The Dinner Invitation
The moment Sophia stepped off the stage, still clutching the golden mallet, her phone began to vibrate in her evening clutch. Once. Twice. Then continuously, like a swarm of angry bees demanding her attention.
She pulled it out with trembling fingers and watched as the screen lit up with notification after notification. Messages flooded in…dozens, then hundreds within minutes. Former business partners suddenly remembering her name. Investors who’d ghosted her calls now sending congratulations. Associates who’d crossed the street to avoid her after the bankruptcy now asking about “potential opportunities for collaboration.”
Sophia’s jaw tightened as she scrolled through the parade of hypocrisy. Where were these people three months ago? Where were they when she’d lost everything, when creditors had stripped her office bare, when she’d been too broke to afford more than instant noodles?
She left every single message on read and shoved the phone back into her clutch.
Director Chen was still hovering nearby, clearly wanting to discuss with her, but Sophia’s attention had already shifted. She scanned the thinning crowd until her eyes found Adrian, standing near the entrance with Marcus beside him, watching her with that same calm, unreadable expression.
He’d done this. Somehow, impossibly, he’d orchestrated her company’s resurrection in a single evening.
And she still had no idea who he really was.
Sophia approached him, her heart pounding with a mixture of gratitude, confusion, and something else she couldn’t quite name. “Adrian.”
He turned to face her fully, and for the first time that evening, she saw something soften in his expression. Congratulations.”
Π
“I…” The words caught in her throat. What did you even say to someone who’d just returned your entire life to you? “Thank you” felt pathetically inadequate. “Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover what you’ve done for me.”
“I really didn’t do anything, you earned it,” Adrian said simply.
Sophia shook her head, tears threatening to fall again. She took a breath, steadying herself. “I’d like to invite you to dinner. Tonight, if you’re free. Please. Let me at least try to express my gratitude properly.”
Adrian studied her face for a long moment, then nodded onge. “I’d be honored.”
Relief and nervousness washed over her in equal measure. Thank you. I’ll send you the address…”
“I’ll drive,” Adrian said. “You’ve had an overwhelming evening.”
The drive through the city was quiet at first, the silence comfortable rather than awkward. Sophia watched the lights blur past her window, still trying to process everything that had happened in the span of a few hours.
Finally, she spoke. “I need to ask you something.”
“Go ahead.”
“The people at the stock exchange…Director Chen, Thomas Brennan, all of them…they treated you with so much deference. So much respect.” She turned to look at his profile. “Even though you never said it outright, I know this whole thing happened because of you.”
Adrian’s hands remained steady on the wheel. He was silent for a moment, his jaw working as if considering how much to reveal. “I’m just an ordinary businessman, Sophia You’re giving me too much credit.”
1/3
The Drines vivien
“I don’t think I am.”
+25 Bonus
“Your company’s revival happened because of your ability, Adrian continued, his tone firm but gentle. Sophia wanted to press further, but something in his tone told her this was all she’d get tonight.
Before Sophia could say anything else, Adrian changed the subject smoothly. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to mention. There’s a potential collaboration opportunity you might be interested in.”
“A collaboration?”
“SunCore Publishing. It’s a subsidiary under a larger conglomerate called Meridian Industries.” Adrian’s tone was casual, almost offhand. “They’re looking to expand their digital infrastructure division. Your work on sustainable energy systems at Stellar Dynamics caught their attention. The owner thinks your approach could revolutionize their operations.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “SunCore Publishing is under Meridian Industries?”
“You’ve heard of them?”
“Heard of them?” Sophia laughed incredulously. “Everyone in the business world has heard of them. Meridian Industries owns stakes in everything…tech, real estate, pharmaceuticals, energy. They’re one of the largest private conglomerates in the country.”
