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CHAPTER 28
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2024-09-15 21:51:50I came into the room, my head still scrambled from that impossible, improbable meeting with Mr. Serrano at the pool.
All my life I could never have imagined such a friendly conversation, let alone such words of appreciation for my work.
And, of course, the way he danced on FaceTime with the little girl-that was a whole other reality. Mr.
Serrano, fearsome, dreaded Mr. Serrano-had a human side.
It was all too much, really, for this instant to process in my head, which needed some clearing. Because the sun had baked me alive by the pool, my clothes were stuck in uncomfortably.
A change of clothes was most definitely in order-something casual and relaxed that would help me unwind.
The moment I stepped inside the room, I instinctively locked it behind my back, forgetting for a while that I wasn't going to be the only occupant in it. <
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My heart stopped.Slowly, I turned around, wide-eyed in horror as Mr. Serrano entered the room; he wasn't looking at me first, seemed engrossed with whatever was on his phone, but the second he looked up, his entire body froze. There I was: half-naked in nothing but my underwear, standing right in the middle of the room.I just blanked out in my head. I was immobile, couldn't even utter one word. It seemed like the time really stopped, and all that I was doing was fix my gaze on him with wide eyes while, in my brain, the comprehension of what really just happened registered.Mr. Serrano's eyes blinked once, and then again, like he clearly hadn't expected to see me there like that. His gaze darted from my face, to my…less-than-fully-clothed state…back to my face again. For the first time since I'd met him, he looked utterly and completely shocked.Neither of us said a word.
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Sam burst into such loud laughter it took him ages to sober up enough to say, "Millie, I swear, you're living in some kind of rom-com. Seriously, this is what movies are made from."."This is not a rom-com, Sam! It's a nightmare!" I sat up on the bed again, my cheeks hot once more, just with the recollection. "I cannot believe this happened. He probably thinks I am some kind of idiot or something.""Or he thinks you're bold and confident," Sam teased. "Hey, who knows, maybe he'll appreciate the view.""Sam!" I reprimanded, though I couldn't help but giggle a little. It wasn't funny."It's a little funny.""Okay, maybe it's a little," I said, passing a frustrated hand through my hair. "But seriously, what am I supposed to do? I can't avoid him forever. We're on a trip together.I could still hear Sam chuckling on the other end of the line. "You just have to own it, Millie. Act like it's
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ADAN GREY SERRANOThe moment I stepped into the room, I lifted up my eyes from my phone and my eyes locked on Millie, and for a split second, everything else disappeared.There she stood, in nothing but her underwear, pacing around the room as if she owned the place, laughing into her phone without a care in the world.Her green eyes went wide with shock as finally, it clicked in her head that I was standing there, and I had to use everything in me not to let my gaze linger on her curves, the way they filled out her lacey bra and underwear.Her red hair was wild-looking-like she had just rolled from bed-but only added to the appeal.It framed her face in messy curls, those intense green eyes still fixed on me like she was unable to believe what was happening. Nor could I.The whole thing felt unreal, like I'd walked into some kind
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I shook my head, trying to banish the thought. This wasn't about feelings. It couldn't be.I needed to keep my eyes on the prize: crowning the business, saving the legacy.Something I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to confront.I let my breath out and stepped away from the window.I needed something to keep my mind off all of this. I needed to be able to think clearly with the constant reminder of Millie's presence looming over me.But with every word, I knew it was just another lie. I couldn't seem to keep her off my mind no matter how hard I was trying to push her away, and the more I tried to push her, the stronger the pull became.I had to figure this out, and soon. Time was running out, and I couldn't afford to wait much longer.But for now, I decided to hold off on asking Millie. The timing wasn't right, and I wasn't ready. Not
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As soon as we got back to the room, I chucked my jacket on the chair, feeling the weight of the day settle into my bones. I didn't look at Millie, but I could feel her presence beside me as we entered, and I needed a shower. Something to clear my head and focus my thoughts because right now, they were all over the place."I'm gonna hit the bathroom," I said, though it was more for myself than for her."Sure," Millie replied absently, already drifting toward her side of the room.I disappeared into the bathroom, letting the steam rise as I stepped under the hot water. My mind kept circling back to the mess I was in—the two-week deadline, the weight of my grandfather's legacy on my shoulders, the shareholders. Then there was Millie. The picture of her in her underwear from earlier still loomed, vivid and frustrating. She didn't have any idea how much she messed with my head, and it was getting harder and harder to ke
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She froze, glancing back at me with wide eyes. "Sir?I didn't let her go, my hold tight but not hard. "Don't go," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, almost an entreaty. "Just. stay."Millie's eyes widened in surprise. "Stay? Why? I need to call Jayjay."I was at a loss for words for a moment.I was the one who'd shut down the talk, who'd pushed her away.But standing here now, I really wasn't prepared for any of this. Not yet.Maybe never."I don't know," I said, the words escaping before I could censor myself. "I just. I need you to stay."Millie just stared at me, her face softening into something I had never quite seen before, something almost gentle.She let out a small sigh, shaking her head as if she couldn't quite believe what she was doing.
