CHAPTER 45: 45: THE MOVE-IN

Adrienne felt the thrill of panic combined with the necessity of speed. Alexander was giving her a dangerously small window of opportunity. He was searching for Adrian at the office, but Adrian couldn’t be found there—Adrian had to be at the penthouse by the time Alexander returned home.

She reached her small, rented storage unit—a place she had always reserved for emergencies—and rapidly shed the elaborate guise of Adrienne.

The loose skirt and hoodie were pulled off, the restrictive binder that created Adrienne’s fuller figure was discarded, and the wig was ripped free, letting Adrian’s shorter, natural hair fall free. The soft makeup that gave Adrienne her delicate appearance was wiped away with quick, fierce swipes, revealing the fainter bruises and sharp angles of Adrian’s face.

She changed into a simple work shirt and slacks, stuffing the Adrienne clothes into her gym bag.,

I have to be Adrian. Timid, clumsy, indebted, and utterly devoted to his work.

ARRIVAL AT THE PENTHOUSE

Adrian arrived at Alexander’s penthouse building—a gleaming tower of steel and glass—by taxi. He checked in with the doorman, who, surprisingly, seemed to be expecting him.

"Mr. Cole?" The doorman stared at his phone, then back at Adrian, and nodded.

"Yes, sir. That’s me," Adrian answered politely.

He was curious to know how the doorman knew him when this was his first time here.

"Mr. Devereux called ahead.... yesterday. He sent this too," The doorman showed Adrian a picture.

"That’s me! How?" He asked in disbelief.

It was a picture of him chewing on a fucking pen on his desk, and it looked like the clothes he wore yesterday.

The doorman stared at the picture and shrugged, "I’m just a doorman, son. You are to proceed straight up to the top floor residence. Access granted," the doorman confirmed with a slight bow.

The elevator ride was silent and fast, ascending quickly to Alexander’s domain. Adrian’s heart hammered against his ribs—a frantic rhythm of fear and exhilaration. He was voluntarily walking into the cage.

When the elevator doors opened, Adrian stepped into a world of stark, opulent modernism. The space was enormous, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the city. A faint scent of cedar and Alexander’s cologne lingered in the air.

"Mr. Cole! Welcome," A voice greeted behind him, startling him.

"Oh, shit... I mean, I’m sorry," Adrian breathed out, looking up to see who it was.

He found the housekeeper, a kind-faced woman in a neat uniform, polishing a marble counter.

The woman smiled warmly. "Mr. Devereux has asked you to wait in the main lounge. I’ll show you to your room—you must be tired after the move."

"My room?" Adrian asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Yes. Mr. Devereux was very specific. He wants you to take the suite right next to his office. Says you need easy access to work documents, of course," she said with a knowing smile that made Adrian blush furiously.

He was led down a long hallway to a lavish guest room. It was spacious, beautifully decorated, and utterly separate from the main living area—yet strategically placed next to Alexander’s private study.

"Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Cole. Mr. Devereux would be returning soon and expects you to already be settled and ready to receive his next set of instructions," the housekeeper informed and turned away.

"Um, excuse me, Ma’am," Adrian called, clearing his throat.

The woman slowly turned, expectantly staring at Adrian’s face.

Adrian wore a polite smile, "May I know your name, Ma’am? I mean, I’m fine with calling you Ma’am if you’re okay with that." He asked, gripping tightly on the handle of his gym bag.

"Angelica. Call me Angelica, Adrian," She smiled at him before leaving.

"Alright..." he murmured as she left, slowly closing the door to his room.

Adrian dropped his bag and turned to the glass window, staring out at the city.

He was here.

He was trapped.

But he was also safe—for now—from the crushing pressure of the loan sharks and the impossible demands of Alexander’s mother.

He pulled out his phone and sent a message to his boss who would likely have found out that his secretary never showed up for work that morning.

MESSAGE: Good morning, boss. I just got here.

He couldn’t think of anything else to tell Alexander. The simple message was just to let Alexander know he could stop his search and come home. He knew they would talk about it when the boss got here.

He sighed and glanced around the room. A small smile tugged at his lips.

"I have such a large bed for myself..." he muttered, walking over to plop down on the bouncy bed.

"Whoa... It’s bouncy, too, and hundreds of times bigger than my bunk bed at home," he chuckled.

Sometimes, he wondered if Alexander’s intervention was really a torture or a blessing in disguise.

Who was he kidding? Everything only seemed nice because the big guy wasn’t here. The moment Alexander arrived, the place would change from a mini heaven to an enclosed hell.

"I just hate him," He bit his lip, sucking it slightly.

He paused, slowly releasing his bottom lip from between his teeth. That image, he just recalled it.

He couldn’t shake the image of Alexander’s face when he had demanded the kiss. He had looked so cold, yet so sexy, and vulnerable.

