Pride and Promises ✔

Chapter 52

It had been four days now since Adrian left. I hadn't received a single call from him. I started getting worried when all my calls went unanswered and my texts unread. I tried to tell myself that it was no big deal, that he must've been busy, considering he was in London but I couldn't shake the feeling that something terribly wrong was about to take place. Still, I tried my best to distract my heart. I had continuous meetings so that helped a little. But then I saw some posts on the social media after he left that brought a flicker of doubt within me.

It wasn't anything unusual, really, if anyone else were to look at it. The paps had spotted him around his office. He was in his regular office clothes, looking handsome as ever. Then there was another random post the next. He was spotted in his club, Red Diamonds, the same club where I met him on the very first night after our first meeting, on Allie's birthday. In the photo, he was with Nate and some other people I could recognize as his business associates. There was one photo or the other every day that spotted him in a restaurant, or around his office, or simply him driving in his favorite car that he used to drive me around with. Seeing these posts every day since he left said one thing loud and clear.

He hadn't gone to London at all.

That conclusion hurt like a knife stabbing my heart. If he was in New York and going on with his life as usual, how could he have missed my calls? If he had the time to smile at the camera, lounge at the club with Nate and his friends, how could he not have the time to call me just once, or to send a short reply to my text just once? Just to let me know he was busy- if he was. Surely he knew that I would never ask him to abandon his work for me?

What was worse than having all these questions was having no answers to any of them. I didn't know if or what I done wrong. I closed my eyes again, trying to recall every moment we spend when he came here to meet me, from him standing outside my door to us exchanging those rings to our silly conversations to the moment he left. Nothing seemed out of ordinary, no matter how many times I played the scene over and over in my mind.

I sighed as I came across one more news about Adrian, in which he said he was currently working on something important, which couldn't be announced now. He asked them to have patience, an annoying smirk plastered on his face. I tried to soothe my heart once. Don't worry, Eve. Maybe he's really busy and this thing he's working on is very important.

I repeated this in my head and my heart again and again as I held the unicorn close to me, trying to get some sleep despite the chaos of my thoughts.

It was finally the day of meeting Mr. Gabriel Blanchet and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't on edge about that. The meeting had been pushed two days earlier because he apparently had some urgent business to attend to later. I couldn't pinpoint the exact reason behind this- maybe it was his reputation or Adrian's confirmation of his reputation or the mere fact that Adrian still hadn't responded to my text. I remembered him making me promise to text him before, during and after the meeting but after hundreds of unanswered calls and texts, I didn't feel like trying again. What use was it when the texts wouldn't even be read? I didn't want to come across as clingy and my self-respect could only take so much before intervening.

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I exited my hotel room after one more pep talk. You've done this before. This isn't the first meeting you're attending with some pervert and this definitely won't be the last. Besides, he won't be the only person present. There's going to be an entire board of directors present. Just act cool and collected like you always do.

I nodded at Leah who stood outside my room and we walked towards the elevator. She gave me briefing about the meeting and the people that would be present. I mentally thought of all the things I'd say and told Leah to highlight certain aspects of the meeting. I made sure to warn her about Mr. Blanchet and instructed her to stay close to me at all times and not to attract attention to herself.