Chapter 2 The Man Behind The Title

• **Adrian’s POV**
• I had always been good at keeping my emotions under control.
• It was one of the first things I learned growing up. In my world, showing too much emotion was considered a weakness. People watched every reaction, every decision, every mistake. One wrong expression could become a conversation. One wrong choice could become a headline.
• So I learned to stay calm, and to think before Speaking. I learned to never let anyone know when something bothered me.
• That was why Lily Bennett was a problem.
• It wasn’t because she spilled coffee on me, neither was it because she was late on her first day. It was not even because she looked at me like I was the one who had ruined her morning.
• The problem was that she made me forget my usual rules. She reacted to me like I was just another person.
• And I was not used to that.
• Most people changed the moment they discovered my identity. They became careful with their words. They smiled more than necessary. They agreed with everything I said, even when I knew they did not mean it.
• Lily did the opposite.
• She challenged me.
• She questioned me.
• She looked at me like she was trying to figure out whether I was actually worth taking seriously.
• And strangely enough, I respected that.
• Although I would never admit it.
• Especially not to her.
• After the orientation meeting ended, I returned to my office and tried to focus on work. My schedule was full, as usual. Meetings, reports, contracts, and decisions that needed my attention. Normally, nothing distracted me. But that morning, my mind kept returning to one person.
• Lily Bennett.
• I hated that.
• I had no reason to think about her. She was a new employee.
• That was all.
• A temporary presence in my company. Yet I found myself remembering the way she looked at me in the elevator.
• Most people would have panicked after spilling coffee on the CEO. She did not even know who I was, and she still argued with me. I had to admit, that was impressive. Annoying. But impressive.
• A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.
• “Come in.”
• My assistant, Daniel, entered with a folder.
• “These are the documents you requested.”
• I took them.
• “Thank you.”
• He hesitated.
• I looked up.
• “What?”
• He smiled slightly.
• “Nothing.”
• I knew that expression. “What are you thinking?”
• He tried to look serious.
• “I was just wondering if the coffee incident was the most interesting thing that happened this morning.”
• I stared at him. “How did you hear about that?”
• He shrugged. “The entire reception area knows.”
• Of course.
• News traveled quickly in my company. Especially when I was involved.
• “Good to know my ruined shirt has become office entertainment.”
• Daniel laughed. “To be fair, it is not every day someone accidentally attacks you with coffee.”
• “Attacks?”
• “That is what some people are calling it.”
• I shook my head. “It was an accident.”
• Daniel looked surprised.
• “Defending her already?”
• I gave him a warning look.
• “Choose your next words carefully, Young Man.”
• He immediately raised his hands.
• “I said nothing.”
• But he was smiling.
• After he left, I looked out of my office window.
• The city stretched beneath me. For years, I had built everything I had through discipline and hard work. I had taken over the family business and transformed it into something bigger. Every decision I made was calculated. There was no room for distractions.
• Especially romantic ones.
• I had seen enough relationships fail to understand that love was complicated. People promised forever and changed their minds. People claimed loyalty and left when things became difficult.
• I preferred certainty.
• Business made sense. Numbers made sense. Contracts made sense than people did. At least to me.
• That was why Lily Bennett confused me.
• She was unpredictable. And I disliked unpredictable things.
• Later that afternoon, I had my first official meeting with the new employees. I walked into the conference room expecting the usual reactions.
• Silence.
• Nervous expressions.
• People trying to impress me.
• Then I saw Lily.
• She looked completely comfortable.
• Too comfortable.
• She was writing something in her notebook, and when she noticed me, she looked up. For a second, I expected embarrassment.
• Instead, she smiled politely.
• “Mr. Cole.”
• At least she was being professional.
• “Ms. Bennett.”
• Her smile became smaller.
• “I suppose you are feeling better now.”
• I looked at her. “About what?”
• She glanced at my shirt.
• I looked down.
• A new shirt.
• Unlike the previous one.
• “Ah.”
• She nodded.
• “The coffee situation.”
• “The coffee situation?”
• “Yes.”
• I almost smiled.
• “You make it sound like a historical event.”
• “Considering how much that shirt probably cost, I thought it might become one.”
• A few people around the table tried not to laugh. I noticed. Lily noticed too. She immediately looked down.
• Interesting.
• She could tease me, but she became shy when attention moved to her.
• I continued the meeting. But I found myself paying more attention to her than I should have. She asked intelligent questions. Not the kind people asked just to appear interested.
• Real questions.
• The kind that showed she actually wanted to understand.
• That surprised me.
• By the end of the meeting, I had formed an opinion about Lily Bennett.
• She was careless, Stubborn and talks too much but was also much smarter than I had expected.
• A dangerous combination.
• As everyone left, Lily stayed behind.
• I looked at her.
• “Is there something you need?”
• She walked closer. “I wanted to apologize again.”
• “For the coffee?”
• “Yes.”
• I leaned back. “You already apologized.”
• “I know.”
• She looked slightly uncomfortable.
• “But I wanted to make sure you knew I was not trying to make a bad impression.”
• I studied her.
• “You think you made a bad impression?”
• She gave me a look.
• “I poured coffee on the CEO during my first hour.”
• “That is one way to describe it.”
• “What other way is there?”
• I smiled slightly. “An unusual introduction.”
• She laughed softly.
• And for a moment, the room felt different. Not like a meeting. Not like a workplace. Just two people having a conversation.
• I noticed.
• And I immediately disliked noticing.
• “Lily.”
• “Yes?”
• “Try to avoid destroying anything else in this building.”
• She looked offended.
• “What exactly did I destroyed?”
• “My shirt.”
• “Your shirt survived.”
• I raised an eyebrow. “That is your defense?”
• “Yes.”
• I shook my head. “You are impossible.”
• She smiled. “And you are dramatic.”
• There it was again.
• That word.
• Normally, I would have corrected someone for speaking to me like that. But with her, I did not. And that was the part that bothered me most.
• “Be mindful of the way you speak to me,” I said calmly. “I am, but your boss.”
• She frowned.
• “Sure Boss.”
• Then she picked up her notebook and left the room.
• After she left, I remained in my office longer than usual. I told myself I was thinking about work. I told myself I was analyzing a new employee and that there was nothing unusual happening.
• But deep down, I knew the truth.
• Lily Bennett had entered my life by accident. And somehow, I had a feeling she was not going to leave it easily.