It almost felt like Alexander was battling something within himself, and when they kissed, Adrian had been so sure that what Alexander was fighting were his feelings for his secretary, but after the kiss, he figured out he might just have been way over his head.

The cold treatment from Alexander afterwards proved that the kiss was just what Alexander said it was: a test.

"Alexander would never want me. He despises me, and if he finds out I’m gay... I don’t know. It’s not really he’s business what I am. Why am I even talking to myself?" He covered his face with his hands and sighed, falling backwards onto the bouncy bed.

’I need a plan. I need to figure out how to be an untouchable secretary by day, and a disappearing wife by night.’

He groaned quietly, hating the way his situation got more complicated as the day went by.

He didn’t move, he just lay there, enjoying the absolute quietness while his brain tried to figure out how he was going to escape his situation.

However, the quiet lasted only about twenty minutes.

The sound of the elevator ding, followed by heavy, purposeful footsteps, echoed through the penthouse.

Adrian immediately stood up from the bed in his new room, smoothing his shirt, heart racing.

"It’s time to meet the big guy," he murmured.

"I’ve got this," he said.

Taking a deep breath, he walked out into the main living area just as Alexander walked in, looking crisp and dangerous in a fresh suit, his eyes immediately sweeping the room and locking onto Adrian.

Alexander stopped dead, a slow, smirk spreading across his face. He looked satisfied, like a hunter who had successfully cornered his prey.

"Mr. Cole," Alexander’s voice was low and filled with an unrecognised depth."I was beginning to think I’d have to send a search party to your apartment. You’ve been unreachable all day."

Adrian lowered his eyes slightly, channelling the appropriate mix of subservience and awkwardness.

"I apologise, Boss. My phone seems to have been glitching. I came straight here after leaving the hospital. I figured... since I was moving in, there was no need to check into the office first," Adrian explained, leaving out the Adrienne diversion.

Alexander walked closer, his eyes raking over Adrian’s nervous form. "You might live in my house, but I’m still your boss. You have to ask my permission before making any changes that will affect your role in my business. Never forget the reason why you’re here, Mr. Cole..." Alexander’s finger hooked under Adrian’s chin, firm but hesitant, as though fighting a war between authority and desire

"It’s not a vacation, it’s a job, and a debt. Do you understand?" Alexander asked, and much to his dismay, his voice was not as stern as he intended it would be.

For a second there, he let his finger feel how smooth Adrian’s skin felt under his chin, and his treacherous eyes fell to Adrian’s lips. And, just like that, memories he spent all night burying rose from their tombs, seizing his mind like a helpless captive.

Having Adrian in his home suddenly unlocked something domestic in him. He was used to seeing him only for work, but now, he was in his home, and was gling to be here until whenever he decided to let his secretary go.

Honestly, he was starting to wonder what Adrian was going to be doing in his home. After working then what?

"Yes, boss. I know," Adrian replied, stepping away from Alexander’s grip.

Alexander blinked, realising he’d been carried away for a split second.

He cleared his throat, adjusting his dark suit, "Good. You forgot your bag in my car. Bring it over, Lawrence." Alexander said and walked over to a sofa, "Sit." He lowered himself and tapped the space beside him for Adrian.

’Well, what’s the use of panicking? He inspected the contents and so what? Is he going to kill me? No, but he could make my life a living he’ll. Shit! I messed up...’

He slowly approached the sofa and gradually lowered himself beside Alexander, sitting stiffly with his thighs pressed together and back straightened.

Lawrence walked into the living room with Adrian’s backpack, heading toward the owner.

"Here is your bag, Mr. Cole," Lawrence gently dropped the bag on Adrian’s thigh and walked away.

Adrian’s breath hitched. "T-thank you, sir. I apologise for forgetting it." He stammered, not turning his face.

Alexander closed the remaining distance between them, his gaze sharp. "Did you truly mean the notes you left for your ’devil boss’?" His voice dropped low.

Adrian turned, looking up, his face flushing crimson. "I... I was venting, Boss. I meant no disrespect."

Alexander didn’t press the matter of the clothes or the cash. Instead, he reached out, his finger tracing the faint line of a new, red mark on Adrian’s neck—a faint burn from the wig adhesive that Adrian hadn’t managed to entirely cover.

"You’re a mass of contradictions, Adrian. Fearful, yet reckless. Timid, yet defiant," Alexander murmured, his voice dropping to that intimate, dangerous timbre. "And you smell like you just spent the morning surrounded by flowers and silk. A strange choice for a secretary’s day off."

He pulled his hand back, his expression turning cold and professional.

"Go to my study, Adrian. I have a new set of plans for a very high-stakes project. We’re going to work late. Consider this your first night of payment on your debt." Alexander instructed and stood, walking toward an opposite hallway from the one that led to Adrian’s room.

Adrian released a soft breath, "Well... here goes my first day in repaying my evil boss." He murmured.