As the early hours of the morning found Adrian stirring from a restless sleep, the unfamiliarity of the situation weighed heavily on his mind. With a grumpy sigh, he slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Kyeler, who was still deeply asleep.
Heading downstairs, Adrian made his way to the kitchen, the scent of coffee filling the air. As he prepared a cup for himself, his thoughts drifted to the events of the previous day, the forced marriage, and the unexpected intimacy of sharing a bed with Kyeler.
Lost in his thoughts, Adrian was startled when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He turned to see Kyeler descending the stairs, her hair tousled from sleep.
"Good morning, Adrian," she greeted him.
"Finally awake, Sleeping Beauty?" Adrian's tone was laced with sarcasm as he sat on the couch with his tablet in hand, a bitter mockery in his voice.
"Hope you enjoyed your beauty rest, Princess. Must be nice to sleep till past 10," he added, sensing the underlying hostility in his words.
Kyeler raised an eyebrow, her own irritation bubbling to the surface.
"I'm sorry if I overslept. I'm not used to this... luxurious lifestyle," she responded, her jaw tensing with suppressed anger.
Crossing his arms, Adrian maintained a defiant glint in his eyes.
"I didn't realize sleeping late was a crime. My apologies for inconveniencing you, Your Highness," She retorted sarcastically.
Adrian raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
"Oh, how gracious of you to apologize. I suppose it's just your royal privilege to sleep the day away while I slave away at work," he fired back.
Kyeler bristled at his words, her irritation evident.
"Oh, please. Don't act like you're the only one with responsibilities. I have my own ambitions, you know," She responded, her tone sharp.
"Ambitions? Please. What ambitions could a spoiled princess like you possibly have? Oh, and I assure you, it's a real treat to have a spoiled princess grace my humble abode," Adrian retorted, his frustration evident.
Kyeler's jaw tightened, her eyes flashing with anger. "Don't you dare call me spoiled! I am not a spoiled princess, Adrian. I've had to work hard for everything I have," she retorted, her voice filled with determination.
"Oh, I'm sure. Working hard to maintain your perfect little world while the rest of us mere mortals struggle to get by," Adrian shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Kyeler's eyes narrowed, her voice rising with each word. "You have no right to judge me! You don't know anything about me or what I've been through," she retorted, her frustration evident.
"And yet here we are, forced into a marriage neither of us wanted. Quite the twist of fate, isn't it?" Adrian replied, the bitterness in his voice unmistakable.
The tension between them crackled with each biting remark, the weight of their forced union heavy in the air.
"Yes, quite the twist. But don't think for a second that I'll just roll over and accept it. I have every intention of making the best of this situation," Kyeler asserted, her voice filled with determination.
"Oh, I have no doubt about that, Princess. You seem to have a knack for making the best of a terrible situation," Adrian retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm.
****
The tension in the air slowly began to ease as they found a moment of respite, the bitter banter fading into a more subdued atmosphere.
With a sigh, Kyeler decided to take matters into her own hands.
"Adrian, breakfast is ready. I thought we could eat together," she said, her voice softening.
Adrian entered the kitchen, his expression guarded as he met her gaze.
"So... breakfast?" he responded, his tone cautious.
"Yes, breakfast. I made some eggs and toast. Help yourself," Kyeler gestured towards the table, where a simple but hearty breakfast awaited.
Adrian eyed the food warily, then took a seat opposite Kyeler. They ate in silence for a few moments, the only sounds the clinking of cutlery and the soft hum of the morning outside.
Kyeler broke the silence, her voice hesitant. "We may not have chosen this, but we're in it together now. We might as well try to make it work," she said, her tone earnest.
"Yeah... yeah, maybe," Adrian replied, his voice softening.
Despite the awkwardness between them, a sense of tentative peace settled over the breakfast table. They ate in companionable silence, the weight of their forced marriage still heavy in the air but a glimmer of understanding beginning to emerge.
As they finished their meal, Kyeler cleared her throat, breaking the silence once more.
"We may not have chosen this, but we're in it together now. We might as well try to make it work," she said, her tone determined.
"Yeah... yeah, you're right," Adrian replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
With a small nod, Kyeler rose from the table, clearing away the dishes. Adrian followed suit, the tension between them easing slightly.
******
Adrian's pov
As we cleared away the dishes, my voice broke the silence with a hint of bitterness.
"Well, at least you have this usefulness," I muttered sarcastically, gesturing towards the kitchen.
Kyeler paused, her movements stilling as my words hung heavily in the air. She turned to face me, a furrow forming between her brows.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her tone cautious.
"Oh, you know... cooking breakfast, making yourself useful around the house. Seems like that's all you're good for," I retorted bitterly.
