CHAPTER 71: 71: PUSH & PULL JEALOUSY

Ruiyan’s atelier was not a typical retail space; it was a sanctuary of high fashion. Situated in a quiet, upscale brownstone, the interior was minimalist and serene—all polished concrete, diffused natural light, and strategically placed mannequins draped in creations that looked more like sculpted art than clothing. The air was cool, smelling faintly of fine silk and jasmine.

Xueyi was waiting for them. She was a vision of sophisticated power: tall, with severe black hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, and dressed in a perfectly tailored ivory suit. Her confidence was a palpable force, and she greeted Alexander with a warmth that felt professional.

"Alexander, you finally made it," Xueyi said, stepping forward. She offered her hand for a polite bhsimesa handshake, which Alexander accepted with a stiff inclination of his head.

Then, her sharp, dark eyes swept past Alexander and landed on Adrian. Her gaze was quickly softened, her expression into a charming, friendly smile.

"Adrian, How wonderful. I’m so glad you could spare him, Alexander. Your efficiency is legendary, Adrian; and Rukyan has been dying to have you here," Xueyi said, extending her hand to Adrian. Her grip was warm and welcoming.

"A pleasure, Ms. Lin," Adrian replied, returning a polite, measured handshake. He kept his expression neutral, his posture perfectly professional, every inch the indispensable secretary.

"Don’t be so formal, Adrian. We’ve already met more than once. Call me Xueyi," she insisted, turning back to Alexander, her hand resting casually on Adrian’s arm for a moment longer. "I told Alexander my daughter needed your eye here. You have excellent taste. And with the gala coming up, you and Ruiyan simply are going to relate so well."

The tension in the room spiked.

Adrian immediately understood the setup. Xueyi hadn’t just arranged a business meeting; she was deliberately trying to orchestrate an relationship between Adrian and her daughter, Ruiyan, under the guise of "aesthetic synergy" for the merger bid. She was using Adrian as a pawn, either to subtly show Alexander a potential rival for Adrian’s attention, or simply to get her daughter married off well.

Alexander felt the possessive brush of Xueyi’s hand on Adrian’s arm, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. The single word he had murmured in the car—"Good"—had meant he was relieved Adrian wasn’t romantically interested in women, but he certainly hadn’t meant Adrian was free game for the professional matchmaking efforts of his business partners.

"Xueyi," Alexander interjected, his voice slicing through the delicate atmosphere. He stepped closer to Adrian, his presence immediately crowding Xueyi out of Adrian’s space. "Mr. Cole’s duties here are strictly secretarial. He’s here to document the presentation, not to model or advise on personal fashion. He has a press release deadline to meet."

He placed a heavy, claiming hand on the small of Adrian’s back, a gesture that was completely out of place in a professional setting, but which physically asserted his control. The heat of his touch immediately seeped through Adrian’s shirt, sending a humiliating jolt through his body.

Xueyi’s smile tightened, but she was too polished to challenge Alexander directly. She simply focused her attention on the glass double doors that led to the viewing room.

"Of course, Alexander. I merely thought Adrian’s discerning eye might be a useful professional asset. Ah, speak of the devil."

The doors opened, and a young woman emerged. She was undeniably beautiful, dressed in an exquisitely cut midnight-blue velvet sheath. This was Ruiyan

, the atelier owner and Xueyi’s daughter.

Ruiyan looked up, and her eyes, soft and intelligent, immediately locked onto Adrian. Her face lit up with a genuine, warm smile.

"Adrian! You came! Mother didn’t tell me you’d be accompanying Alexander. I’m thrilled. Your insights would be invaluable." Ruiyan walked straight toward them, bypassing Alexander entirely, focusing solely on Adrian.

Adrian felt trapped. He was pinned between Alexander’s proprietary grip on his back and Ruiyan’s direct, flattering attention.

"Ruiyan, " Adrian managed, trying to keep his voice steady despite the frantic hammering of his heart. "The honor is mine. I’ve always wanted to come see your works."

