Lina sat on the bed for long seconds, staring at the closed door as if it might somehow explain what had just happened. But the door remained still, silent, indifferent to the chaos swirling inside her.
"This… this doesn't make sense," she murmured.
A marriage?
With a stranger?
With a powerful, cold CEO who was impossible to understand?
And all because he was allergic… to women?
She ran her hands over her face, trying to remember every detail from the previous night. She remembered the sting of betrayal, the rage, the humiliation. She remembered the bar, the strong drinks, the calm, serious look on his face… and how, even drunk, she hadn't felt threatened.
Quite the opposite.
But that didn't justify anything. Nothing.
"Marry? I can barely pay my rent…" She sighed, sliding out of the bed.
She felt the cold floor under her feet and looked around. The bedroom was so large her entire apartment could fit inside it with room to spare. A glass wall revealed a high, impressive view of the city. The kind of place far too distant from her reality.
A note rested on the nightstand.
The handwriting was clean, precise, masculine.
"There are clothes and coffee in the kitchen. When you're ready, come downstairs. I'll be waiting."
She almost laughed.
"Sure. Because it's totally normal to get a marriage proposal and then just grab breakfast with the guy."
Despite the sarcasm, her stomach growled.
Coffee suddenly seemed essential.
The kitchen was modern and gleaming, with dark marble and appliances far too expensive for someone like her. On the counter, a tray awaited her: fresh bread, sliced fruit, scrambled eggs, and a hot cappuccino that looked so creamy it should be illegal.
Lina sat down slowly.
"This is really happening…" she murmured, taking a sip. "Damn, this is too good."
As she ate, she tried to organize her thoughts.
Adrian Luce.
The man the entire country seemed to know.
The business genius. The ruthless CEO. The unreachable bachelor.
And now… the man who wanted to marry her for a reason straight out of an absurd TV drama.
"I need you."
Her heart quickened slightly at the memory of his expression. It wasn't romantic. It wasn't soft. It was… determined. As if he'd found something he'd been searching for his entire life.
But why?
And why her?
Walking through the apartment — mostly trying to find the exit rather than out of courage — Lina noticed how silent everything was. No sounds, no staff, no assistants. Nothing.
It felt as if the place was too big… and he lived there completely alone.
When she finally reached the main living room, her palms grew sweaty.
Adrian was there.
Standing with his back turned, observing the city through the glass wall, hands in his pockets, posture perfect. He looked sculpted by the morning light — immaculate, distant, unattainable.
He turned his head when he heard her footsteps.
His eyes swept over her from head to toe — not in an invasive way, but assessing, as always.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Uh… sort of," she replied, unsure where to put her hands. "I'm still… processing. Everything."
"Expected," he murmured.
She inhaled deeply.
"About that… proposal…"
He turned fully toward her.
"My offer stands."
Lina pressed her lips together.
"Adrian… this is insane. I don't have money. My family is a disaster. I work part-time as a cashier while trying out for auditions, and I get rejected almost every time. I… I'm nobody compared to you."
He didn't blink.
"That doesn't matter."
She let out a nervous laugh.
"It matters a lot."
"What matters to me," Adrian said, stepping toward her slowly, "is that you're the only person who doesn't trigger my allergic reaction. That changes absolutely everything in my personal and professional life. And beyond that…"
He stopped right in front of her. Close enough that Lina could smell him — clean, elegant, dangerously addictive.
"You're not 'nobody,' Lina. Not to me."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"You don't even know me…"
"I will," he said. "And you'll know me too. We can make this work."
She looked away.
"And what if I say no?"
Adrian didn't raise his voice.
He didn't threaten.
He didn't pressure.
He simply answered with the hard honesty that seemed natural to him:
"Then you can go. I'll take you home. And we'll never see each other again. But… it will be an opportunity that will never come again."
Lina felt her chest grow heavy.
It was an impossible choice.
A tightrope.
But deep inside… something burned.
A silent desire to change her life. To escape. To be something more than the girl everyone stepped on.
Adrian stepped back, giving her space.
"Think about it. But not for too long."
She took a deep breath.
"I… I need a few hours. Is that okay?"
He nodded slightly.
"That's fine."
Lina walked backward a couple of steps, trying to retreat… but before she left the room, she heard Adrian speak again:
"Oh, and Lina?"
She turned.
"I'm not looking for just a façade marriage. I want something that works. I want you by my side."
The sentence hit her like an unexpected blow.
She didn't answer.
Not because she didn't want to…
But because she was afraid of the answer her heart wanted to give.