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Millie’s POVI didn’t think it’d happen so fast, but here I was—standing outside the courthouse in Italy, of all places. The morning sun had risen high above the old stone buildings, casting soft golden light over everything. It was a beautiful day. Too beautiful for something as surreal as this.“You ready?” Adán asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. His tone was casual, but I could see the tension in his eyes. This wasn’t just a simple legal procedure for him—this was his whole damn future."Yeah," I mumbled, fidgeting with my dress. Of all things, I decided to wear something bright and flowy. Seemed fitting for the occasion. I mean, if I’m getting fake-married, might as well look cute, right?Adán gave me a look that I couldn't quite place—half amused, half something else. Maybe he noticed the way I was tug
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I tried on the next dress, while I was struggling with the zipper on the bright red dress, Adán stepped in without a word.His hands brushed against my back as he pulled the zipper up, and for a second, I froze.It was such a simple gesture, but it caught me off guard.“There,” he said, stepping back, and I cleared my throat, trying to shake off the weird feeling in my chest.“Thanks,” I muttered, and he stepped back out the changing room.By the time we were done, we had more bags than I could carry, and I was starting to feel the weight of it all—literally and figuratively.…When we got back to the hotel, it was already 5 PM. The lobby was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt luxurious and a little bit too fancy for my taste.As we made our way in, I spott
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"Yeah, my neighbor just called. She said he's been asking people if they know where I am."For a second, there was something in Adán's eyes. Then, about that length of time later, it was gone, his face once more returning to the cold mask he wore so often."Did she give a description?" he asked low.I nodded."Yeah,” she said he's tall, has dark hair, and is wearing a suit, sunglasses. sounds like some secret agent type, according to her."Adán was quiet for a moment, his eyes drifting past me as if weighing something. Then he said,"I'll look into it.""You'll look into it?" I echoed frowning. "What does that even mean? You think it's one of your people from the speakeasy?"He didn't say anything, which, of course, did nothing to soothe my nerves. What he did say, though, was
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He stared at me, his face incredulous, like he couldn't fathom the shit spewing out of my mouth. "Do I look like some kind of man who needs a cooking class?""No, but I do." I snorted and then relaxed back onto the couch. "And just think about the headline. 'Adán Serrano teaches his wife how to cook.' It's gold.".He let out a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Millie, none of this is necessary."I frowned at him. Suddenly, I deflated. "What do you mean? Isn't that the whole point of this? This marriage-to make people think we're the real deal?"Adán's eyes softened just a fraction, and then he regarded me for one silent moment before speaking."We don't have to do any of that because they already believe it."I blinked. "They do?"He nodded. "You're more convincing than you think."I wasn't certain wheth
Heartstrings and Agendas CHAPTER 44
MILLIEI woke up the next morning, tangled in soft bed sheets, for a few seconds and forgot where I was. It all came back: Adán's kiss, the talk, him asking me to share the bed. I rolled over, expecting him to be lying beside me. Of course, there was nobody there; the space beside me had barely been disturbed.Classic Adán.I dragged myself out of bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, hearing faint sounds from the other room. I tiptoed out and peered around the corner. There he was, sitting at the small dining table, looking every inch at the business mogul in his crisp white shirt, tapping away on his laptop. There was no softness left on his face from last night."Morning," I said, not meaning actually to sound quite that awkward.He glanced up briefly, and nodded in greeting, but his eyes went right back to his screen. Cold, like the kiss last night, never happe
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I asked, very aware of how dumb that sounded but enjoying the look of slight shock crossing his face.He laughed-not in offense but more from surprise at my question-and though the sound did come out so, it was a real one, a rare break from his serious reserve."Oh, I don't think a second ceremony is necessary. The courthouse was quite sufficient."I rolled my eyes at that. "Yeah, because nothing says romance like signing papers in front of a judge."That was when his tone changed, and I wasn't expecting it. His eyes caught mine, his voice dropping into something deeper, more serious."You want romance, Millie?"I did blink, taken aback by the force of his tone. I leaned back in my chair, no longer sure where this conversation was going to go."I'll give you romance," he said, continuing, laying his elbows on the table, while bending in closer. "I'll sweep you off your feet, take