Xueyi seized the moment. "Ruiyan, dear, why don’t you show Adrian the embroidery details on the new Venus gown? Alexander, you and I can discuss the financial particulars over here."

Alexander’s hand on Adrian’s back dug in slightly, a silent, painful warning. He was clearly furious at the blatant manipulation.

"Mr. Cole is staying precisely here," Alexander stated, his voice a low growl of barely contained anger. "He documents what I see. Ruiyan, if you have a presentation, deliver it to both of us. Unless you want to send the presentation through an email,"

The threat was clear and severe, dragging the high-stakes business meeteing immediately back into the personal drama.

Ruiyan looked startled, her kind eyes glancing between her mother’s strained smile and Alexander’s unyielding, jealous expression. She was clearly confused by the CEO’s highly aggressive possessiveness over his secretary.

Adrian, however, understood. Alexander wasn’t protecting business secrets; he was violently asserting ownership over his "property" in front of a rival who wanted to claim it.

Adrian took a slow, deliberate breath. He had to diffuse the situation before Alexander jeopardized the multi-million dollar merger.

Adrian felt the intense pressure of Alexander’s grip and the cold certainty that his boss was on the verge of derailing a significant business deal purely out of possessive rage. He had to act immediately to pull the focus away from the emotional triangle and back to the professional facade.

He gently placed his hand over Alexander’s, a gesture that looked like a comforting, intimate touch to anyone observing, but which was actually a silent command for restraint.

"Mr. Devereux is right, Ruiyan," Adrian said, his voice smooth and professional, deliberately overriding the rising tension. He kept his gaze focused on Ruiyan but spoke clearly enough for Xueyi to hear. "While I’m incredibly flattered that you value my opinion, my role is to assist Alexander in assessing the potential marketing appeal and financial viability of this partnership. My perspective must align with his company’s strategy."

He took a controlled step away from Alexander, breaking the CEO’s grip, and addressed Ruiyan with a purely intellectual curiosity.

"To that end, Ruiyan, rather than showing me the Venus gown

—which is stunning, but perhaps too personal for this context—could you focus on the pieces that best reflect your firm’s scalability? I need to understand the underlying design architecture that informs your mass-market line, as that speaks directly to the synergy of the merger. Which of your pieces best represents the structural integrity and forward-thinking vision of your brand?"

The language was precise, cold, and utterly devoid of any personal or flirtatious intent. It was a clear, direct, and professional deflection that explicitly reminded everyone that Adrian was there for business analysis, not matchmaking. He was also subtly reinforcing his earlier declaration by focusing on "structural integrity" rather than feminine "appeal."

Ruiyan, a true artisan and businesswoman, immediately responded to the intellectual challenge. Her startled look faded, replaced by one of genuine engagement.

"That’s a much more practical approach, Adrian. You’re absolutely right," Ruiyan said, relief evident that the tension had broken. "The Titan collection is exactly what you need to see. It’s our strongest statement on decisive, scalable design."

Ruiyan immediately turned and headed toward a quiet display area where severe, beautifully tailored coats and suits were placed.

Xueyi, though clearly annoyed that her setup had been dismantled, had to concede the ground. "Very well. Business first. Alexander, come. Let us discuss the financial timeline while Adrian conducts his... assessment."

Alexander’s face was a mask of thunderous frustration. He shot Adrian a look that was a blend of possessive rage and grudging respect for his quick, brilliant save. He was forced to follow Xueyi, but his eyes never left Adrian.

For the next half hour, Adrian was a paragon of professional excellence. He stood with Ruiyan, notebook in hand, asking detailed, insightful questions about material sourcing, production efficiency, and brand expansion. Ruiyan found him a fascinating consultant, and she laughed easily at his dry, analytical wit.

Alexander, meanwhile, was stuck with Xueyi near the entrance, trying to focus on complex financial spreadsheets, but he kept glancing over. Every time Adrian smiled at Ruiyan or gestured toward a garment to emphasize a point, Alexander’s jaw tightened. The fact that Adrian’s interaction was purely intellectual only seemed to intensify Alexander’s jealousy; Adrian was giving Ruiyan his valuable, genuine attention, the kind of focused concentration Alexander craved for himself.

