CHAPTER 202: HIM AND GYM

After putting on her sportswear, Ella padded toward the hallway, still blinking away the post-makeout haze.

When Adrian stopped before the master bedroom door, she tilted her head. "Wait, we’re working out here?" Ella suddenly remembered the private gym inside the Master Bedroom.

A realization clicked in her mind. Was Adrian going to train her personally today?

Before she could dwell on that thought, he placed an arm on her waist and guided her towards the private gym. The last time she was here, she had been completely focused on him so missed out.

But this time, Ella did not fail to take in the grandeur of the gym that looked like it had been plucked out of a billionaire’s fitness fantasy—matte black walls, polished floors, a full rack of dumbbells, state-of-the-art machines, and a mirror-lined wall that doubled the size of the room.

Adrian walked in first, grabbing a towel off the rack. When he pulled his T-shirt over his head in a clean motion, Ella forgot how to breathe.

His torso was... unfair. Defined abs, broad chest, veins trailing down his forearms and biceps. And that sharp V-line? Rude. Just plain rude. It’s not like she had not seen it before but back then, she had been too stressed out to care about this artistry. But now, she realized she simply couldn’t take her eyes off.

"Oh. My. God," she mumbled under her breath, clutching a water bottle like it owed her strength. "This should be illegal."

Adrian turned, gaze cutting toward her.

Ella straightened instantly. "No no, baby. Not that I’m objectifying you or anything. I mean, I am, but respectfully. Totally respectfully."

Adrian didn’t say a word. Instead, he calmly grabbed a 40kg dumbbell and started lifting it single-handedly, his muscles flexing with each repetition.

Ella’s mouth ran dry.

’He’s doing it on purpose,’ she thought. To punish her. For staring. Or for teasing. Or maybe just because he could. Her eyes followed every inch of his movement like they were hypnotized.

Ella gulped. If... Say if... she decided to start her business in the entertainment industry by setting up an entertainment agency and the only star she signed under her company was Adrian, would she... take over the Top 3 companies overnight?

A voice in her head said: Yes, you would. You definitely would.

Adrian paused mid-rep and turned to look at her, "No running?"

Remembering how she had whined and blamed him for not letting her go on her usual runs, Ella felt her face heating up, "You... are seducing me," she mumbled under her breath, instantly regretting it when his eyes glinted slightly.

Ella took a few swigs of the water.

In the next moment, she watched as—

Without breaking eye contact, Adrian slowly pulled his sweatpants a notch lower on his hips, ’’Don’t run then," he whispered.

Ella choked on her water, "Pfft..."

Adrian didn’t react. He simply returned to lifting as if nothing happened, cool and composed, like seduction wasn’t his full-time job.

Ella narrowed her eyes, flushed. She placed the bottle aside, striding over to the treadmill. She cranked it up, tied her hair into a bun, and hit start.

Adrian glanced sideways at her.

"What? Baby, don’t tell me that you think I can’t look hot while jogging?" she huffed, setting her pace. "This is what peak performance looks like—oof—wait—slow down—"

She stumbled a bit as the speed picked up faster than expected, arms flailing.

In an instant, Adrian was beside her, pressing the emergency stop with one hand and catching her waist with the other.

Ella blinked up at him, panting, hair wild, cheeks flushed.

"Okay... okay..." she exhaled, leaning into his grip. "Maybe not my best moment."

As Adrian looked at her, a hint of helplessness flitted across his dark eyes. But he did not let her go.

In fact, his grip on her waist tightened, pulling her flush against him. His bare chest brushed against her thin tank top, heat and tension pooling between them all over again.

The sight of dark hair framing her face messily as she bit her bottom lips, visibly made his Adam’s apple bob up and down.

When he did not release her, Ella began to look up at him. But before she could utter a word, he captured her lips. Right there in the gym. Slow, deep, toe-curling.

Just when she would lean into the kiss, he would release her. And when she thought it ended, he would kiss her again.

"I thought we were working out," she whispered between kisses.

"We are," he murmured against her lips, before scooping her up and sitting her on the dumbbell bench.

"Like this?" Ella panted softly. She had not been physically active for most of her life and the thoughts of sex had not excited her in the greatest way.

More so, since she forgot most of the details of her first sex, Ella had termed it as dull and uninteresting to her.

Yet, now she was suddenly not that sure what she was thinking then. Because how could physical intimacy be dull to her if one single kiss from Adrian was setting her body ablaze?

Adrian knelt before her, running a hand up her calf, hooking his fingers beneath the waistband of her leggings.

Ella’s breath hitched. "Adrian—"

’Buzz’

The sudden, sharp vibration of his phone sliced through the moment like a dagger.

Adrian’s jaw ticked. His eyes darkened, a touch of irritation visible in them, like whoever dared to call him at this moment had just signed their death certificate. Still, he pulled back reluctantly and reached for his phone on the counter.

"I need to take this," He wrapped an arm around Ella’s waist and pulled her to her feet before planting his lips on the corner of her lips.

Butterflies tingled in her stomach as she watched him stepping aside to take the call.

After a while, Ella wiped the sweat on her brow and walked back to the treadmill.

As the machine started again beneath her feet, her focus slipped. With Adrian no longer in her line of sight, her thoughts wandered, finally giving space to what she had been pushing aside for a while now.

Today’s their anniversary...

She tightened her grip on the treadmill bars.

Ella had been on the edge for her parents’ anniversary for a while now. Yet today, she had almost forgotten or maybe she hadn’t. Maybe she’d just been too caught up in Adrian—

Ella shook her head violently, slapping her cheeks mentally.

When she thought of the occasion, her stomach twisted again. She wasn’t sure what she was hoping for when she went to meet her parents. But maybe, it was just acceptance. She had not seen them in years so maybe all she wanted was that they don’t turn her away at the door.

Maybe... just maybe that would suffice for now.

...

After taking a shower, Ella descended the stairs. Her hair was tied up messily and a fresh oversized shirt clung to her damp skin. When the servants spotted her, they immediately started setting the table.

Adrian was seated at the head, sipping black coffee. The sunlight hit his profile, casting sharp shadows across his face.

Ella took the seat beside him.

The silence wasn’t heavy. It was strangely light. Calm. Almost... delicate.

Ji Yan stood in the background, blinking repeatedly. The second Master is drinking coffee... calmly? Miss Yu isn’t throwing sarcastic grenades across the table? Does that mean today’s weather is finally going to be one of pinks and cherry blossoms, and not the wintry storms?

When Ella casually leaned her head toward Adrian’s shoulder and stole a bite of the fruit from his plate, Ji Yan nearly thanked the heavens. After days and weeks of ups and downs, things finally seemed to be peaceful between them... What could go wrong now?

Yet suddenly, Ji Yan’s spine tingled when he caught Ella sneaking some glances at Adrian.

Clueless of Ji Yan’s fears, Ella fiddled with the spoon in her hand, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.

’Clang’

When the spoon dropped from her hand, Adrian’s gaze shifted to her.

Ella inhaled a deep breath and sat straighter in her chair, "Today is my parents’ wedding anniversary..."

She saw the faint shift in his expression. Almost imperceptible.

Ella did not know what he was thinking. She had set the conditions for their relationship but for some reason, she had an uneasy feeling while bringing this up in front of him, "I want to go—"

"You are not going."

Four words and Ella plunged into silence, her heart turning cold.