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I rolled my eyes, though a part of me enjoyed that he'd be there to save me. "Yeah, well, try not to look so heroic next time. It's giving people the wrong idea.".I looked at him, and for one brief instant, there was something in his eyes-something gentle, not that cold, businesslike stare to which I was so accustomed to him. Thrown off, I shifted forward in my seat, trying to focus on anything else.I wasn't stupid. I knew why we were here, what we had to do, but for some reason, I felt more involved in this than I should be. We'd agreed this whole marriage thing was just a business deal, a way to get what we both needed. But now, sitting here with him, it wasn't that easy.We sat there for a moment, silence hanging in the air between us. It was awkward, but not in a bad way. It was like we were both thinking the same thing but neither of us wanted to say it.Then out of nowhere, he asked, "Hey, uh
Heartstrings and Agendas CHAPTER 41
Millie's POVI stood by the window as Mr. Serrano entered the room. My fingers were clutched around my phone so tightly that I was afraid I'd crack the screen.Sam had gone nuts, texting like a maniac since I told him the truth about well, about us.My heart was galloping, and I couldn't make out whether I wanted to scream or laugh at it all-the absurdity of it all.I caught Adán's gaze for one flighty second-my heart rate increasing more-before I turned my back to him in an effort to compose myself.Not exactly easy to do when my best friend was on the edge of a mental breakdown, and my sham husband had just strolled into the room.I could feel his gaze on me, that heavy gaze of his that never missed a damn thing. He was going to ask. I knew it."What's going on?" he asked evenly, with no hurry, the complete opposite of what was churning inside me.I bit my lip and kept staring out of the window, pretending somehow that I was still in control. "Just give me a second. I'm trying to ex
Heartstrings and Agendas CHAPTER 40
ADANLater that evening, we decided to grab dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.It was an upscale place, full of wealthy tourists and locals alike, all dressed in designer clothes and dripping in gold.Millie was dressed in one of those gorgeous dresses we bought at the mall, she looked breathtaking.We sat down at a secluded table near the back, and as soon as we did, I noticed Millie fidgeting with her dress, her fingers twisting the fabric absentmindedly.She glanced around the room, taking in the opulent surroundings with a mixture of awe and discomfort.I could tell this wasn’t her usual scene—she preferred something more laid-back, less pretentious.I felt a bit of guilt for dragging her into this world, but it was necessary.We needed to maint
Heartstrings and Agendas CHAPTER 39
ADANI leaned back against the lounge chair, my eyes following the soft ripples in the pool. I could hear distant laughter and the faint sounds of chatter from other hotel guests, but my mind was far away.On Millie.Millie had been quiet since the pool incident, and I couldn’t shake the image of her—so fragile, caught off guard, and vulnerable as she flailed in the water. It wasn’t just the fact that she had fallen; it was the look of panic that struck me. The moment I saw her struggling, instinct took over. I’d jumped in without a second thought.But why?I shook my head, trying to clear it. Isabella, who was lounging beside me with a cocktail in hand, interrupted my thoughts.“Adán, you're lost in your head again,” she teased, giving me a sidelong glance over the top of her sunglasses. “You've been quiet ever since you pulled Millie out of the water. Something on your mind?”I glanced at her briefly, offering a small smile. “No, just thinking about everything. It’s been a long d
Heartstrings and Agendas CHAPTER 38
MILLIEI stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, running my fingers through my still-damp hair, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.My face was flushed from embarrassment, my mind replaying the mortifying moment when I slipped and fell into the pool.How does that even happen? Of course, it would happen to me.Typical Millie.After changing out of my wet clothes into a sundress that stopped mid-thigh and slipping into some comfortable sandals, I took a deep breath.The sundress was cute, light blue with tiny floral prints, and it helped me feel less like the clumsy idiot I’d been five minutes ago.At least I was dry now.And Mr. Serrano—Adán—had saved me. Of course, he had to be the one to dive into the pool, looking l
