"The Confession"
From Adrian's Perspective...
The evening draped itself over the city like a velvet curtain, wrapping everything in quiet hushes of silver and shadow. I leaned back in the car,, tugging at the knot of my tie,,the fabric too tight around my throat despite the cool air conditioning... The applause from the business conference still echoed in my mind, not from pride—but from unrest...
I hadn't planned to say what I did in the speech. It just slipped out—no,, that was a lie. It surged out... Like a dam breaking.
I hadn't said her name,, but every syllable had been about her.
Rimi...
I was halfway home,, lost in thoughts of her—the way her eyes softened when she smiled, the way she always tilted her head slightly when she was curious—when my phone vibrated sharply... I glanced at the screen.
Leonardo William... My uncle. My mentor. The man who raised me when the world fell apart...
I answered immediately. "Uncle??"
"Turn around. Don't go to the mansion..."
My heart sank at the sternness in his voice...
"Is something wrong??" I asked.
"I'll let you decide after you come. It's important..."
The call ended abruptly,, as always. No pleasantries. Just direction.
I sighed and tapped my driver's shoulder... "We're going to Leonardo William's estate."
His house stood like a monument—regal but not gaudy,, warm but intimidating. Wrought iron gates creaked open as we pulled into the driveway. Even before I reached the door,, it swung open.
There he stood. Leonardo. Tall,, gray-haired,, sharply dressed in his ever-present midnight-blue suit... His stance was calm, but his eyes—his eyes told me this wasn't a social visit.
"Inside,," he said curtly.
I followed without protest...
The house hadn't changed. Still filled with heavy wood furniture,, warm-toned paintings,, and a fireplace that rarely went out. But tonight, it felt colder somehow.
He led me into the library and gestured to a chair in front of the long oak table... I sat. He poured himself a glass of Bordeaux but didn't offer me one... That was never a good sign.
Without a word, he tossed a magazine onto the table in front of me...
The headline read..:
"Who Is the Mysterious Woman Behind
Knight's Speech??"
Below it was a still from the conference. My face,, turned slightly to the side,, mid-sentence. My expression looked... unguarded.
The article hinted at someone—someone who had inspired the vulnerability in my voice,, the weight behind my words. They had no name. No photo ... Just a lingering question and a swirl of speculation.
Leonardo's voice was razor sharp. "Explain this."
I looked at him. "You read the speech."
"I heard the speech. Then I saw this—the media going wild, investors calling,, board members asking who you're distracted by." He leaned forward. "What were you thinking??"
I kept my voice calm. "I was thinking about her."
Leonardo exhaled sharply, setting his glass down harder than necessary. "Who is she ??"
I met his eyes. "Rimi Miller..."
His mouth pressed into a line. "And what does this woman mean to you??"
I paused...
Everything. She means everything...
But I said,, "She's someone I met unexpectedly. Someone who reminded me what it feels like to be alive..."
He gave me a hard stare. "Is she a threat to your image?? Your business?? I don't care about scandal—but I care if you're making decisions with your heart instead of your head..."
"This isn't about business,, Uncle."
"Everything is about business,," he snapped. You don't get the privilege of vulnerability, Adrian. Not in your position. You built an empire on precision. Discipline. And now you're talking like a poet on a rooftop..."
I laughed softly under my breath... "Maybe I needed to. "
Leonardo narrowed his eyes... "Tell me what she did to make you throw caution into a bonfire in front of the entire city."
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. "She made me feel... real. Not the version of myself I keep on stage. Not the man in the suit with a schedule so tight he barely breathes. With her, I don't have to perform."
His expression softened for the first time. Barely. "She know who you really are??"
"Not fully,," I admitted. "But she's seen enough to touch something I forgot existed."
"And what is that?" he asked, folding his arms...
I looked out the window for a moment, searching for the words. "Hope..."
A long silence followed. Leonardo finally sat across from me,, demeanor shifting from interrogator to concerned m.
"Adrian,," he said,, "I raised you to be strong. I taught you how to fight with your mind... How to lead. But I never wanted you to be cold."
"You didn't make me cold," I said softly. "Losing everything did...
He nodded once. "And now??"
"She melts through it," I whispered.
Leonardo studied me for a long time. "You love her?"
The question hung in the air like thunder.
"I don't know if I'm allowed to,," I answered truthfully. "But I think I already do..."
His face betrayed no shock—only resignation. "You never brought a woman here. Never let anyone close enough. Why now??"
"Because with Rimi,, there's no space to hide. And I don't want to."
Leonardo sipped his wine in silence. "Does she love you??"
I hesitated. "It's complicated... She's guarded. And she has her reasons."
"Let me guess—she doesn't trust men with money and perfect suits."
"She trusts what's real,," I said. "And I'm trying to show her that part of me."
"Then you better not lie to her. Not once. Not about your past, your motives,, or your intentions."
I leaned back. "I won't."
Leonardo stood, walked toward the fire, and stared into the flames. "Do you remember what I told you when I signed the papers to adopt you??"
"You said I could choose the life I wanted. That I wasn't defined by what happened to me."
He nodded. "And now I'll remind you—your heart is part of that life too. You don't have to be a machine to be successful. But you do have to be honest..."
"I will be," I said.
He turned back to me. "Then make sure this woman—Rimi—knows the man you are when the cameras turn off... That's the man who'll matter to her."
My throat tightened. "That's the man she's already seen."
Leonardo gave me a long, assessing look. "Then go to her. Talk to her before the world turns her into a rumor."
I rose slowly, the weight on my shoulders replaced by a new clarity...
"Thank you,, Uncle."
He walked with me to the door... "One more thing,," he said.
I looked at him.
"I knew from the first line of that speech... you were no longer talking to the world. You were talking to her..."
A quiet smile broke across my lips. "I was..."
"Then don't waste it,," he said. "Not many men get a second chance at something real."
I stepped outside,, the night crisp and cool. As I slid into the backseat of the car,, I felt lighter—yet driven.
Somewhere,, Rimi was reading headlines. Seeing speculation. Wondering...
And I needed her to know the truth...
Not everything.
Just enough to understand that every word in that speech came from one place—
From her....
To be continue...