Chapter 8

Madison's POV

I sat in front of the dressing mirror, carefully arranging my makeup, preparing for the meet and greet event. I reluctantly wore the dress and jewelry that Xavier had picked up for me from Adrian's empire. Part of me hesitated, but I knew I had to wear it if I wanted Adrian to notice me.

"Are you ready?" Violet's voice echoed from the living room. Instead of shouting back, I simply grabbed my bag and made my way to the living room.

"How do I look?" I nervously inquired, absently scratching my fingers together.

"Wow, girl! You look stunning," Violet said with a smirk, causing a genuine smile to cross my face.

"Whatever," I replied, feigning nonchalance. I walked past her and grabbed the car keys from the table.

"Are you coming?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to hide my smile, then headed to the car, hearing Violet's footsteps close behind me.

After a long drive, we finally arrived at the venue. It was a grand, lavishly decorated hall, and the attendees exuded an air of opulence that could dwarf my entire existence. I couldn't help but wonder how much Violet had paid for the tickets, but I didn't ask.

Violet and I took seats in the front row and waited for the meet and greet to begin. Although I knew Adrian was the host of the event, I couldn't help feeling annoyed by the delay. I glanced around, observing the crowd enjoying the Adrian advertisements without minding the fact that he was running late.

After what felt like an eternity, Adrian finally made his entrance, accompanied by a group of imposing bodyguards and executives. They were deep in conversation, all wearing confident smiles. I couldn't help but scoff under my breath.

Adrian took the stage, greeted the audience, and cracked a witty joke that had everyone laughing and giggling. My mind, however, was elsewhere, pondering how I could get his attention.

The Adrian I had met that night was nothing like the polished version on the stage. The Adrian on stage spoke eloquently, but the one I had met was charming and down-to-earth.

"Are you okay?" Violet tapped my arm, pulling me from my thoughts. I turned to her.

"Hmm?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I asked if you're okay," Violet repeated, reaching out to give my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm fine, just tired," I replied, managing a smile.

Adrian continued with his lengthy speech, conducted a question-and-answer session, and signed some products to distribute. I collected some, already aware that I would likely sell them; the products were far too expensive to use.

I rushed to the restroom when I began feeling nauseous. After finishing up in there, as I was about to exit, I noticed someone standing near the door, and my heart almost leaped out of my chest.

"Jesus Christ, Violet! What's wrong with you?" I exclaimed, my hand on my chest as I tried to steady my breathing.

Violet struggled to hold back her laughter. "Why are you so jumpy? It's just me."

"Well, I didn't know that a mere 10 seconds ago," I retorted, glaring at her.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said amidst her chuckles.

"I know you didn't come in here just to use the bathroom," I said, walking out of the restroom.

"Ouch, that stings, but it's true," Violet responded from behind.

"I was absolutely sure," I shrugged.

"Adrian has finished his speech and will be leaving the building soon. Do you have a plan?" I could hear the concern in Violet's voice.

I turned to her and smiled. "Well, Adrian left his watch that night, so..."

"Damn, girl! And you didn't mention this before?" Violet pouted.

"I had completely forgotten about his watch," I explained, giving her shoulder a reassuring tap.

As we were about to enter the hall, we spotted Adrian, his bodyguards, and his executives at the main entrance, preparing to leave the building.

"We have to stop him," I said to Violet, but there was no reply. I turned and realized she wasn't by my side. I felt confused about when she had left my side.

I heard some commotion at the entrance and turned to see that Violet was the cause. Two bodyguards had her pinned to the ground, while Adrian, drenched from something, was walking in my direction, which happened to be the way to the restroom.

"Good luck!" Violet screamed at the top of her lungs, making me feel slightly embarrassed.

As Adrian walked past me, I gently tugged the hem of his sleeve. He stopped and looked at me, and one of his bodyguards rushed to his side.

"Please," I pleaded with my doe-like eyes. He glanced at me for a brief second, and with a wave of his hand, the bodyguard halted in his tracks.

"How may I assist you, young lady?" Adrian's deep yet calm voice inquired politely.

I suspected that he only stopped because I was wearing a VVIP dress, so I sighed in relief, thanking my lucky star for wearing it.

Reaching into my bag, I retrieved his watch. "Here, is this yours?" I handed it to him, smiling shyly.

Adrian accepted it and inspected it with his eyes. "Yes, how did you come by it?"

I smiled, relieved that the conversation was progressing.

I began to answer when I heard, "You must be Xavier's girlfriend?"

I paused, "Huh?" I asked, my body frozen in a state of confusion. I couldn't grasp what had just come out of Adrian's mouth.

My head and mind couldn't comprehend what was happening, and for some reason, I felt a wave of nausea again at this particular moment. I tried to hold it back, but I couldn't, and I accidentally let it out on Adrian's clothing.