BRIANNA

I woke up on a bed a few hours later, feeling slightly disoriented as I adjusted to my surroundings. The luxurious interior of the jet came into focus, and I glanced out the window to see that we were still flying. The sky was pitch dark, with only the occasional twinkle of distant stars piercing through the vast expanse. The flight from California to Spain takes over eleven hours, so it was to be expected. I couldn’t help but stretch and yawn as my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten much since the morning.

I sighed, my stomach making its presence known once again. I had only eaten a few slices of bread that morning and hadn’t had a proper meal since then. I knew I had to get something to eat, or else I might pass out from hunger.

I swung my legs off the bed and stood up, the plush carpet soft under my feet. I made my way through the small corridor and into the main area of the jet, where I found Adrian sitting at the table, deeply engrossed in his laptop. His fingers danced across the keys with practiced ease, but his brows were furrowed in concentration. He must be working on something important.

My eyes lingered over his figure, as they often did without meaning to. He was wearing a black shirt that was only partially buttoned, and my gaze inadvertently dropped to his chest. I couldn’t help but notice the curly hairs scattered across his skin, the faint definition of his muscles, and the way the light caught his tan skin. He looked every bit the part of a man who commanded attention and respect.

Suddenly, Adrian looked up, his intense gaze locking with mine. A playful smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, and I quickly turned my eyes away, hoping he hadn’t caught me staring for too long. But it was no use; he had already noticed.

“Checking me out, huh?” he teased, his voice smooth and playful. “Don’t worry, I’m all yours and I ain’t going nowhere.”

The way he winked at me made my face flush, and I tried my best to hide the blush creeping up my neck.

“I wasn’t checking you out,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as I tried to act casual.

“Sure, sure. I’m sure you weren’t checking me out,” he chuckled, the sound rich and deep.

I couldn’t help but smile at his teasing, despite the heat spreading across my cheeks. I tried to focus on something else, but it was hard to ignore how attractive he was, even when he was just sitting there, absorbed in whatever he was doing.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and made my way toward him. “What are you doing?” I asked, trying to shift the conversation to something safer.

He glanced down at his laptop, tapping a few more keys before answering. “I’m trying to set some things up for the meeting with the investors. Got a lot of things to arrange before we land in Spain.”

“Oh, okay,” I replied, but my attention was quickly diverted by the sound of my stomach growling again. I could feel my face turn crimson with embarrassment as Adrian raised an eyebrow, an amused smile forming on his lips.

“You hungry?” he asked, his voice laced with humor.

“Yes,” I answered quietly, unable to meet his gaze. “I only had some slices of bread this morning, and I haven’t had anything else since then.”

“Okay, no problem. Let me call the flight attendant and get something for us to eat,” he said, picking up the phone on the table. He murmured a few words into the receiver, and then set it down. A few minutes later, the flight attendant entered the cabin with a bright, professional smile on her face.

“I got your call, sir. What would you like to have?” she asked politely.

Adrian turned to me with a curious look. “What do you have?” he asked the attendant.

“We have smoked salmon, pastries, sandwiches, pasta, fruits, grilled chicken, and potato salad,” the flight attendant listed, her tone upbeat and friendly.

My mind immediately began to whirl, trying to decide what I was in the mood for. Everything sounded so good. But before I could settle on anything, Adrian came to my rescue.

“Brianna, would you like to have grilled chicken and potato salad?” he asked, his voice warm, and I found myself nodding quickly.

“Yes. I’d love that,” I smiled gratefully at him.

“Great. We’ll have grilled chicken and potato salad, then. And add a bottle of red wine to that, please,” Adrian said, turning back to the attendant. She nodded politely and exited the cabin to place the order.

The flight attendant returned shortly with our food and a bottle of red wine, along with two glass cups. She placed everything on the table and arranged it neatly in front of us. “Is there anything else you’ll like me to get you?” she asked.

“No, that will be all for now. Thank you,” Adrian replied, and she nodded before leaving us in peace.

Adrian switched off his laptop and pushed the food closer to us, gesturing for me to start. I eagerly picked up my fork and dug into the grilled chicken and creamy potato salad. The flavors were rich, and the food was surprisingly filling.

As we ate in comfortable silence, I couldn’t help but wonder about Adrian’s thoughts. The food helped distract me from the heaviness in my chest, but I knew there was something else on his mind. After a few more bites, he suddenly broke the silence.

“So… There’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he said, his voice slightly muffled by the food in his mouth.

I looked up, a bit surprised. “Huh? What is it?” I asked, chewing quickly so I could focus on him.

“It’s about your mom,” Adrian began, his expression softening. “The first time I came to visit, I noticed her eyes and her face. She looks like she’s sick, and I also didn’t see your father the times that I came to your house.”

The mention of my mom immediately made my heart twist. I put my fork down, my appetite fading slightly as I processed his words. Adrian must’ve noticed the shift in my mood because he quickly began to stutter, a guilty expression forming on his face.

“I didn’t… Sorry for bringing it up, I didn’t know…” he started, clearly worried he had said something wrong.

I shook my head, trying to reassure him. “No… it’s fine. You deserve to know since I know about your family, and you know very little about mine.”

I sighed deeply, gathering the courage to share something that had been buried deep within me for so long.

“My mom… she’s been sick for years now,” I began, my voice shaking slightly. “She was diagnosed with anemia when we were at the lowest point in our family. She had to starve herself in order to feed me and my sister, and now it’s at the third stage. I’m struggling to buy her medicine because it’s so expensive, and we can’t even think about going to the hospital to treat her because we just can’t afford it.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I tried to blink them back, but they fell anyway. Adrian’s expression shifted from one of curiosity to one of deep sympathy, and he reached out, pulling me into a tight embrace.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” he murmured into my hair, his voice full of guilt. “She must be the reason you kept up with my asshole behavior this entire time. I’m sorry for treating you like crap in the beginning.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling his warmth surround me. “Yeah, I kept putting up with your attitude… because of her. And also because of my sister. I didn’t want her to end up like me. I wanted her to complete her education and have a better life.” My voice broke as I let the words spill out. “I just want her to have a chance. I want her to be better than me.”

“Oh, Brianna…” Adrian whispered, pulling me closer.

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbled. “I can’t even imagine what you’ve been going through. I feel like a jerk for complaining about the little things now.”

I shook my head, smiling weakly despite the tears. “It’s not your fault.”