Oopss... I Married My Boss

"So, according to you, Mr. Adrian, I'm the one at fault, is that it?"

"I never said you were wrong," Adrian replied indifferently.

"But the way you spoke earlier made it sound like I was."

"If that's what you think, then sure. Go ahead."

Oh, great. Just because he's my boss and I'm just the secretary, he thinks he can walk all over me? Wrong girl, sir.

"Alright, Mr. Adrian. Before I speak, I want to apologize in case what I'm about to say crosses the line or offends you." Bianca tried her best to stay calm.

Adrian frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "Speak."

"I'll say what I need to, sir. Just don't interrupt me until I'm done. I'm sorry if I missed what you were saying earlier. But seriously, would something terrible happen to you if you repeated it? Would it physically hurt you to say it again? Or maybe, would a curse befall you or something?"

Bianca paused, studying his expression. To her surprise, it didn't change at all. Adrian simply stared back at her with that same unreadable look. He understood exactly what she was implying.

"No, right? You said that I didn't hear you, so that means I didn't respect or value you. But weren't you doing the same?" she challenged, still upset by his earlier accusation.

Adrian's brow furrowed again. His eyes never left her face. He didn't move. He was waiting for her to finish what she needed to say.

"When I tried to explain why I didn't hear you, you cut me off with a 'forget it' and just stayed silent. Then you asked how we should explain our sudden marriage. I answered, 'whatever you want,' and you looked at me like I'd just insulted your ancestors. Then when I pointed out that you were breaking rule number one, you turned it back on me, twisting everything like I was the one who didn't respect you, just because I didn't catch your earlier speech."

Bianca took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Finally. She said it. She said everything she'd been holding back. And she was proud, proud that she had the courage to call him out to his face.

"Ahem…" Adrian cleared his throat, visibly thrown off by her boldness. "I apologize if I offended you. And I'm sorry I didn't take the time to listen to your explanation earlier."

"It's okay, sir. I'm sorry too."

"So… I guess that means I owe you ten thousand dollars for breaking clause number one?" Adrian joked, flashing a wide grin.

Wowww…

Bianca was stunned. She could already picture how Diandra and Rebecca would react if they witnessed this unbelievable moment. Honestly, they'd probably pass out. Their notoriously cold, unreadable boss smiling wide? At her? That would go down in history.

"There's no need, sir. The clause isn't in effect yet, we're not married. I was just giving an example," Bianca reminded him calmly.

"As far as I'm concerned, once I've signed something, it's valid. What's your bank account number? I'll transfer the money," Adrian insisted.

Transfer? Ten thousand dollars? He said it like he was offering her a piece of gum.

"That won't be necessary. I just wanted you to understand. You don't need to pay anything. The terms start once we're married," Bianca said firmly, rejecting the offer again.

Adrian shrugged. "Alright. If that's how you want it, I won't force you."

"Now, about earlier. Could you say it again? For me?" she asked gently.

"How about this." Adrian leaned forward slightly, watching Bianca's face. "I was already interested in you the first time I saw you. But since you were my secretary, I chose to keep my feelings to myself. And I knew you were seeing someone at the time. So I kept my distance and admired you quietly from afar," he said, carefully observing her reaction.

From Bianca's expression, thoughtful, maybe even a little intrigued, Adrian felt a wave of satisfaction. Confident, he continued painting the picture he'd so brilliantly crafted in his head.

"But then, suddenly, you broke up with your boyfriend. That's when I stepped in. I saw you were heartbroken, so I took the chance to get closer to you. I helped you move on. Slowly, you opened up. We spent more time together. And one day, I confessed my feelings for you. You said yes. And that's how our relationship began. What do you think? Sounds convincing, right?"

Adrian narrowed his eyes as Bianca remained silent. She wasn't giving him anything, no agreement, no rejection. Just that unreadable look.

But was that admiration in her eyes? Respect? Or, was that concern?

Concern? Seriously? That was a perfect fake love story. Romantic, plausible, and just the right amount of melodrama.

"Ehem…" Adrian cleared his throat, trying to snap her out of it.

Still nothing. Bianca just kept staring at him with an expression that was starting to make him a little uncomfortable. Okay, maybe more than a little. It wasn't every day she looked at him like that.

"Ehem. Ehemm." Adrian added a second, louder cough. Subtlety clearly wasn't working.

Finally, Bianca blinked.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine. So, do you agree with what I just said?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"Yes, I do, sir."

Relief flickered across his face. The corner of his mouth curled into a satisfied little smile.

"But—"

That one word made his smile twitch.

"But what?" he asked warily.

"But, do you think your family and friends will actually believe that story?"

Adrian didn't miss a beat. "Don't worry about my family. They won't ask too many questions. They'll be thrilled I'm finally getting married. Especially to someone like you."

Adrian felt oddly fortunate that the woman he suddenly proposed to was none other than his own secretary. After witnessing how unexpectedly close his grandfather was with Bianca, Adrian was convinced his grandfather would be more than happy about this marriage. And if his grandfather liked her, his father would most likely follow suit.

"What do you mean, sir?" Bianca asked, trying to read his expression.

"Well, since you already know my grandfather, I'm confident he'll like you as my future wife. And if he likes you, my father will definitely come around too."

"I see. What about your friends?" Bianca asked, her voice noticeably hesitant.

That was what worried her most. Especially one particular friend.

Rafael.

She had no idea how he'd react to this. And frankly, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

***