Chapter 16: Nameless But Real

Chapter 16 - Nameless But Real "My friends? If it's about Rafael and Zak, maybe they'll be suspicious at first. They probably won't believe it right away. But, ah, let them. It's not like they can change my decision to marry you," Adrian said lazily, leaning back in his chair. "Alright. I'll follow your lead, sir. Is there anything else you'd like to say?" "Me? That's all. What about you?" he asked Bianca in return. "Hmm, just one thing. If I marry you, what will happen to my job?" "Your job?" Adrian scratched his cheek, thinking about Bianca's words. He hadn't thought about that. But as the wife of Adrian Williams, he couldn't possibly let Bianca continue working as his secretary. That was out of the question. "Yes, my job as your secretary." Bianca fiddled with her fingers, waiting for Adrian's explanation. "I'll fire you. I can't have my wife working as my secretary." "I understand that. But... what if we end up getting divorced?" "If that happens, don't worry. I'll recommend you to one of my good friends, Rafael. You know Rafael, right?" Adrian asked, raising a brow at her. Unbeknownst to him, Bianca froze the moment Rafael's name left his lips. Seeing Bianca's confused expression, Adrian reluctantly explained. "After we get divorced, I'll ask Rafael to hire you as a manager at his company. Don't worry. Rafael's known for being friendly and close to his employees. He won't give you a hard time unlike me. How's that sound?" There was a joking tone in his last sentence. Adrian began tapping his index finger against the armrest of the sleek black leather chair imported from England. Seeing Bianca still frozen, his brows furrowed. He crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms on his lap. "If it's the salary you're worried about, don't be. A manager's pay is definitely higher than what you made as my secretary." Bianca, whose voice had caught in her throat the moment Rafael's name was mentioned, blinked repeatedly as Adrian completely misread what was actually on her mind. "What? No!" she blurted out, flustered. Adrian's eyes narrowed instantly. There was clear displeasure in the deep black of his gaze as he heard his secretary reject what he had already decided. "No? Why? You don't like the manager position, or is it still not high enough for you?" he asked coldly, staring sharply at her. Realizing she had upset her boss with that response, Bianca quickly explained why she was rejecting Adrian's plan. "That's not it," she said seriously, half-lying. "Can I just keep working at your company? I've grown comfortable here. I've built a connection with the people. I understand I can't continue as your secretary, but I'm open to any other position." Crazy. The idea of working under Rafael after what happened between them yesterday? Unthinkable. He probably hated her now. Just the sight of her might be enough to wipe that famously warm smile off his face. Thinking back to the way he last looked at her, it stung. Deeply. But what could she do? Maybe they just weren't meant to be. Maybe they were never more than a stopover in each other's journey. The thought of Rafael finding out about her marriage to Adrian made Bianca lower her head and exhale heavily. She didn't realize every flicker of emotion had been under careful watch. Adrian had been observing her face in silence, nervousness, sadness, resignation. Every expression, every twitch of her lips and brow, didn't go unnoticed. He raised an eyebrow slightly and, once again, began tapping his finger on the armrest of the leather chair. "So... you want me to rehire you at my company after the divorce?" he asked, eyes narrowing. Bianca nodded quickly, her eyes gleaming with a pleading look as they met Adrian's. He didn't respond right away. Instead, he seemed to consider something carefully before finally speaking. "All right, if that's what you want." "Thank you, sir. Is there anything else you need to say to me? If not, I'll excuse myself." Adrian raised his right hand and gave a small wave, silently dismissing her. As soon as she stepped out of his office, Bianca let out a long breath, rubbing her chest as if to calm her racing heart. Meanwhile, the man she'd left behind remained seated, still staring at the now-closed door. A few moments later, he closed his eyes and began massaging his temples in silence. *** It had been two weeks since Bianca and Adrian last discussed the details of their contract marriage. In those two weeks, Bianca hadn't seen Rafael again. He hadn't reached out or tried to contact her. Strangely, that brought her both relief and a twinge of disappointment. Disappointment? Wasn't this exactly what you wanted? To make Rafael walk away and hate you? Maybe it was the realization that she would no longer hear his laugh or see that familiar smile. Whatever it was, her heart ached a little. What they had might've been undefined, but that didn't make it meaningless. While Bianca was thinking about Rafael, the man in question was currently with Adrian, the very man Rafael didn't know would soon become Bianca's husband. "So... how are things with Miranda?" Adrian asked, casually swirling the glass of red wine Rafael had poured him. "Miranda? I don't know," Rafael muttered. Right now, Adrian was at Rafael's apartment. And to say he and Zak were concerned would be an understatement. The state of the place was appalling. Beer cans, wine bottles, half eaten snacks, and empty pizza boxes littered the coffee table like a shrine to self destruction. From the corner of his eye, Adrian even spotted a fly buzzing above the trash heap. He cringed in disbelief, the sight triggering a mix of disgust and concern. "What's going on with you, Raf? This isn't like you," he asked, his voice serious as he studied Rafael's unusually disheveled face. "I don't know, Ad," Rafael said quietly, running a hand through his hair, sounding genuinely lost. Suddenly, Adrian remembered that night at the club. The woman Rafael had mentioned. Something told him this mess had everything to do with her. Wanting to confirm his hunch, Adrian asked, "Does this have anything to do with that woman?" ***