The CEO's Reluctant Bride

The sun streamed through the living room windows, casting a warm glow over the sleek furniture. Ava sat curled up on the couch, scrolling through her phone, still thinking about the cryptic text. Adrian, however, seemed entirely too calm for someone who just saw a threat aimed at them.

"Do you always brood this much in the morning?" she quipped, glancing at him over the rim of her coffee mug.

Adrian, seated opposite her, shot her a look. "Do you always talk this much before finishing your coffee?"

"Wow," she drawled. "You must be a hit at parties."

"Wouldn't know," he deadpanned. "I avoid unnecessary socializing."

"Shocker."

A hint of a smile tugged at his lips, though he tried to mask it. Was that... amusement? Progress, she thought.

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her back to reality. No new threats, thankfully—just a reminder about a project deadline. She sighed. "I need to get back to work tomorrow. Sitting around here is driving me insane."

"You're welcome," Adrian muttered, sipping his coffee.

"I didn't say thank you."

"You didn't have to."

Arrogant jerk. And yet... that stupid half-smile of his was starting to grow on her, which was infuriating in its own right.

Later that afternoon, boredom got the best of her. She wandered into the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets. "Do you own anything that isn't black coffee or expensive whiskey?"

"Is that a complaint?" Adrian's voice echoed from the doorway.

"More of an observation." Her eyes lit up as she found a hidden stash of cookies. "Aha! Real food."

"Those are from a gift basket someone sent. I didn't touch them."

"Your loss." She tore into the packaging, munching happily. "You know, for someone who looks like you stepped out of a billionaire calendar shoot, you live like a college bachelor."

"Are you always this critical of people who save your life?"

"Technically," she said between bites, "you're the reason I'm in danger, so let's call it even."

He sighed but couldn't hide the glint in his eyes. "You're insufferable."

"And yet, here I am, gracing you with my presence."

Adrian shook his head, walking away. "Remind me why I agreed to this arrangement?"

"Because you couldn't resist my charm," she called after him, grinning.

Later that evening, after a brief—and heated—debate over what to watch on Netflix (Ava won; Adrian claimed apathy), they found themselves sitting on the couch, an awkward but oddly comfortable silence settling between them.

"You know," she mused, "if anyone told me a month ago I'd be fake married to an overbearing CEO with control issues, I would've laughed."

"And yet you signed the contract," he reminded her.

Her smile faltered just a fraction. "Yeah... desperation makes you do funny things."

He didn't press, and she was grateful. Not yet. Some truths were still too raw to lay bare.

"Tomorrow," he said after a beat, "we'll go over some details. There are things you should know... about the threat."

"Do I get a PowerPoint presentation?" she teased.

"Would that help your attention span?"

"Only if there are snacks."

He chuckled—a low, genuine sound that made her chest tighten unexpectedly. Damn him for being... human.

As the night wore on, Ava found herself lying in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. What the hell am I doing?

Outside, the city hummed with life. Inside, her world was a mess of contracts, threats, and a man she couldn't figure out—one moment infuriating, the next... something else entirely.

Her phone buzzed again. Another message.

"You can't hide behind him forever."

Her pulse spiked. She shot up, storming into the hallway. Adrian's door was slightly ajar, light spilling out. Without knocking, she barged in.

He looked up from his laptop. "Privacy isn't a thing with you, is it?"

"Less talking, more fix this," she said, shoving her phone at him.

His face darkened. "Stay here."

"Like hell—"

"Ava." His voice softened, but the authority was unmistakable. "Just stay."

For once, she listened. And that terrified her more than the threat.