Chapter 10 Second meeting

Adrian's POV

One month.

Thirty days.

Seven hundred and twenty hours of nothing.

No trace.

No location.

No mistake to follow.

Seraphina had vanished.

And for the first time in years adrian vale was losing.

The office felt colder these days.

Or maybe it was just him.

He stood by the glass wall of his office, staring down at the city that once bent to his will.

It felt distant.

Unreachable.

"Still nothing?" he asked without turning.

Behind him, Jonas hesitated.

"No confirmed location," he replied carefully. "We tracked the message, but it led to a dead end. Whoever is behind this... they're covering their tracks well."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

Of course they were.

This wasn't random.

It was calculated.

Every move.

Every delay.

Every second wasted was intentional.

"She wouldn't just disappear," Adrian said quietly. "Not like that."

Jonas didn't respond.

Adrian exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a brief second.

But even that wasn't peaceful anymore.

Her words echoed constantly.

I don't love you anymore.

I felt suffocated with you.

A bitter scoff escaped him.

"No," he muttered. "That wasn't you."

Because if there was one thing Adrian knew-

It was Seraphina.

And she didn't break things like that.

Not without a reason.

"Sir," Jonas spoke again, more cautious this time. "There's something else."

Adrian finally turned.

"What?"

"A reminder," Jonas said. "Your father's condition in the will."

Silence.

Heavy.

Cold.

Adrian's expression darkened instantly.

Of course.

That.

The one thing he couldn't ignore.

"You have three weeks left," Jonas continued. "If you're not married by then... the inheritance transfers to your siblings."

A pause.

"And you know they're waiting for that."

Adrian's eyes hardened.

Yes.

He knew.

They had always been waiting.

Always watching.

Always ready to take what wasn't theirs.

Three weeks.

That was all he had left.

Three weeks to secure everything he had built.

Everything he refused to lose and couldn't still figure out why his grandfather would make such ridiculous demand but the only woman he was willing to marry was gone. Missing.Possibly in danger.And time didn't care.

Adrian walked back to his desk slowly, his mind moving faster than ever.

Options.

He needed options.

But every path led to the same dead end Seraphina. Always her. Only her.

Then

A thought entered his mind.

Sharp.

Unwelcome.

But... possible.

He stilled.

Jonas noticed immediately. "Sir?"

Adrian didn't respond right away.

Because the idea felt wrong.

Temporary.

Calculated.

Everything he hated in relationships.

And yet it made sense.Too much sense.

"What if..." Adrian started slowly, his voice low.

Jonas waited.

Adrian's gaze darkened slightly.

"What if I marry someone else," he said calmly, "until I find seraphina?"

Silence.

Complete.

Jonas stared at him.

"Sir... you mean a temporary marriage?"

"A contract," Adrian corrected. "Nothing more."

The room felt different now.

Like something dangerous had just been set in motion.

"That's risky," Jonas said carefully. "If it gets out-"

"It won't," Adrian cut in coldly.

His mind was already moving ahead.

"This solves everything," he continued. "The inheritance is secured. My siblings are blocked. And I still have time to find her."

Jonas hesitated.

"And the woman?" he asked. "Who exactly would agree to something like that?"

Elara POV

Elara adjusted the strap of her worn delivery bag as she stepped into the cramped back office, the smell of cheap air freshener barely masking the tension already waiting for her.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Mira scoffed, not even looking up from her phone. "Miss scholarship girl. Must be nice thinking you're better than the rest of us."

A few snickers followed.

Elara said nothing. She moved quietly to the shelf, checking the order list, her fingers steady even as her chest tightened.

"I heard she doesn't even need this job," another voice chimed in. "Probably just here to show off."

"Or to steal tips," Mira added with a smirk. "Girls like her always pretend to be innocent."

The words hit, sharp and deliberate. Elara's grip on the clipboard tightened, but her face remained blank.

"Say something," Mira pressed, finally turning to face her. "Or are you mute now?"

Elara lifted her eyes, calm but cold. For a moment, it looked like she might speak but she didn't. She simply turned back to the shelf.

That silence only made it worse.

"Ugh, she's so fake," Mira snapped. "Acting all high and mighty. Meanwhile, she's probably desperate."

"Desperate enough to do deliveries, right?" someone laughed.

Mira's gaze flicked to the screen. Then she smiled-a slow, cruel smile.

"Well, since you're so hardworking, Elara..." she said sweetly, printing out a slip. "You can take this one."

Elara glanced at it.

Delivery distance: 3.5 km

Location: Apex Towers

Her stomach dropped.

"That's too far," one of the others muttered. "Traffic is crazy there."

"Exactly," Mira said, handing it over. "Which is why none of us are going."

She leaned closer, her voice lowering. "Unless you suddenly think you're too good for it?"

Elara met her eyes for a second. There it was again that quiet, unshakable composure that only irritated them more.

Without a word, she took the slip.

"Good girl," Mira muttered, rolling her eyes.

Who would have imagined that this would to lead to meeting the person I have searching for....