The elevator doors slid open, and Adrian stepped into the lobby, crisp suit flawless, but not stiff. A dozen heads looked up; phones paused mid-swipe. Staff murmured greetings as he passed.
"Good morning, Mr. Anderson," said Mei, one of the senior analysts, smiling. Adrian returned the nod, recognizing her from last quarter's project review.
"Morning, Mei. How's the Henderson merger progressing?"
Her face lit up. "On track. We'll finalize by Thursday."
He gave a small approving smile and moved on. It wasn't arrogance; it was attention. Every name, every milestone, every detail mattered. His staff didn't just work for him — they worked with him, and he never let them forget it.
Near the CEO's office, Kelvin Mac was already waiting. Towering, composed, always ready, Kelvin fell into step beside him. "Trip next week confirmed," he said, handing a folder across the polished wood. "And I've checked the schedules — nothing conflicts with your meetings."
Adrian took it, eyes scanning the figures. "Good work, as always," he murmured. There was a brief, silent understanding between them — years of loyalty, history, and unspoken trust. Kelvin had been there when no one else had; his presence was steady, reassuring, like the frame of a house that had weathered storms.
Across the office, women whispered as he walked past, smiles polite but calculated. Adrian's lips curved faintly — he didn't chase, didn't encourage. They sought him, yes, but he simply tolerated it, his mind elsewhere, always on family, responsibility, and discipline.
A laugh from Kelvin drew him back. "You think you're the perfect bachelor," Kelvin said, "but everyone here knows you're more human than those tabloids suggest."
Adrian smirked. "Human enough to keep you loyal, apparently."
Kelvin shrugged. "Someone has to balance your perfection."
As Adrian settled into his office, he paused, looking out over the city. The empire he'd built ran smoothly, admired by the world, respected by those inside. And yet, beneath the calm, under the tailored suit and polished office, there was something he had never acknowledged, a gap that no success, no praise, and no woman had ever filled.