Chapter 28: Sightseeing with Complications

Chapter 28: Sightseeing with Complications "I won’t lay a finger on you during the honeymoon. If that’s what you’re so afraid of." Adrian glanced at Bianca’s body and smirked. "Relax. I’m not interested in that bony figure of yours anyway." Bianca’s eyes widened at his last comment. Wait a second—bony? Excuse me? Adrian didn’t actually mean to insult her. Honestly, there was nothing "bony" about Bianca’s body. From a man’s point of view, especially his, everything about her was exactly where it should be. She had curves that most women would envy. The words slipped out of his mouth partly to shake her out of her stubbornness, but mostly as a petty form of revenge for her earlier rejection. His ego, after all, was still slightly bruised. "I promise. During the honeymoon, I won’t do anything to you. Let’s just play along with Grandpa’s wishes. He doesn’t have to know what happens between us over there." Honestly, if Adrian had known that one harmless little white lie about giving Grandpa a great-grandchild would come back to haunt him like this, he would’ve kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t a psychic, how could he have guessed that his own words would be used against him like a loaded weapon? "But—" "No buts," Adrian cut in. "Just think of it as a vacation. I won’t bother you. You can spend your time however you like. Do whatever you want. I won’t stop you." He slowly walked over to her as he spoke. The word vacation caught Bianca off guard. It had been ages since she last went on one. Ever since she started working as Adrian’s secretary, her life had been consumed by work and more work. So the moment he mentioned a getaway, her expression shifted. Finally making up her mind, Bianca nodded. "Okay. I’ll treat this honeymoon like a vacation. Just... stick to your word, alright?" "I will." Adrian now stood right in front of her, extending his hand. She shook it firmly. "Deal." "Oh, and one more thing. Go get changed. Zak and Rafael want to hang out with us." Since both Rafael and Zak would be flying back to New York later that evening, they decided to make the most of their remaining time in Bali. "Can I skip it?" "Why? Zak insisted I bring you. He said he and Rafael want to get to know you better." Bianca gave him a nervous smile. "Oh. I see. Okay, I’ll go get changed." A few minutes later, Bianca stepped out in a sleeveless white floral midi dress paired with simple brown sandals. Her black sunglasses rested stylishly atop her head, adding a chic flair to her look. Adrian blinked. Once. Twice. Maybe three times. He was stunned by the sight in front of him. Bianca, who used to show up at the office in typical secretary fashion—buttoned-up blouses, thick glasses, hair always tied back—was now completely transformed. Her hair fell softly over her shoulders. The glasses were gone. So were the stiff office clothes. The dress she was wearing left little to the imagination, revealing smooth, fair skin that he had never really paid attention to before. Adrian swallowed hard. He was mesmerized. It took everything in him to tear his gaze away. He turned his head slightly, embarrassed that he’d just ogled her like some pervy guy on the street. "I’m ready. So... are we heading there together or meeting them?" Bianca asked, totally unaware of the internal earthquake she had just caused. "Mmm." That was all Adrian could manage. She had no idea what she’d just done to him. Oh, and it wasn’t just his heart that had been shaken. Let’s just say... other parts of him were under serious pressure too. Shit. *** By the time they reached the lobby, Adrian spotted two men chatting with their backs turned. Who else could it be if not Zak and Rafael? They were clearly waiting for Adrian and Bianca. Hearing footsteps behind him, Zak turned around. His lips curved into a grin the second he saw Adrian and Bianca approaching. Got it! Here’s the simpler and more direct version that shows Raf still hasn’t moved on: "Adrian. Bianca," Raf greeted them as they reached the spot. There was a quick flicker in his eyes when he looked at Bianca. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was clear, Raf still hadn’t moved on. "Hope we didn’t keep you guys waiting too long," Adrian said as he gave both men a quick friendly hug. The usual greeting between the three of them. Bianca simply nodded politely. "We just got here ourselves," Rafael replied. "How’d you sleep, Adrian? Slept like a baby?" Zak grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. Adrian could tell he was teasing, obviously referring to their first night as a married couple. "Like a rock," Adrian replied dryly. Zak clicked his tongue in disappointment. Definitely not the reaction he was hoping for. He shifted his gaze to Bianca, ready to ask the same thing, but Rafael cut in, almost a little too quickly. "You both ready? Got everything?" he asked Adrian instead, carefully avoiding Bianca’s eyes. He clearly didn’t want to hear any answers that might sting. "All good," Adrian nodded. "Cool. Let’s go. I hired a driver for the day. He’ll take us anywhere we want to go. Just let him know," Rafael explained. "Mmm." Adrian hummed in understanding. Just then, a woman in a staff uniform, followed by an older man, approached their group. "Excuse me, Mr. Rafael. This is Mr. Joseph, your assigned driver," the woman, Winda, according to her name tag said politely. "Thank you," Rafael replied with a nod. Since GWK Cultural Park was the closest tourist spot from where they were staying, they decided to visit that first. Less than twenty minutes later, they arrived at GWK. The second she stepped out of the car, Bianca felt the sting of the sun on her skin. "Damn. It’s hot," Zak muttered, rubbing his arms. The blinding sunlight made Bianca squint before she finally pulled her sunglasses down from her head. The sun was working overtime today, and so was the heat. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten to apply sunscreen. She mentally cursed herself for the slip-up, but she was determined not to let it ruin her day. As they passed through Plaza Bhagawan, after getting their tickets, rows of small souvenir stalls and food stalls stretched before them. The whole place buzzed with tourists, both local and international. Bianca noticed people of all ages, all here for the same thing—sightseeing and fun. The first stop was Plaza Kura-Kura. From there, they continued on to Plaza Wisnu. "Adrian, take a picture of us," Zak called out, already standing next to Rafael a short distance from the Wisnu statue, trying to get the whole sculpture in the frame. Adrian pulled his phone from his pocket and started snapping pictures of the two. Then they asked another tourist to take a group photo of all four of them. "Oh right, you two haven’t taken any couple pics yet. Let me take one for you," Zak offered, ever the instigator. "No, that’s okay," Bianca replied a little too quickly. She didn’t even realize Adrian was already in position. "No need to be shy, Bianca. Come on, my photos are great. Look, your husband is already in place." Zak nodded toward Adrian. Wait—when did he get over there? "What are you doing just standing there?" Adrian snapped, clearly irritated. Though truth be told, he was more annoyed with himself for even wanting a picture with her. He didn’t know what had gotten into him. Ever since they left the villa, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. God help him, he even kept stealing glances at her. And that realization only made him more convinced that something was seriously wrong with his brain. Damn it. ***