Finally, Alexander couldn’t bear it anymore. He cut Xueyi off mid-sentence.

"Xueyi, I’m afraid this is becoming unnecessarily protracted. I require Mr. Cole to finalize our internal memo on this meeting’s terms immediately." He didn’t wait for her objection; he pushed himself away from the table and strode toward Adrian.

He didn’t simply approach; he moved with the swift, predatory grace of someone staking a claim. He stopped right behind Adrian, his frame blocking Ruiyan’s view, and placed a hand low on Adrian’s waist, right where his fingers had dug in earlier that morning.

"Mr. Cole," Alexander said, his voice flat, his gaze locked on Ruiyan, daring her to comment. "We are finished here. I need you to confirm our departure time."

Adrian felt the familiar, searing pressure of Alexander’s hand. The subtle public assertion of ownership sent a hot, shaming wave through him, but he maintained his composure.

"Certainly, sir. Just one moment," Adrian said, addressing Ruiyan with a cool smile. "Ruiyan, this has been incredibly informative. I have all the data I need for Alexander’s report. I truly appreciate your time."

Alexander didn’t let Adrian finish his professional farewell. He tightened his grip on Adrian’s waist and physically turned him away from Ruiyan.

"Now, Mr. Cole."

Alexander steered Adrian quickly toward the nearest exit, a discreet door leading to a side hallway and the private washrooms, using the urgency of a "meeting change" as his excuse.

Once they were safely out of sight, concealed behind a tall, geometric column, Alexander slammed Adrian against the marble wall, his hands shooting up to grip Adrian’s neck, pinning him entirely.

"Don’t you dare laugh with her again!" Alexander hissed, his face inches from Adrian’s, his blue eyes burning with an almost feral intensity. The rage was raw, possessive, and completely out of control. "Don’t look at anyone like you look at her. You are my secretary. Your attention belongs to me."

"You are disrupting a high-value merger for this!" Adrian retorted, his voice tight, struggling to keep his breathing even. "I am being professional! I told you I am not interested! She is not a threat!"

"She wants you," Alexander ground out, his thumbs pressing slightly into the pulse points under Adrian’s jaw. "And you let her want you! You looked happy! You looked like you were enjoying her presence."

"I was doing my job!"

Alexander’s eyes dropped to Adrian’s lips, the fury transforming into a deep, desperate hunger. The line between rage and desire dissolved completely. Alexander leaned in sharply, his mouth covering Adrian’s in a bruising, possessive kiss. It was hard, demanding, and utterly violating.

Adrian reacted instinctively, his hands coming up to push against Alexander’s chest, but the CEO’s weight and surprise made the resistance useless. Alexander’s tongue invaded his mouth, tasting of coffee and fury, claiming him violently against the cold marble.

A single, shocking second passed before Adrian found his strength. He tore his mouth away, shoving with all his might.

"Stop it!" Adrian gasped, turning his head away, his cheek pressed against the cold stone, his breath catching in his throat. "We are in the private section of a public atelier! Are you insane? Your driver is twenty feet away!"

Alexander remained pressed against him, breathing hard, his body trembling slightly with the force of his suppressed emotions. He rested his forehead against Adrian’s temple, his grip on Adrian’s arms unyielding.

"I won’t share," Alexander murmured, the words raw and broken. "You are mine. I made sure of it this morning."

Adrian closed his eyes against the humiliating weight of that statement. "I am yours on paper, Alexander. For a salary. Not for this," he whispered, feeling the sickening reality of his servitude.

Alexander slowly pulled back, his eyes dark with residual hunger and a chilling, calculated resolve. He smoothed the lapels of Adrian’s shirt, his touch lingering on the sensitive skin beneath.

"We are leaving now, Mr. Cole," Alexander commanded, his voice returning to its CEO tone, though it was still strained. "And for the duration of this trip, you will not speak unless spoken to. Understood?"

Adrian straightened his back, meeting Alexander’s gaze with wounded defiance. "Understood, sir."