Page 41 of Knotting else Matters

“But the flowers—”

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll figure it out. You focus on yourself, okay? Just… breathe.”

She sniffled again, a faint, watery laugh slipping through. “I’m sorry. I know you’re probably busy, and I didn’t mean to—”

“Soph, I’m your sister. I’m here. I’ve got this.”

“Thank you. Thank you, Liv. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I ended the call, letting out a slow, shaky breath, and leaned my head back against the wall, my fingers still gripping the phone a little too tightly.

A low, warm chuckle cut through the silence, and I looked up to see Adrian leaning against the kitchen doorway, his arms crossed, a slow, amused smile curling at his lips.

“I thought you were mad at her.”

“I am.” I slipped the phone into my pocket, forcing a shaky laugh. “But right now, my baby sister is one floral crisis away from a nervous breakdown. So I don’t have the luxury of being mad.”

His smile didn’t fade. In fact, it seemed to warm, that dark, amused light in his eyes softening just slightly. “And you offered to help her.”

“Of course, I did.” I rubbed my forehead, the tension starting to creep back in. “I may want to strangle her for the whole ‘manipulate Olivia into staying at the hotel’ thing, but… she’s still my sister.”

He stepped closer, and I felt the heat of him before I even looked up. “And?”

“And…” I hesitated, my thumb absently tracing the edge of my phone, a soft, embarrassed laugh slipping out of me. “And I need your help.”

His smile widened, a slow, wicked curve that sent a faint, annoying thrill racing through me. “So you’re admitting you need me?”

“Oh, don’t get cocky.” I huffed, fighting back a smile of my own. “I could probably fix this without you. It would just… take a lot longer. And involve a lot more emotional damage to Sophie.”

“Hmm.” He leaned in, his voice dropping to that warm, dangerous murmur that always seemed to wrap around me. “So you want me to save the day with you?”

“No. I want you to help me make it look like I saved the day.”

“Ah.” His laugh was a low, rich rumble. “My sweet chaos,you are something else.”

“Yeah, yeah, save the sweet talk for after we fix the flower situation.” I shot back, already grabbing my purse and pulling on my shoes. “Now, come on, Alpha. Time to prove you’re more than just a pretty face with a superiority complex.”

“Keep talking like that, and I’ll make you beg for my help.”

“I’m not above begging.” I smirked, brushing past him, letting my shoulder graze his. “But let’s save that for after we save the wedding.”

His laughter followed me out the door, warm, dark, and infuriatingly perfect.

Adrian’s fingers danced over his phone screen, his expression focused, sharp, and calculating. I watched him, leaning against the kitchen counter, the tension in my chest slowly settling as he paced back and forth, his voice calm and authoritative as he made call after call.

“Most of the flower shops are closing in thirty minutes,” he muttered, ending another call and looking up at me. “But tomorrow morning, we can take one of the pickups from my father’s estate. We’ll hit every flower farm in the area. No middlemen, no delays. We’ll get the fresh flowers Sophie wants.”

“Perfect.” I let out a slow, relieved breath, the tight knot in my chest loosening just a bit. “But I still need to shower, maybe check on Sophie—”

“Then let’s get moving.” He grabbed his car keys, and I barely had time to process before he was holding the door open for me, a faint, knowing smile tugging at his lips. “And you can explain to Sophie how her flower crisis is under control. After your shower.”

I didn’t even argue. I just followed him, slipping into the sleek, dark SUV he’d parked outside the hotel, the leather seats cool against my skin. The city lights blurred past us as he drove, his gaze focused, his fingers drumming lightly against the steering wheel. I stole a few glances at him, that calm, controlled expression that never seemed to waver. It was infuriatingly attractive.

The gates to his parents' estate loomed ahead, and as we pulled in, the grandeur of the place washed over me again—sprawling gardens, towering oaks, the elegant, old-world mansion rising like something out of a storybook.

Adrian parked, and I barely waited for the engine to stop before I slipped out, hurrying toward the main entrance.

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