Chapter 99

DAHLIA

I sat quietly in Adrian’s office reception, my hands folded neatly in my lap, pretending to be fine when my heart was still racing from what just happened downstairs.

Sebastian and Adrian had gone inside, the heavy door shutting behind them with a quiet thud that somehow made the silence in the room louder.

Adrian’s secretary, a woman probably in her late twenties with glossy red nails and an amused expression, slid a glance at me over her computer screen.

“So,” she began in a teasing tone, leaning forward slightly, “you’re the Dahlia everyone talks about.”

I blinked. “Everyone?”

She chuckled. “Oh, please. Don’t play innocent. The boss hasn’t exactly been subtle about you.”

My brow furrowed. “Adrian?”

She laughed harder. “You see. That's exactly what I’m talking about. Who dares call the boss by his first name except for his wife. I see what she means by saying you’re after her husband.

“Adrian is my friend.” I defen