"I didn't mean it like that, Kyeler. I'm just... frustrated with this whole situation," I replied, my voice softer now.
"And I'm not? Do you think I wanted any of this? Forced into a marriage I never wanted, with a man I barely know?" Kyeler responded, her voice filled with frustration.
Yeah, well, it's not like I had a say in any of this either," I shot back, my frustration evident.
Kyeler's eyes flashed with hurt, and for a moment, guilt pricked at my conscience. But then, the bitterness returned, fueled by the resentment that had been building up inside me.
"I didn't ask for any of this, Kyeler. I didn't ask for you," I said, my tone harsh.
Kyeler's expression softened, her hurt turning into something akin to resignation.
"I know, Adrian. I know you didn't ask for this," she replied quietly, her voice tinged with sadness.
"I just... I don't know how to make this work, Kyeler. I don't know how to be married to you," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Kyeler's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of understanding and compassion in her gaze.
With a heavy sigh, I reached out and gently touched her arm,
"Oh, come on, grumpy old man. We'll figure it out together," she teased.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise at Kyeler's teasing retort. I glared at her, my irritation evident.
"Grumpy old man?" I repeated incredulously.
"Well, you are acting like one," Kyeler retorted, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
My jaw clenched, my frustration evident. "I'm not old, and I'm certainly not grumpy. I'm a 23-year-old, dead handsome, filthy rich billionaire, do you hear that?" I replied, my pride stung.
"Oh, really? Could've fooled me," Kyeler replied, unable to contain her laughter at my indignant tone.
"I'll have you know, I'm young and handsome," I asserted, trying to maintain a serious expression.
Kyeler couldn't help but burst out laughing at my declaration. "Oh, is that so? Young and handsome, huh?" she teased.
"Yes, that's so," I replied, unable to suppress a smirk.
Despite myself, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement at our banter. Kyeler's laughter was infectious, and I found myself unable to stay mad.
"Well, young and handsome, I suppose we'll just have to make the best of this forced marriage," Kyeler said, a playful glint in her eyes.
"I suppose we will. Who knows?" I replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
We stood there, the tension of our earlier argument dissipating into light-hearted banter. The weight of our forced union still hung in the air, but for a moment, we found a sense of camaraderie in our shared teasing.
With a small smile, Kyeler reached out and playfully nudged my shoulder. "Yeah, who knows? Maybe being married to a grumpy old man won't be so bad after all," she joked.
Watch it, Mrs. Sour Candy. You might just find yourself falling for this grumpy old man," I teased back, my eyes twinkling.
"Falling for you? Well, that's the joke of the day, isn't it?" Kyeler replied, a playful glint in her eyes.
I chuckled, my irritation fading as I played along.
"Oh, I see how it is. You're just full of jokes today," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Can't help it. It's my charming personality, after all," Kyeler replied, smirking.
"Oh, yes. Your charming personality is just too much to resist," I quipped back, a smirk playing on my lips.
Our playful banter was interrupted by a thought that crossed Kyeler's mind.
"You know, I saw someone at the wedding who caught my eye," she said, a hint of mischief in her voice.
"Oh? And who might that be?" I asked, a hint of curiosity in my eyes.
"Oh, just a friend of yours... Mark, was it?" Kyeler replied, her eyes dancing with amusement.
My expression darkened slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing my features.
"Mark? Yes, he was at the wedding. What about him?" I asked, a hint of tension in my voice.
"Oh, nothing much. I just admired how charming and handsome he was. A real gentleman, unlike some people I know," Kyeler teased, her voice laced with mischief.
My jaw tightened, my irritation evident.
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad you found someone to admire," I replied, trying to maintain a composed demeanor.
"Oh, don't be jealous, grumpy old man. It's not a good look on you," Kyeler teased back, unable to resist.
"I'm not jealous. I just don't see why you'd be interested in someone like 'Mark'," I retorted, my frustration evident.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he's not a grumpy old man?" Kyeler teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
My annoyance grew, my frustration evident.
"Fine. If Mark is more your type, maybe you should go find him
"Oh, don't be like that. I was just joking," Kyeler replied, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, it's not a very funny joke," I replied, my tone serious.
Our banter took on a more serious tone, the playful energy of before being replaced by a hint of tension.
"I was just teasing. I don't actually have any interest in Mark. Come on," Kyeler said, her tone sincere.
"I know... I just, I don't like the idea of you admiring someone else," I admitted, a hint of vulnerability in my voice.
"You don't have to worry about that, Adrian. You're stuck with me, a grumpy old man and all," Kyeler replied, her voice softening.
My expression softened, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Lucky me,huh? " I said, chuckling.
With a small chuckle, Kyeler reached out and lightly punched my arm.
*Longest chapter ever, enjoyed writing this*