my pocket felt like a cruel reminder. The symbol of something I wanted, but maybe, just maybe, wasn't meant to be. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if I was just a fool, standing here hoping for something that would never happen?

I couldn't do it. I couldn't stand here, watching her slip through my fingers, knowing that I wasn't enough. I couldn't keep pushing forward when all these doubts were gnawing at me, poisoning everything I thought I knew.

Without thinking, I walked over to the nearest trash bin and threw the ring inside. I didn't care if anyone saw. My fingers trembled as I did it, the action sharp and final. The beautiful symbol of everything I had wanted to give her was now just a discarded piece of metal. I thought I'd feel relief, but instead, the pain was unbearable.

"I have to end this," I whispered to myself, my voice low and shaking with the weight of what I was about to do. "Once and for all."

The words stung as they left my lips, and for a moment, I was frozen in place. My love for her, the dreams of a future together, the tenderness I felt every time I saw her smile—it all felt like a lie now.

With one final glance at the jewelry store, I turned and walked out. The weight of my actions sank into me like a stone in my gut. I had made my decision. I had to end it. I couldn't let myself fall further, couldn't let myself hold on to something that might never be. The whirlwind of doubt and insecurity had taken hold, and I couldn't break free.

But even as I walked away, something deep inside me screamed at me to turn back. Something inside me was still clinging to the hope that maybe I was wrong. That maybe, just maybe, I could fix this. But my heart—my heart was already consumed with too many doubts. I had already convinced myself it was too late.

As I reached the corner, I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the gnawing ache in my chest. I had made the right choice, I told myself.

But deep down, I wasn't so sure.

One thing I knew was just that my heart, my mind couldn't take this gnawing feeling anymore, every time I felt that this distance was decreasing, my insecurities took over, today as I saw her smiling with nick, my mind went blank, and the only thing I could think about was that

LET'S JUST END THIS MESS ..