CHAPTER 56: UNCERTAIN HEARTS

"What did you just say?" Bianca asked, unable to believe her ears.

Adrian said, "I love you. I think I’m in love with you."

"What?" Bianca shouted in disbelief.

"I’m not joking, Bianca. I’m serious. What happened at the mall made me realize that I think I’ve fallen in love with you. I know it’s hard to believe, but I mean it. What I feel now isn’t just attraction, I truly care about you. I’m scared of losing you. Really scared. And I know maybe you don’t feel the same way right now. That’s okay. I understand, and I won’t force you."

Bianca’s expression was unreadable. Adrian didn’t know what she was thinking at that moment. He wasn’t lying, he was serious about having fallen in love with her. He didn’t know exactly when he started to fall for Bianca, but one thing he knew was that he didn’t want to let her go.

Honestly, he had never felt like this before. So he concluded that what he felt was love. Didn’t people say that when they love someone, they’re afraid of losing them? Adrian felt that fear when Bianca disappeared yesterday. So if it wasn’t love, then what was it?

It couldn’t be obsession. If it was just attraction, why did he feel so scared to lose Bianca?

"You’re not saying this just because of what happened between us, right?" Bianca asked, her voice soft and uncertain. "I mean, it’s hard for me to believe this all happened so fast. Are you really serious?"

Adrian chuckled softly, then scratched the side of his head, though it didn’t itch. His heart felt a little unsure now.

Bianca’s words made him hesitate. True, he might have fallen too fast. Especially since Bianca wasn’t the type of woman he usually dated. He understood why she didn’t believe him. Honestly, he himself wouldn’t believe it if someone told him their honeymoon would make him fall for Bianca, the secretary who was now his contract wife.

But isn’t there such a thing as love at first sight? Isn’t that even more unbelievable than this?

He didn’t know. Adrian felt that his feelings for Bianca were different from anything he’d felt before.

"To be honest, I’ve never felt this before either. But I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen for you. I like you not because we’ve been intimate. I just like you. That’s it."

Bianca’s gaze grew stranger. Adrian knew she didn’t believe him.

"Adrian, it’s hard for me to trust what you’re saying. Seeing how you were before we got married, I’m not sure that what you feel now is love," Bianca said, looking at Adrian seriously. Then she added, "Didn’t you once say you weren’t sure if you could fall in love because your heart was numb? So don’t blame me if I don’t take your words seriously."

Adrian felt like he’d been slapped by Bianca’s words. If he could turn back time, he’d go back and shut his own mouth.

He frowned, Adrian was mostly sure he had fallen in love with Bianca, though some doubts remained. Then he thought of a plan to help him figure out if his feelings were truly love or something else.

"Give me one year. I want to see if what I feel for you is love or not. Over the next year, I want to to make our contract marriage more genuine or intimate."

"If it’s love, then what? That’s your business, not mine. Right now, I don’t feel that way about you. Maybe I’m attracted to you, but love? I don’t think so. And I’m pretty sure I won’t fall in love with you in the future either," Bianca said seriously.

But what came out of her mouth didn’t match what her heart was really feeling.

Adrian’s sudden confession of love made Bianca both happy and scared. Her mind was in turmoil. If she only thought about her own feelings, Bianca would have already returned Adrian’s interest and told him how much she liked him.

But her past with Rafael made her anxious. She feared that if she told Adrian about her previous relationship with Rafael, he wouldn’t accept it and might suddenly start to hate her. Most of all, Bianca was afraid Adrian might feel disgusted once he knew the truth.

Bianca wasn’t ready to face that. To be precise, she wasn’t prepared yet. If Rafael were just a friend or colleague of Adrian’s, Bianca would have told the truth a long time ago. But Rafael was Adrian’s close best friend.

They had been friends long before Bianca knew either of them. And she didn’t want Adrian and Rafael’s friendship to end because of her. Honestly, she felt like she didn’t want to return to New York and would rather live in Japan with Adrian.

