He pushed open a side door and stepped into a quiet hallway, his steps smooth and sure. The noise of the party faded behind us, replaced by the quiet thud of his shoes against marble and the rapid pounding of my heart.
"Okay, put me down," I snapped, twisting my body in his arms.
He arched a brow but obliged, gently setting me down like I was some fragile piece of glass. As soon as my heels hit the floor, I pulled away, glaring up at him. "What the hell was that? Girlfriend?"
He leaned against the wall, completely unfazed. "You're welcome."
"I didn't ask you to rescue me like I'm some damsel in distress."
His gaze slid down to my damp dress and bruised pride. "Didn't look like you had it under control."
"I could've handled it myself."
He gave a short laugh. "Right. I saw how well that was going."
My jaw tightened. I hated that he was kind of right. Still…
"…Thanks," I mumbled, eyes dropping for a second before lifting again with renewed fire. "But don't call me your girlfriend. That's… weird."
His lips quirked. "Why? I figured it might stop the high-society hyenas from mauling you again."
"High-society hyenas?" I repeated, trying not to laugh.
He shrugged. "If the heel fits."
I rolled my eyes and gave him a shove─ not a hard one, just enough to make a point.
He didn't budge. "You are so small, you know that, right?"
My eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
He tilted his head, pretending to study me like some oddity. "Like a mouse. A small, cute mouse. That kind that gets into fancy parties just for food and somehow still ends up looking smug about it."
My mouth dropped open. "A mouse?'
He grinned. "Yeah with a very busy mouth."
"What is wrong with you?" I glared, cheeks heating.
"I saw you, by the way," he said, crossing his arms like he'd caught me in a crime. "Stuffing your face with those little puff pastry things. One secong you were glaring daggers at everyone, the next, boom ──cheeks full like a chipmunk at a buffet."
"That is not what happened."
"I have witnesses."
"I hate you."
"Pretty bold words for someone whose ass I just saved."
"You're insufferable."
"He took a step closer, and I hated how I had to tip my head back just to meet his eyes.
"Also," he added, smirking, "I'm eight inches taller than you. You're practically snack-sized. Don't act like you could've taken that girl and her minions without a backup."
I scrawled up to him. "I'm feisty. Size oesnt matter."
As I crossed my arms, still feeling the sting of what happened, he took a step closer, his gaze dropped for just a second, and then he looked down at me with sharp intensity.
"F**k," he muttered under his breath, almost to himself.
I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You're tempting me," he said, voice low, a dangerous edge threading through the words.
My breath hitched, and for a split second, I regretted not taking a step back. But I didn't. Instead, I locked eyes with him, my own heart racing in the sudden silence.
"Don't start," I snapped, trying to cover the sudden rush of heat spreading through me. "I'm not interested."
His smirk only deepened. "Too bad. Because, right now, you're making it damn hard to stay polite."
Before I could throw something back ─words, or fists, I wasn't sure─ he smoothly shrugged off his blazer.
"Here," he said, draping it over my shoulders and carefully tugging it closed over my chest.
I blinked. "What… why?"
He looked down at me, and this time, his voice dropped lower. Less amused. More serious "princess, you've forgotten someone dumped a drink on you back there. Your dress is wet."
He paused, eyes flicking briefly down before snapping back to me. "I could almost see your skin." My mouth opened, then closed again.
"Oh."
He gave a low chuckle, stepping back not too far. "Yeah. Oh. So unless you want me to keep failing at being a gentleman, you might wanna get changed."
I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of the clingy fabric pressed to my skin beneath his blazer. "Noted," I muttered, wrapping the coat tighter around me.
He nodded once, and then with the same infuriating cool, added, "still cute though. Wet mouse."
I groaned. "You aree the worst."
He grinned. "And yet, you still haven't walked away."
Before I could even process Adrien's words—still caught between Adrien's words and the heat in my face—I heard heels clacking rapidly down the corridor.
"Isabella!"
Aria's voice cracked with worry. My head whipped toward the sound just in time to see her storming toward us, her dress flowing and expression sharp with concern.
Her eyes widened when she saw the blazer draped over my shoulders, my wet dress peeking out beneath it. Her brows rose. "Oh my God, are you okay?" she breathed, reaching me and placing a hand on my arm.
I opened my mouth, but nothing coherent came out. "I… there was a girl—well, several girls, actually. She threw a drink—"
"I saw the drink spill, but then everything happened so fast and you just─ disappeared." She cut me off.
Adrien just stuffed his hands into his pockets, calm as ever.
"I handled it," he said flatly, not even looking at Aria.
My head snapped toward him. "Handled it?" I repeated. "You called me your girlfriend!"
He raised an eyebrow, unapologetic. "It worked, didn't it?"
I stared at him, chest heaving. "That's not the point! You don't get to just say things like that and expect me to—"
"Isabella," Aria cut in, stepping between us, clearly sensing the emotional smoke thick in the air. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. We can go back to my room and get you changed, and then we'll leave."
I tore my eyes away from Adrien, who was still watching me like I was something he couldn't figure out—like I was a puzzle he was suddenly desperate to solve.
"I think… yeah,' I said, turning back to her.
"Let's go."
Aria nodded, looping her arm through mine like she was afraid I'd disappear again. "We'll grab a cab and be out of here in five."
I reached up to shrug off the blazer, but Adrien stepped closer and gently stopped me.
"Keep it," he said, voice low, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. "you're still soaked. And I don't like the idea of you freezing."
I stared at him, heart thudding once─ hard. That's… Weird
"Thanks," I murmured, clutching the fabric a little tighter.
He gave a faint smile and stepped back, hands sliding into his pockets like he hadn't just tilted my entire night off axis. "Don't let the hyenas bite."
Aria tugged gently on my arm, and I let her lead me away down the hall.
I didn't look back.
But I felt his eyes on me the whole way till we entered the elevator.
I suddenly have a flashback of what he said in there. This has affected all future relationships.
What the hell did that even mean?
And why—God help me—did I want to find out?