Sharks in the water

Chapter 11: Sharks in the Water

The stress in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Adrian's mother, a statuesque lady with neatly coiffed silver hair, stared at me like I was something she'd scraped off her Gucci shoe.

"Adrian, darling," she began, her voice dripping with scorn, "surely you can't be serious about this... arrangement."

I held the blankets closer, feeling uncovered and vulnerable. Adrian's jaw tensed, a muscle moving in his cheek.

"Mother, Father," he continued, his voice calm but with an edge of steel, "I'd appreciate it if you'd give Vianne and me a minute to get dressed. We can address this civilly over breakfast."

His father, a distinguished-looking guy with hard eyes, mocked. "Civilly? There's nothing polite about this situation, son. You've made a joke of our family name!"

Adrian's eyes flared dangerously. "I replied, we'll handle this over breakfast. Now, if you'll pardon us."

He nearly rushed his parents out of the room, locking the door firmly behind them. As soon as they were gone, his shoulders dropped, and he turned to me with an apologetic look.

"Vianne, I'm really sorry. I had no clue they'd show up like this."

I swallowed hard, trying to calm my rushing heart. "It's alright. I mean, they were going to find out sometime, right?"

Adrian ran a hand over his hair, breaking up his normally clean look. "Yes, but not like this. I wanted to prepare you, to show a cohesive face."

He crossed the room, perched on the edge of the bed. His hand touched mine, warm and soothing. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. The truth of what I'd agreed to was slamming down on me. This wasn't just about Adrian and me anymore. We were up against his family, their standards, their judgment.

"We can still back out," Adrian whispered quietly, his fingers drawing circles on my hand. "If this is too much, I'll understand."

For a minute, I was tempted. I could walk away now, find some other method to handle my problems. But then I thought of my father in the hospital, of the loan sharks, of the life I'd been trying to keep together.

I took a big breath, straightening my shoulders. "No. I made a pledge. I'm not backing out now."

A grin pulled at Adrian's lips, pride and something else shining in his gaze. "That's my girl."

He leaned down, putting a light kiss on my face. The delicate touch brought warmth pouring through me, taking away some of the fear.

"Alright then," Adrian replied, straightening up. "Let's get ready to face the sharks."

Twenty minutes later, newly bathed and dressed in clothes that probably cost more than my whole wardrobe, I followed Adrian down to the dining room. My stomach twisted with nervousness, but I held my head high.

Adrian's parents were sat at a big table, the leftovers of their meal put aside. They glanced up as we arrived, their looks cold and calculating.

"Well," Adrian's father continued, his voice dripping with contempt, "the lovebirds finally grace us with their presence."

Adrian pulled out a chair for me, his hand staying on my shoulder in a show of encouragement. "Father, Mother, I'd want to properly present you to Vianne. My fiancée."

The word remained in the air, heavy with connotations. Adrian's mother's nicely trimmed eyebrows shot up.

"Fiancée? Adrian, sweetie, you can't be serious. This gal is plainly wanting your money. She's probably already pregnant, trying to trap you!"

I cringed at her words, anger and hurt battling within me. Adrian's fingers tightened on my shoulder.

"That's enough, Mother," he murmured, his voice low and threatening. "Vianne is not pregnant, nor is she trying to trap me. I proposed because I want to marry her. End of tale."

His father leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "And what about the company? The board won't stand for this, Adrian. A quick marriage to some unknown girl? It'll sink our stock prices!"

I bit my lip, holding back tears. Is that all I was to them? A liability?

Adrian surprised me by laughing, the sound harsh and humorless. "The company? Is that all you think about, Father? Not my happiness, not the fact that I've finally met someone I want to spend my life with?"

His mother's face softened somewhat. "Darling, of course we want you to be happy. But this is all so sudden. How do you know she's the one?"

Adrian's stare met mine, and for a minute, the rest of the world slipped away. "I just know," he remarked softly. "Vianne is unlike anybody I've ever met. She pushes me, shocks me, makes me want to be a better guy."

My heart skipped a beat at his words. Was this all part of the performance, or did he truly mean it?

His father cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Be that as it may, we can't disregard the practical problems. The media will have a great day with this. We need to control the story."

As if on cue, Adrian's phone buzzed. He looked at it, his countenance hardening. "Too late," he mumbled. "It's already out."

He turned the phone to show us the screen. My heart sunk when I read the news spread over a gossip site:

"BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR OFF THE MARKET! Adrian Russo's Secret Engagement Revealed!"

Below was a blurry picture of Adrian and me leaving my apartment building the night before, his arm protectively around me. The story was full of speculation and barely disguised charges, casting me as a gold-digger who'd charmed the city's most eligible bachelor.