"It’s not that you don’t love me, you just haven’t fallen in love with me yet," Adrian said, stating the fact.

"If in one year, it turns out my feelings are really love, and I can’t make you fall in love with me, I promise I’ll divorce you. I promise I won’t bother you anymore. But if in one year, our feelings are the same, both in love, I want our marriage to be a real marriage, not a contract."

Adrian, you don’t need a whole year to make me fall in love with you. I’m sure it wouldn’t take that long, she whispered to herself.

Bianca had already begun to like Adrian. His kindness and attention quietly captured her feelings.

"Adrian!"

"Please, Bianca. Just give me one chance. Just one."

Bianca sighed weakly, her shoulders relaxing a little as she finally whispered softly, "Okay. I’ll give you one chance, Adrian..."

Adrian’s eyes widened with hope. "Are you serious?"

"I’m serious."

Bianca’s answer made Adrian smile broadly. He immediately hugged her tightly with joy. "Within this year, I will make you fall in love with me, Bianca. I promise."

Since Adrian was quite sure he had already fallen in love with Bianca, he felt there was a strong chance his feelings were real.

Bianca knew that if Adrian truly loved her, he would accept her past no matter how bad it was. But, call it insecurity, she wasn’t ready to tell him yet. Maybe later—when they were about to return to New York, Bianca would be honest with Adrian. If he couldn’t accept it, she understood and would bury her feelings for him deep inside.

"Bianca, I’m hungry..." Adrian’s whisper in her ear brought Bianca back to reality. Her heart skipped a beat at his warm breath so close.

Bianca looked up, blinking in surprise. "You’re hungry?"

"Mm..." Adrian nodded slowly, his eyes locking with hers, filled with something deeper than hunger.

"Okay. I’ll take a shower first, then we’ll have breakfast..." Bianca said, loosening her hold on Adrian.

Adrian sighed softly, disappointed that Bianca misunderstood him. It wasn’t his stomach that was hungry, but another part of him. Seeing Bianca about to get off the bed, Adrian reflexively grabbed her hand, pulling her back down onto the mattress.

Before Bianca could fully react, Adrian was on top of her, making her even more confused.

"What are you doing, Adrian?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"I’m hungry, Bianca..." he murmured, voice low and rough.

"I know you’re hungry, Ad. That’s why I—"

Adrian cut her off by pressing his right index finger firmly yet gently against her lips, silencing her. His eyes darkened with desire as he whispered,

"I’m not hungry for food. I’m hungry for you—your body, your touch."

Bianca’s cheeks burned crimson, a flush spreading down her neck. Her pulse quickened, and a familiar heat pooled low in her belly. She wanted to scold him—after all, they had only just satisfied their desires moments ago. How could Adrian still not be satisfied?

"You... you..."

Bianca’s adorable expression made it impossible for Adrian to resist kissing her.

"Bianca, I—"

Quickly, Bianca covered Adrian’s mouth with both her hands. She didn’t want to hear what he was about to say.

"I want to shower. My body feels so sticky," she said, not entirely lying.

Adrian smiled faintly. He lifted himself off Bianca and sat cross-legged on the bed. His broad chest and defined abs made Bianca’s eyes widen, and she unconsciously swallowed hard. Adrian noticed her reaction.

"You said you were going to shower, so why are you staring at me?" Adrian teased, proud that he had captivated Bianca with his body.

Adrian’s words made Bianca blush, and she quickly pulled the blanket around her before standing up. Carefully, so her naked body wouldn’t be seen by Adrian, she wrapped the blanket around herself like a cocoon and started walking toward the bathroom.

What Bianca didn’t know was that as she talked with Adrian earlier, part of her body was already uncovered by the blanket. And Adrian was thoroughly enjoying the view.

"To save water, how about we shower together?" Adrian shouted, trying his luck.

Bianca, who was walking, suddenly stopped for a moment. "No way..." she replied, refusing Adrian’s suggestion before hurriedly continuing on.

***