Chapter 6: I’m Sorry... I Can’t

Chapter 6 - I'm Sorry... I Can't Being Adrian Williams' secretary didn't mean Bianca actually knew him. The man was practically a walking ice sculpture, cold, unreadable, and emotionally unavailable. She'd never even seen him smile. Not once. His face? Always the same. That perfect, stoic expression like he was judging the entire universe and finding it disappointing. So when she saw that Adrian, yes, Mr. No Feelings himself looking genuinely desperate earlier today? Yeah. She almost dropped her bag. And okay, fine, maybe she felt a little sorry for him. Just a little. But it hadn't even been a full day since she agreed to his wild proposal, and already? Regret. Deep, pulsing regret. Seriously, what the hell was I thinking? If it weren't for the whole "my grandpa is dying and his last wish is to see me married" sob story, she would've laughed in his face and walked away. Marry Adrian Williams? Yeah, no thanks. Not even for a blank check. Bianca stared down at her drink, silently praying this was all just a fever dream or a bad Netflix plotline she accidentally walked into. Or maybe, please God, he'd been drunk. Or temporarily insane. Brain fog? Mercury in retrograde? Anything to explain why the most emotionally constipated man in New York just asked her to marry him. Just then, Yellow by Coldplay started playing from her bag. Bianca blinked. That ringtone? No. No no no... Of course. Adrian Williams. The universe had jokes today. She sighed, fished her phone out, and saw his name glowing on the screen. Deep breath. Put on the secretary voice. Smile through the chaos. "Yes, hello?" "Where are you?" "I'm having lunch outside, sir. Is there something you need?" Boom. Instant switch to full corporate mode. Even Rebeca and Diandra paused mid-chew, their eyes narrowing in on Bianca like hawks. Yeah, they definitely heard the change in her voice. "Come back to the office. Now. It's important." Beep. Beep. Beep. Seriously? That's it? She hadn't even finished breathing, and the man had already hung up. Classic Adrian. Zero patience. Zero chill. Zero social awareness. But then, a weird little flicker of hope popped up in her brain. Wait... what if he's calling to cancel? Maybe he came to his senses! Maybe he found some socialite or heiress or literally anyone but me. Bianca smiled faintly. That would be so great. I could go back to being underpaid and ignored like a normal assistant. She stood up quickly. "Hey, sorry girls, I gotta run. Emergency call from Mr. Williams." Rebeca raised a brow. "Trouble in boss paradise?" Bianca just waved them off and practically jogged toward Williams Enterprises. Thank God the restaurant wasn't far. But still, by the time she reached the front doors, her heart was pounding like crazy. Adrian Williams hated being kept waiting. And Bianca? Yeah, she wasn't exactly a gym rat. Her cardio consisted of walking to the coffee machine and back. She smoothed her outfit as best she could, trying to look like she hadn't just run a mini marathon. One more deep breath. Let's do this. She fixed her blouse, tugged at her pencil skirt, untied her hair then re-tied it again, because she didn't know what she was doing anymore. Okay. You've survived worse. You got this. She knocked on the door. "Come in." Bianca walked in with her best I'm so professional, I bleed spreadsheets look. Adrian was seated behind his desk, flipping through a proposal like it was the most riveting novel on Earth. Without even glancing at her, he said, "Clear my schedule for tomorrow afternoon. I'm taking you to visit my grandfather." Wait. What? That... was not the cancellation speech she was hoping for. There was a long silence. Adrian finally looked up. "Did you hear what I just said?" "Yeah. I heard you, sir." "Good. We're going to the hospital tomorrow." He went right back to his papers like it was no big deal. Bianca stared. Cool. No pressure. Just me meeting the dying grandfather of the man I'm fake marrying. She cleared her throat. "I'm not ready, sir." Adrian ignored her. He set the proposal aside and opened his laptop without sparing her another glance. Unbelievable. Bianca cursed him internally. Her jaw clenched. Regret started to creep in, slowly but surely, like an itch under the skin. "Sir, I don't think I can go through with this. I..." Adrian cut her off before she could finish. "Bianca." "Yes, sir?" "As a professional, I expect you to stand by your word." His tone was sharp, his eyes locking onto hers from behind the desk like a sniper. Are you serious right now? Bianca wanted to scream. That one sentence had her completely cornered. "I can't do it. I can't marry you." Her words came out fast, like ripping off a Band Aid. Adrian's expression darkened. His brow furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin, displeased line. He stared at her. Long, hard, unblinking. He clearly hated inconsistency. But deep down, even he knew this wasn't some minor scheduling error or missed deadline. What he was asking wasn't normal. And yeah, okay, he got that. He wasn't totally blind. Adrian exhaled, long and tired. One of those I'm so done with everything exhales. Then he closed his eyes and massaged his temples. Bianca watched him in silence.He looked... exhausted. That perfectly composed, always in control boss of hers actually looked human for a second. And damn it, why does he still look good even when he's falling apart? "Bianca," he said again, softer this time, opening his eyes. "I'm asking for your help. Just this once. Please." He sounded... almost desperate. And that shook her more than she wanted to admit. Her heart wavered for half a second. Just a split second. But then reality hit her like a truck. This wasn't some work task. This wasn't lunch duty or taking notes at a board meeting. This was marriage. Even if it was fake. Even if it was temporary. And fake or not, she knew the moment she said "yes," nothing about her life would ever be the same again. So she straightened her spine. Her voice was calm, but her chest was tight. "I'm sorry, sir. I can't." ***