Chapter 4

"Are you awake?"

A groggy voice inside my head was trying to argue with my dream. "Why am I seeing Adrian in my dreams it must be a nightmare"... I muttered, trying to drift back into whatever sleep was left, but the voice was persistent.

"Mia. Are you awake or not?"

I groaned, my eyes fluttering open, and—oh, he was real. Standing right there in my room, looking down at me with a smirk that was just too self-assured for this early in the morning.

"Adrian? What are you doing in my room?" I snapped, pulling the sheets up. "I specifically said we’d sleep in different rooms."

"And we did. I slept in the guest room," he replied smoothly, holding back a smile. “But I’m here now because we have work to do. I need you sharp and ready today.”

“Sharp and—wait, ready for what?” I asked, my mind still foggy.

Adrian pulled a small stack of flashcards from his coat pocket and handed them over. “Study these. It’s everything you need to know for the press conference.”

I blinked, flipping through the cards. “Press conference? You could’ve told me sooner.”

"I did tell you—last night. Remember I said we had a public appearance?"

I sighed, too tired to argue. I skimmed the flashcards. The first few were straightforward: Where we met: charity event, How long we’ve been together: two years.

I shook my head in disbelief. “This is... very detailed. ‘Favorite dish to cook together’? Really?”

Adrian just smirked. “I like to be thorough.”

I continued looking through the flashcards. Favorite place to vacation together: the coast. And then–

“Wait,” I said, holding up one of the cards. “Who proposed first? Why does it say that I proposed first?”

He shrugged, trying to hide a smirk. “Does it matter?”

“It does! Because as far as I remember, you’re the one who asked me to marry you.”

He chuckled, clearly amused by my indignation. “Consider it part of the performance. The press will eat it up.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, flipping through the rest. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Guilty as charged,” he said, not denying it in the least.

Anything else I need to know? Like, do we have a pet turtle named Maurice or something?”

“Only if you want one,” he deadpanned, making me chuckle despite myself.

“Fine,” I sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Come on, get ready. We leave in an hour.” He turned to leave, giving me one last amused look over his shoulder.

I threw a pillow at the door as he shut it behind him.

ADRIAN'S POV

As I stepped out of Mia’s room, I dialed Robert, my head of security.

“Adrian,” he answered promptly.

“Good morning. I need you to tighten security at the press conference today. I don’t want any surprises or interruptions.”

“Understood. Any specific concerns?”

“Not exactly,” I replied, scanning the hallway. “Just make sure everything is locked down. I want this to go smoothly.”

“I’ll double security,” Robert confirmed before hanging up.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, taking a deep breath. I had worked too hard for this arrangement to have it all fall apart on our first public appearance.

BACK TO MIA'S POV

One hour later, I’d transformed from half-awake Mia into the perfect picture of Adrian Knight’s bride. We arrived at the press conference, where rows of journalists were lined up, cameras flashing as soon as we stepped out of the car. I held my head high, despite every fiber of my being screaming that I was out of place.

We took our seats at the front table, and Adrian squeezed my hand gently before the reporters began with their rapid-fire questions.

“How did you two meet?” one asked, right off the bat.

“At a charity event,” I replied, feeling oddly proud for remembering that one.

“And how long have you been together?”

“Two years,” Adrian chimed in, smiling warmly at me like it was all real.

I was almost starting to feel at ease when I saw a man in the crowd, his eyes narrowed as he stared directly at me. No way. My heart sank as I realized it was Greg, my ex.

---

Greg’s POV

I was mindlessly scrolling through my phone when a notification popped up: Live Now: Business Mogul Adrian Knight Introduces New Wife.

I opened it out of curiosity, and there she was—Mia, dressed to perfection, sitting next to Adrian Knight of all people, answering questions like they were… married?

What the hell? My jaw clenched. How could she do this? One minute she’s with me, and the next, she’s marrying some billionaire? Did she think she could just leave me like that?

Shoving my phone in my pocket, I left my apartment in a fury, heading straight to where the press conference was being held. No way was she going to get away with this.

---

Back to Mia’s POV

Just as I was finishing a response, a loud commotion erupted near the back of the room. Adrian and I turned in time to see Greg shoving his way through the crowd of reporters, looking wildly out of place.

“Mia!” he called out, loud enough for every microphone to catch. “Mia, what’s all this?”

“Who is that?” Adrian whispered, giving me a curious look.

I shook my head quickly, whispering, “An ex.”

Adrian’s hand tightened on mine, but Greg ignored him, looking right at me. “You’re still my girlfriend, remember?” he shouted. “What are you doing here, pretending to be with him?”

I felt the blood drain from my face as a dozen eyes turned toward me, and the reporters’ murmurs grew louder.

“What… what are you doing here, Greg?” I stammered, trying to keep my composure.

“Oh, don’t act surprised,” he sneered. “Everyone deserves to know what’s really going on. You think you can just leave me and start this charade?”

The whispers in the room were growing, and I could feel the scrutiny on us intensify. Adrian leaned toward me, his expression calm but his grip firm. “Stay with me,” he whispered.

But Greg wasn’t done. “You can’t fool everyone, Mia. You’re still mine. This whole thing—it's nothing but a sham!”

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. There was only one way to shut this down.

I stood up, turning to the room, and said as clearly as I could, “I don’t know what this man is talking about. Adrian is the love of my life. He’s the only man I’ve ever wanted, and I don’t know this person at all.”

Without waiting for a response, I leaned toward Adrian and, in a split-second decision, pressed my lips to his. His hand found the back of my neck, pulling me close, and for a moment, everything else faded away—the flashing cameras, the shocked murmurs, even Greg’s outraged protests.

The crowd burst into applause, and the cameras zoomed in on us, capturing every second of our staged kiss. But for a second, it didn’t feel staged at all.

Finally, we broke apart, and Adrian looked down at me, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes.

I turned back to the crowd, steadying myself. “Adrian and I are very much in love,” I announced. “Anyone who says otherwise is… simply mistaken.”

"This isn't over Mia. I'll make you come back to me" Greg was still yelling, but security had finally moved in, escorting him out of the building. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding as the doors closed behind him.

As the conference ended and we made our way to the car, Adrian turned to me with an amused expression.

“Nice touch with the kiss,” he said, unable to hold back a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile back. “You owe me for that one.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he replied, that familiar mischief dancing in his eyes. “I fully intend to pay you back.”

And with that, he held the car door open for me, and we sped off, leaving the chaos of the press conference behind—but even though I managed to avert today's trouble, I knew..... The drama was only just beginning.