Adrian's mother let out a worried moan. "This is a disaster! We need to call the PR team, get ahead of this issue before it gets out of hand."

His father was already on the phone, yelling orders to someone. Adrian gazed at me, worry etched on his features.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked quietly. "Once we go public, there's no coming back. The media will be merciless."

I took a big breath, straightening my shoulders. "I'm ready," I responded, astonished to find I meant it. "Whatever comes, we'll face it together, right?"

A slow grin grew over Adrian's face. He grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips for a careful kiss. "Together," he agreed.

His parents observed this conversation with equal faces of astonishment and distrust. But before anyone could say anything, the room was suddenly filled with the sound of ringing phones.

Adrian's father hung up his phone, his face stern. "The office is being swamped with media requests. We need to make a statement, and quickly."

Adrian nodded, his face going determined. "Alright. Let's do this."

The following two hours were a flurry. PR workers swarmed on the home, prepared us for a press conference. I was probed, prodded, and primped within an inch of my life, changed into a shiny version of myself I scarcely knew.

As we prepared to face the media, Adrian took me away, his eyes seeking mine. "Last chance to back out," he muttered quietly. "Once we do this, your life will never be the same."

I thought about my previous life - the challenges, the debt, the constant anxiety. Then I looked at Adrian, this guy who'd come into my life and flipped everything upside down.

"I'm ready," I whispered, grasping his hand. "Let's do this."

Adrian grinned, a real, heart-stopping smile that made my knees shake. "That's my girl," he whispered, reaching in to place a light kiss on my lips.

The kiss was quick, but it sent lightning rushing through me. As Adrian drew away, I saw something flash in his eyes — surprise, and maybe a trace of perplexity.

Before I could investigate it further, we were being pushed towards the waiting cameras. Adrian's arm curled around my waist, solid and soothing.

"Just follow my lead," he said as we walked out into the glare of the lights.

The cacophony of inquiries hit us like a physical force. Cameras flashed, reporters yelled, everyone hungry for a piece of our story.

Adrian lifted a hand, and somehow, the chaos stopped. He grinned, the image of calm confidence.

"Thank you all for coming," he said. "I know this revelation comes as a surprise to many of you. But sometimes, when you meet the right person, you just know."

He glanced down at me, his eyes gentle. "Vianne and I may have had an unconventional start, but we're excited to begin this journey together."

I smiled up at him, trying to create the picture of a woman hopelessly in love. It wasn't as tough as I'd thought.

The questions came rapid-fire after that. How did we meet? When's the wedding? What about the company?

Adrian deflected them all with ease, building a narrative of a whirlwind romance that was near enough to the truth to be plausible. I joined in when encouraged, trying to prevent my anxieties from showing.

As the press meeting winded down, I began to relax. Maybe we could pull this off after all.

But suddenly, a voice cut through the throng, crisp and familiar. "Vianne! Over here!"

My blood raced cold as I watched Chelsea pushing her way to the front, a predatory smile in her eye. "Vianne, sweetie! How lovely to see my old buddy doing so well for herself!"

Adrian stiffened beside me, his grasp on my waist tightening. "And you are?" he said, his voice seemingly calm.

Chelsea's grin was all teeth. "Why, I'm Vianne's best buddy! We go far back, don't we, V? I'm sure she's told you everything about me."

The reporters perked up, scenting new drama. I faked a grin, my thoughts racing. "Chelsea, what a surprise to see you here."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world," Chelsea sighed. "In fact, I have so many beautiful stories about our darling Vianne. I'm sure your fans would love to hear them."

Adrian's face stiffened. "I'm afraid we're out of time for questions. Thank you everyone for coming."

As security started to take the reporters out, Chelsea yelled out, "Don't worry, Vianne! I'll be in contact soon. We have so much making up to do!"

The danger in her voice was obvious. As soon as the doors closed behind the final reporter, my knees gave out. Adrian grabbed me, worry engraved on his features.

"Vianne? What's wrong? Who was the woman?"

I gazed up at him, fear clutching at my throat. "That was Chelsea," I grumbled. "And she's going to destroy everything."

Adrian's eyes sharpened, a menacing glimmer forming. "Not if I have anything to say about it," he hissed. "No one threatens my wife and gets away with it."

As he held me close, I couldn't help but wonder: What other shocks did this new life have in store? And more importantly, would Adrian still stick by me when he learned the complete reality of my past?

The game had changed, and the stakes were bigger than ever. One thing was clear — our year of pretend had just become a whole lot more complicated.