What she didn’t say was the rest…that Meridian Industries was shrouded in mystery. No one knew who owned it. No public shareholders, no board meetings open to scrutiny, no CEO whose face appeared in magazines. The business world only knew one thing: whoever controlled Meridian Industries was powerful enough to move markets with a single decision. Simply put, he was the God of the business world.
Some called him “The king of business.” Others referred to him simply as “Mr. X” in hushed, reverent tones… though no one had ever confirmed his identity. Forbes had tried multiple times to identify him for their billionaire lists, but every investigation hit a wall. All anyone knew for certain was that he existed, that he was impossibly wealthy, and that he preferred to remain invisible.
“The owner is very selective about partnerships,” Adrian continued, seemingly oblivious to her shock. “But he holds your abilities in high regard. I’d suggest putting together a proposal for the bidding process. I think you’d have a strong chance.”
Sophia could barely breathe. “Adrian, do you have any idea what you’re suggesting? The owner of Meridian Industries…Mr. X, or whoever he is…he’s a legend. He’s practically a myth. How could someone like me possibly be worthy of his attention?”
Adrian glanced at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then he smiled…a small, enigmatic curve of his lips that made her heart skip. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Sophia. Some things you’d never know the answer to if you didn’t try.”
Before she could process that, the car slowed and pulled up in front of an elegant building with warm lighting spilling from its windows.
“We’re here,” Adrian said.
Sophia looked up at the restaurant and felt her breath catch for an entirely different reason. “Is this… La Belle Époque?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“Everyone’s heard of it.” Sophia stared at the understated but unmistakably expensive entrance. “It’s impossible to get a reservation here. The waiting list is six months long, and even then, you need the right connections.”
2/3
The Dinner hvitatiss
+25 Bonus
Adrian shrugged, casually then stepped out and came around to open her door.
As they approached the entrance, Sophia noticed the decorations…elegant banners announcing a special event, roses arranged in stunning displays, soft music drifting through the open doors.
“Oh,” the hostess said brightly as they entered. “Welcome! You’ve arrived on a very special evening. Today marks the twentieth wedding anniversary of our founder, Madame Élise Duchamp. To celebrate, any couple dining with us tonight receives a complimentary meal and one entry into our anniversary draw.”
Sophia’s heart skipped. “Madame Duchamp is here tonight?”
“Yes! She’ll be making an appearance later this evening.”
Sophia couldn’t hide her excitement. She’d read about Madame Duchamp’s story years ago…a woman who’d immigrated with nothing, worked her way up from dishwasher to sous chef, and eventually opened her own restaurant that became one of the most celebrated dining establishments in the city. She was a legend in entrepreneurial circles, and Sophia had always wanted to meet her.
“One of the prizes,” the hostess continued, “is a personal invitation to Madame Duchamp’s annual business gala. She only extends twenty invitations each year to entrepreneurs she wishes to mentor.”
Sophia’s eyes went wide. An invitation to that gala was worth more than money…it was access to a network of the city’s most successful business minds.
Adrian noticed her reaction immediately. Before Sophia could say anything, he turned to the hostess with a slight smile. “We’re a couple. We’d like to enter the draw.”
Sophia’s face went crimson. “Adrian, we’re not…”
“We’re here together,” Adrian said calmly, though something playful flickered in his eyes. “That qualifies, doesn’t it?”
The hostess beamed. “Absolutely! Right this way, please.”
Sophia’s cheeks burned as they followed the hostess inside. Her mind was spinning…from the evening’s events, from Adrian’s mysterious influence, from the casual way he’d just claimed them as a couple.
She was about to say something, anything to break the awkward tension, when a voice cut through the restaurant’s gentle ambiance like nails on a chalkboard.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my dear cousin Sophia.”
Sophia froze, her blood turning to ice.
No. Not here. Not tonight.
She turned slowly, and her stomach dropped.
Derek Laurent stood near the entrance, his expensive suit doing nothing to hide the entitled smirk on his face. And her worst nightmare had just begun.
Comments
ப
Support
Share
3/3
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
