BRIANNA

“Okay… So the thing is,” I began, taking a deep breath to push through my nerves, “your mom said she’s been inviting you over for dinner, but you haven’t been coming. She doesn’t know why. No one does, actually, except you. And… she asked me to help convince you to come for dinner on Friday because, well, she believes we’re close and that you might listen to me.” I paused, exhaling as I got it all out in one breath.

Adrian’s expression instantly hardened. His jaw tightened, his face becoming unreadable, like I’d somehow overstepped a line I hadn’t known was there.

“I’m not going to any family dinner,” he replied, his voice a flat, cold monotone. “I have my reasons, and I’d rather keep them to myself.”

“But…” I started cautiously, hoping to keep the tension from escalating, “your mom insisted. She’s been trying every possible way to get you to come, and I’m… well, her last hope. She thought I could maybe get through to you.”

He crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on a point beyond me. “I don’t care if you’re her only hope or not. I’ve already made up my mind, Brianna. I’m not going, and you’re not going to change that.”

I took a breath, trying to steady my resolve. “Adrian, I know we’re not that close,” I began softly, “but… I’ve seen how much this means to your mom. She just wants one night, one dinner where she can have her son at the table, where it feels like a family again. Please, for her sake. Just… go. One night. That’s all.”

His face darkened further, frustration flickering across his eyes. “I said I’m not going!” he snapped, his voice ringing through the quiet office.

I flinched, glancing around, half-relieved that everyone who had been setting up the desks had already left. If anyone had heard him raise his voice like that… I shook off the thought, turning my focus back to him.

Adrian’s expression softened momentarily, his gaze darting down, almost regretful. But then his guard went up again, as cold as before. “It’s good you know where we stand, Brianna,” he said icily. “You mean nothing to me, so don’t expect that you can just persuade me into doing something I don’t want to do.”

His words hit me like a slap, sharp and stinging. I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat, but the ache was there, stubborn. I hadn’t realized how much it would hurt to hear those words until he’d actually said them.

“I… I mean nothing to you?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Tears threatened, but I forced myself to keep them in check, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Adrian’s expression shifted, almost pained. “No… I didn’t mean it that way,” he muttered, taking a hesitant step forward.

I held up a hand, stopping him. “You said exactly what you meant, Adrian. I don’t mean anything to you. You didn’t have to clarify.”

“Brianna…” he began, the conviction in his voice faltering. “It was just… a slip of the tongue.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “A slip of the tongue? Really?” I shook my head, not sure if I should feel more hurt or amused by his attempt to backtrack.

He looked at me, his expression more open, almost pleading. “Please, I’m sorry if what I said came across wrong. I didn’t mean it, I swear.”

I met his gaze, trying to gauge if he was genuinely sorry or just saying what he thought I wanted to hear. “How do I know you didn’t mean it? Or that it won’t happen again?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I promise. I won’t say something like that again, okay?”

I studied him, then took a steadying breath. “Alright, I’ll hold you to that… if you do one thing for me.”

He raised an eyebrow, though a flicker of understanding crossed his features. “And what would that be?”

“Go to the family dinner,” I said, my voice gentle but firm. “Please.”

Adrian hesitated, his gaze dropping. “Brianna, I…”

“Please,” I whispered, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes, knowing he’d have a hard time saying no to them. “Your mom would love it if you were there.”

He groaned, looking away as if he was fighting some internal battle. “Don’t look at me like that,” he mumbled, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

“Please?” I repeated, just to push my point a little further.

“Fine!” he finally relented, sounding exasperated but not nearly as upset as before. I couldn’t help but laugh in relief, clapping my hands together in triumph.

“Thank you, thank you!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him before I even realized what I was doing.

He chuckled, returning the hug briefly. “I’m only doing this because you begged, and those puppy eyes of yours were impossible to ignore,” he teased, pulling back to look at me.

I grinned. “I know. They work like a charm. I save them for emergencies like this one.”

“They certainly do,” he agreed, a smile lingering on his lips as he looked at me. “I’m living proof.”

We laughed, the tension easing as the moment settled between us. It felt good to share a laugh with him, to see that softer side of him that he usually kept buried. But he cleared his throat, breaking the moment. “Alright, as much as I’d love for us to continue like this all day, we have work to do. Could you read out my schedule?”

“Yeah, let me just grab my stuff from my old office,” I replied, hurrying out to get my things. I returned a few minutes later, carrying the essentials and grabbing my notepad to read out his schedule.

“So…” I began, scanning the notes I’d jotted down earlier. “It looks like you don’t have too much going on today. You just need to meet a Miss Donna at Sky High Hotel to finalize a deal at 2 p.m. And you have a conference call with the investors in Italy at 12 p.m., which is… in about thirty minutes.”

“Perfect, thank you.” He stood up, stretching. “Let’s grab some lunch before the conference call.”

“Alright,” I agreed. “Are we going to the cafeteria?”

“No need. My mom brought lunch for me, so we’ll eat here.” He picked up the bag his mom had dropped off earlier.

“Oh, I didn’t realize there was food in there. Will it be enough for both of us? I have a… considerable appetite, if I’m being honest,” I joked.

He laughed, shaking his head. “Trust me, my mom usually packs enough to feed a small army. We’ll be fine.”

I joined him on the couch as he unpacked the food on the coffee table. The aroma was mouthwatering, making me realize how hungry I actually was.

“Ladies first,” he said, handing me a spoon. I took it, scooping up a bite of lasagna, savoring the rich flavors as they melted in my mouth. I couldn’t help a small, pleased moan.

I was mid-bite when I noticed Adrian watching me, his expression unreadable but intense. “What?” I asked, my cheeks warming.

“If you keep making sounds like that while you eat, Brianna…” His voice was low, serious. “I might end up doing something we’ll both regret.”

I flushed, realizing just how my reaction had sounded. Wordlessly, I focused on my food, keeping any other noises to myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile, finally digging into his food.

Geez, I thought, suppressing a grin. That was… something.