He's My Fiancé 14

Adeline stiffened but forced a smile. "This bitch deserves an Oscar for that performance," she thought to herself. Chuckling lightly, she shook her head and pulled her sleeve back down.

"It's nothing, Aunt Svetlana. It's just a small scratch I got from an accident. Nothing to get worked up about."

Uncle Alfonso stepped closer, his expression morphing into a poorly acted version of fatherly concern. He placed a reassuring hand on Svetlana's shoulder and nodded at Adeline. "Are you sure, dear? I suggest we call the family doctor to take a look, just to be safe. You've been away for so long—we just want to make sure you're okay."

Adeline waved her hand and shook her head, rejecting his 'thoughtful' suggestion. "That won't be necessary, Uncle Alfonso. I'm perfectly fine."

While most of the family played their parts as 'worried relatives,' Uncle Evans remained frozen. His fists clenched at his sides as he gritted his teeth, his mind racing with thoughts. "That bastard lied to me. He said she was dead."

Unlike the others, Evans made no effort to hide his anger. His gaze flickered to the tall man standing silently beside Adeline, and his brows furrowed. Clearing his throat loudly, he drew everyone's attention.

"Who is this man anyway?" he asked gruffly, gesturing towards Enzo.

All eyes turned to Enzo. He inclined his head slightly in polite acknowledgment, preparing to speak, but before he could, Adeline cut in, stepping forward.

"This is Enzo Laureati. Owner of the billion-dollar company, Golden Times, and—" She paused for dramatic effect, her gaze sweeping across the stunned faces of her family. "—my fiancé." She raised her hand, showing everyone the ring on her finger.

The room erupted into gasps. Her cousins began whispering to each other again, since that was all they were good at anyways. Svetlana's jaw dropped, while Alfonso's hand slipped from her shoulder as he stared.

Evans, though equally shocked, hid it better than the rest. His lips pressed into a thin line as his clenched fists tightened.

"What the hell do you mean he's your fiancé?" he blurted out, unable to contain his frustration. "And how come we've never met him before?"

Adeline chuckled and took her bottom lip between her teeth, already liking how the conversation was going. She loved how their stunned expressions kept getting worse. She tucked the strands of hair that fell over her eyes behind her ears, grinning smugly.

Leaning in close to Enzo, she gently patted his abs playfully. "I've been seeing this big guy for quite some time now. We wanted it to be a surprise. And judging by the looks on all your faces, I'd say our little secret worked brilliantly."

She let her gaze linger on her cousins, who were now gawking. Svetlana opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again, unable to form coherent words.

Before anyone else could respond, Enzo's hand slid around her waist, pulling her to his side, his firm grip pressing her against him. Before she could process what he was doing, he lowered his head and nuzzled his face against her cheek, his lips brushing lightly against her skin.

Every pair of eyes widened again in utter disbelief, as if they had never seen two couples before. Or perhaps it was because it was Adeline. Svetlana let out a gasp, and her hand flew to her chest. Alfonso's mouth hung open in shock, and even Evans momentarily forgot his anger as he stared, dumbfounded.

Adeline, however, felt her entire face flush with embarrassment. Her hand itched to slap him, but she resisted, not wanting to break character in front of her family. Turning her head slightly, she glared at Enzo, who was smiling.

"He's enjoying this," she thought, her left eye twitching. "This arrogant, insufferable man knows exactly what he's doing."

She forced a nervous laugh and pushed lightly at his chest, trying to create some distance between them. "Enzo," she said through gritted teeth, loud enough for only him to hear. "Let go of me, you dumb son of a bitch."

But Enzo didn't budge. Instead, he leaned in, his head moving closer, until his lips were almost touching her ear, and then proceeded to whisper, "Not yet."

"You better start digging your grave, Enzo, because as soon as we're out of here, I'm going to kill you."

Enzo pulled back from Adeline with a soft laugh and gave her waist a gentle squeeze, then turned to the stunned family with a charming smile. 

"Adeline is the love of my life. From the moment I met her, I knew we were meant to be. She's intelligent, strong, and absolutely captivating."

He reached up, cupping Adeline's chin, and tilting her face toward him. Her pulse quickened in protest, but she forced her muscles to stay relaxed. As if that wasn't enough, Enzo suddenly pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

Her hand twitched at her side, desperate to slap him for pushing their act too far. But instead, she smiled sweetly, masking her irritation. 

Her three cousins exchanged glances, their faces filled with jealousy. They still couldn't accept that it was real. The Adeline who always scoffed at relationships and made it clear she had no interest in romance was now standing before them with one of the most handsome men they'd ever laid eyes on. And on top of that, he was loaded. Enzo was a vision of perfection, and the fact that he was hers only fueled their jealousy more.

One of the cousins muttered something under her breath before all three turned on their heels and stormed out of the room.

As the door swung shut behind them, Mr. Field stepped forward. He adjusted his glasses, his expression softening into a relieved smile as he looked at Adeline. "Miss Adeline, I'm truly relieved to see you've returned safely."

Adeline gave him a small smile, appreciating his sincerity.

"But," Mr. Field continued, "I must take my leave. I have other matters to attend to. When you're ready, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Mr. Field." She said with a nod, watching him head for the door and leave. Once he was gone, she turned her attention back to the family who were still in the foyer. "What did Mr. Field come here for?"

Her uncles shifted uneasily. Uncle Evans avoided her gaze entirely, staring at the ground. Uncle Alfonso coughed awkwardly, as if buying time to come up with a response, while Richard turned away completely.