Adrien sat in the dimly lit office of his family’s estate, staring blankly at the papers spread across the desk in front of him. His mind wasn’t on business, though. All he could think about was Isabelle—their kiss, her words, and how much he wanted to be with her. But looming over everything was the engagement he had been trying so desperately to end.
Sophie.
He had thought about calling it off so many times. The engagement had never felt right, but his family had pushed for it, eager to merge two powerful dynasties. At the time, Adrien had agreed, thinking it was the sensible thing to do, but now everything had changed. He didn’t want a sensible life anymore. He wanted Isabelle. He wanted the life he had started to build with her, away from the pressures of wealth and expectations.
But ending things with Sophie wasn’t going to be easy. Her family was influential, deeply intertwined with his own, and any scandal would send shockwaves through both their worlds. His parents, particularly, had made it clear that breaking off the engagement was not an option.
As if on cue, his father entered the office, the weight of his presence filling the room. “Adrien, we need to talk.”
Adrien sighed, knowing exactly what was coming. “I know, Father.”
His father’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “The engagement party is in two days. Sophie’s family has arranged everything—the press, the guests, the announcement. This isn’t something we can back out of now.”
“I don’t love her,” Adrien said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want this.”
His father’s expression hardened. “This isn’t just about love, Adrien. It’s about family, about legacy. You know how much this marriage means to our reputation. You can’t simply walk away because of some fleeting emotions.”
Adrien clenched his fists, his frustration boiling just beneath the surface. “This isn’t fleeting. I love someone else.”
His father’s eyes narrowed, but there was no surprise in them. “The girl from the gallery. Isabelle, isn’t it?”
Adrien stiffened. He hadn’t told his parents about Isabelle, but clearly, word had spread. “Yes. I love her.”
His father’s expression softened, but only slightly. “Adrien, I understand that this is difficult, but you have to think about what’s at stake. This engagement is more than just you and Sophie. It’s about our family’s future, about the partnerships we’ve built for decades. Ending it now would cause a scandal that would take years to recover from.”
Adrien felt a lump form in his throat. He had expected resistance, but hearing his father speak so coldly about his feelings made the weight of the situation feel even heavier. He was trapped, bound by obligations and expectations he had never asked for.
The engagement party was set for the weekend, and despite his protests, there was no turning back. The preparations had been in full swing for weeks—the venue, the press, the guest list. Everything was arranged to ensure that the event would be the perfect display of wealth, power, and unity between their two families.
And yet, Adrien felt none of it. His heart wasn’t in this engagement, and the thought of standing beside Sophie, pretending to be happy, made him feel sick.
---
The night of the engagement party arrived, and the lavish ballroom was filled with guests—celebrities, politicians, business tycoons. The air buzzed with excitement, the clinking of champagne glasses mingling with the sound of polite laughter. Photographers and journalists lingered around the edges, waiting to capture the perfect moment for the tabloids.
Adrien stood near the entrance, feeling suffocated by the grandeur of it all. He was dressed in a sleek tuxedo, the picture of elegance, but his eyes betrayed him. He felt hollow, the weight of his decision dragging him down.
Sophie appeared at his side, radiant in a shimmering gown. She smiled for the cameras, slipping her arm through his, but Adrien could see through the act. She was putting on a show, just like him, and it hurt to know that neither of them was truly happy.
“Smile, Adrien,” Sophie whispered through gritted teeth, her voice barely audible over the chatter of the guests. “The press is watching.”
Adrien forced a smile, though it felt like a mask he couldn’t wait to tear off. His thoughts drifted back to Isabelle—what would she think if she saw him like this? Surrounded by luxury and cameras, pretending to be in love with another woman?
As they moved through the crowd, Sophie held onto his arm tightly, her grip almost painful. She greeted guests with grace, laughing and chatting with an ease that Adrien couldn’t match. To anyone watching, they looked like the perfect couple, two powerful families coming together in a picture-perfect union.
But inside, Adrien felt like he was crumbling. Every laugh, every fake smile, every glance at Sophie reminded him of how wrong this was. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be with Isabelle, in the quiet simplicity of her world, where things felt real and meaningful.
Suddenly, the room erupted in applause. Adrien blinked, realizing that the engagement announcement was happening. Sophie’s father was making a speech, praising their union and speaking about the bright future that lay ahead for both families.
Adrien felt his chest tighten. This wasn’t his future—it couldn’t be.
As the applause grew louder, Sophie turned to him, her smile wide and practiced. She reached for his hand, raising it for the cameras, and the press eagerly snapped photos of the “happy couple.” Adrien’s heart sank as he looked into her eyes, seeing the determination there. Sophie wasn’t going to let this go. She was clinging to this engagement for dear life, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The rest of the night passed in a blur. Adrien couldn’t remember how many people he spoke to, how many congratulations he had to endure. All he knew was that by the end of the evening, he felt drained, like a shadow of himself.
As the guests began to leave and the press packed up their cameras, Sophie leaned in, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, “We did it. They all believe it.”
Before Adrien could react, Sophie leaned in further and kissed him on the lips, her fingers gripping his arm as she made sure the press captured every angle. Adrien’s body tensed, his mind screaming to pull away, but he knew what this meant for the image they were selling to the world. The cameras flashed, capturing the kiss for tomorrow’s front pages—the perfect couple, locked in a loving embrace.
To the world, it would seem like a fairytale.
But to Adrien, it was nothing but a nightmare.
As Sophie pulled back, still smiling for the cameras, Adrien felt utterly defeated. His heart wasn’t here—it was with Isabelle. And the guilt of it all weighed heavily on his soul.
The engagement party ended with Adrien feeling more trapped than ever. No matter what happened now, the world would see Sophie as his future, and Isabelle would never know the truth of what was happening behind the scenes.
YOU ARE READING
PARISIAN HEARTS
रोमांसUnder the shimmering lights of Paris, Isabelle, a struggling artist, is drawn into a world she never imagined. When she meets Adrien, a powerful businessman with a guarded heart, their lives become intertwined in a dance of passion and longing. As t...
