BRIANNA

The moment we stepped out of the limousine onto the red carpet, camera flashes bombarded us from every direction, momentarily blinding me. I instinctively raised my hands to shield my face, only for the nervousness to grip me harder than I expected. I thought I had gotten over this, but apparently, the fear of being the center of attention was still with me. After all, this was my first time in the spotlight like this.

I kept my hands up for a few moments, my body frozen in place. It was overwhelming, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. But then, I felt Mr. Adrian’s hand gently rest on my shoulder, and he leaned in close to whisper in my ear.

“Lower your hands,” he said softly. “The reporters are taking pictures. You don’t want them to catch you with your hands up, do you?”

I shot him a look, still feeling the panic, but I could tell he was teasing me.

“I don’t care about the pictures,” I whispered back, my voice tight. “The flashes are blinding me.”

“Just lower your hands,” he urged. “Trust me, it won’t bother you anymore.”

“Really?” I asked, still unsure.

“Yeah,” he reassured me, his tone soft and confident. “Trust me.”

Slowly, I lowered my hands, still squinting against the bright lights. To my surprise, it didn’t feel as intense as before. The flashes were still there, but they didn’t have the same effect. I glanced over at Adrian, who was watching me with a smug smile.

“How’s it now?” he asked, clearly pleased with himself.

“It’s better,” I admitted, finally feeling some relief.

“I told you,” he said, his voice full of satisfaction. “Now, let’s get inside.”

He placed his hand on the small of my back, and we started walking toward the mansion. The reporters, trying to push in closer, were held back by bodyguards in dark suits and sunglasses, their presence offering us a much-needed shield.

We ascended a short flight of stairs, and the grand mansion loomed before us. Golden light spilled out from the large windows, and the soft hum of music from the live band inside reached us as we approached the entrance.

The bodyguards opened the large golden double doors, and we walked inside together, Adrian’s hand still resting on my back. I scanned the room, taking in the sight of men in sleek tuxedos and women in stunning evening gowns. They all looked incredible, and for a moment, I felt a pang of insecurity. But then, I reminded myself that I probably looked better than most of the women here.

Adrian led me to a table with six chairs, already occupied by two people—a man and a woman. The man, I recognized immediately as Manuel, Adrian’s friend, and the woman beside him was none other than Cherry. She looked stunning in her dress, her smile wide when she saw us approach.

“Hey, buddy!” Manuel greeted Adrian, offering a playful handshake.

“Hey, Manny,” Adrian said, returning the handshake with a grin before sitting down.

“Cherry! Hey, girl!” I called out, and she looked up, her face lighting up. She stood to embrace me, her enthusiasm contagious.

“Brie! You’re finally here! I was bored out of my mind. No one to talk to, and I feel so out of place.” She whined dramatically.

“Hey, I was here with you, wasn’t I?” Manuel protested, his voice just as childish.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you were here,” Cherry replied, sheepishly grinning at him.

I couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. They were like children trapped in adult bodies.

“Hey, Mr. Manuel,” I waved at him, trying to contain my amusement.

“Hey, Brianna! Please, call me Manuel. ‘Mr.’ makes me feel ancient,” he said, and I chuckled.

“You’re funny, Manuel,” I giggled.

“Being funny is one of my best qualities,” he said with a wink.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough between you two,” Adrian cut in, his voice firm as he looked at them with a slight frown.

“You should loosen up, Addy,” Manuel teased, reaching over to pull Adrian’s cheeks. “Frowning makes you look old, and you’re too young to have wrinkles.”

“I told you not to call me Addy,” Adrian growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Oh, please. ‘Addy’ is a much better name than ‘Adrian,’ don’t you think?” Manuel asked, turning to us with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Of course, of course. ‘Addy’ sounds so much better,” I replied with exaggerated enthusiasm, trying not to laugh.

Manuel smirked and pulled Adrian’s cheeks again. “See? Even the ladies agree with me. ‘Addy’ suits you so much better.”

“Leave me alone, Manny,” Adrian sighed in frustration, clearly trying to regain some composure. “We’re in public, for God’s sake. Stop embarrassing me.”

“What’s the magic word?” Manuel grinned mischievously.

“Please, Manny,” Adrian muttered, rolling his eyes.

Finally, Manuel released Adrian’s cheeks, and Adrian straightened up, adjusting his suit with a deep sigh.

I’d never seen Mr. Adrian act this playful, especially not with someone who was so comfortable teasing him. The sight of him saying ‘please’ to get Manuel to stop was amusing.

Manuel turned his attention to Cherry, and the two of them began chatting. I couldn’t help but think that they would make a cute couple. They had such a natural rapport, and they looked good together—there was no denying it.

“So,” Adrian asked after a few moments, breaking my thoughts. “What do you think of the gala so far?”

I took a moment to look around. The room was bathed in golden light from chandeliers hanging overhead, and the soft music from the live band created a calming atmosphere. The decor was elegant, with gold accents everywhere. It was beautiful, more than I had expected.

“Honestly?” I said, smiling softly. “I’m really enjoying it. The atmosphere, the music, everything—it’s just so calming. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Really?” Adrian raised an eyebrow. “I’m glad to be the one to introduce you to this kind of place.”

He mock-bowed dramatically, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Before we could continue, a waiter came to drop four glasses of champagne onto our table, interrupting the conversation for a moment. Once he left, we picked up where we had left off.

After a few more minutes of light conversation, someone suddenly approached our table and sat down without even asking.

“Well, hey there, everyone!” The familiar voice hollered.