Convincing 17

Adeline's shoulder stiffened slightly, but she didn't turn around. He could tell she was aware of his gaze and was simply ignoring it.

"What was that back there?" Enzo asked.

Adeline's reply was immediate, as if she had been waiting for the question. "You said we have to make our relationship convincing, didn't you?" She turned her head slightly, glancing back at him as she spoke. "That's what I'm doing."

Enzo raised an eyebrow, considering her words for a moment before nodding. "I did say that…I just didn't expect you to play along so... well. How cute."

She swiveled her head away, quickening her pace to avoid his teasing gaze. "Shut up, idiot."

Enzo chuckled, but his smile disappeared almost immediately, and he stopped walking, his brow furrowing. It hit him then—he had been laughing more than usual. Not just today, but since the moment this girl had entered his life.

"Why is she having this effect on me?" Is it because she's my mate? Probably not…mates or not, I've never felt attracted to her or anything." he wondered as he began walking again, trailing behind her.

But the voice in his head whispered a counterargument: Or maybe you're just in denial.

He brushed the thought away, unwilling to explore it further. Adeline was stubborn, a bit annoying, and unpredictable. Sure, he found them amusing most of the time, but those were everything he wouldn't want in his mate…or so he thought.

Adeline cast a glance over her shoulder, noticing he had fallen a few more steps behind. "What's wrong with you now?" she asked.

Enzo's grin returned as he walked faster, catching up to her. "Nothing. Just realizing how much of a handful you are."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, that's rich coming from you."

—-----

Adeline stood at the edge of the bed, her arms folded across her chest. She wore a simple nightdress that brushed just above her knees. Beside her, Enzo stood in a plain white t-shirt and pajama pants, his hands stuffed in his pockets. They both stared at the king-sized bed in front of them in awkward silence.

The room was quiet except for the faint rustle of the curtains from the night breeze, making the situation even more awkward. After a few moments, Enzo cleared his throat, his eyes darting over to Adeline.

"So… what do we do?"

Adeline looked away, clearly uncomfortable discussing the topic. "Well, for starters, there's no way we're both sleeping on the same bed. That's for sure."

Enzo nodded immediately, raising his hands in surrender. "Of course. I completely agree. That would be uncomfortable for the both of us. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable."

Adeline flashed him a look and let out an incredulous laugh. "Wow. That's weird coming from the same guy who's been grabbing my waist randomly the entire day."

Enzo's eyebrows shot up in mock offense, and he crossed his arms over his chest too, mirroring her stance. "Oh, please. I already explained why I did that. And while we're on the subject, you shouldn't act like you haven't been doing the same thing."

Her forehead wrinkled, a confused expression creasing her face. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been leaning on me every chance you get. Oh, and let's not forget when you pretended to be lightheaded in front of your uncle, and I ended up carrying you like a bride."

Adeline's mouth opened to respond, but no words came out. For a moment, she simply stared at him, at a loss for words. Then, she pointed a finger in his direction, her face heating up as she stammered, "I did that because of the same reason you did, you dumbass. We already talked about this earlier!"

"Well, you were the one who brought it up, princess."

She threw her head back with a frustrated groan, her fingers raking through her hair. "Ugh, whatever!"

She spun around and jabbed a finger toward the long couch situated a few feet from the bed. "You're sleeping there. I'll take the bed."

Enzo didn't respond right away. Instead, he walked over to the bed, grabbed one of the pillows, and strolled over to the couch. He tossed it onto the cushions before turning to Adeline, his arms spread in a sarcastic gesture as if to say, 'Happy now?'

Adeline turned her back at him, letting out a small hmph of satisfaction. She climbed into the bed, pulling the blanket over her legs, and then gestured lazily towards the nearby closet.

"There are spare blankets in there if you get cold," she said before leaning over to grab her sleeping mask from the small table beside her bed and stretching it in her hands.

Sliding the mask over her eyes, she lay down and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. "And just so we're clear, you better not do anything weird while I'm asleep. Unless you have a death wish."

"I've told you before, I'm not a pervert. I don't know what's going on in that suspicious little mind of yours, but you're perfectly safe with me. I'd never hurt you, Adeline."

She held up a hand, giving him a lazy thumbs up from beneath the blanket. "Good to know. Goodnight."

Enzo watched her for a moment, his arms resting at his sides as he observed the rise and fall of the blanket covering her. Her breathing started to even out, indicating that she was close to dozing off.

"Unbelievable," he murmured as he turned away and walked over to the closet, opening the doors to search for the spare blankets.

—---

Evans sat in the VIP section of a bar, and across from him sat a towering, broad-shouldered man with a bald head that gleamed under the light above them.

The man leaned back in his chair as he observed Evans sliding a file across the table. A check rested on top of the file. Evans' lips curled into a smile as he gestured to the items on the table.

"That, Mr. Dacatt, is one million dollars upfront. The other half will be yours once the job is done. This file contains her pictures and all the important information about her, like you asked."