Pretended to Need Quiet, Loved Another’s Chaos Chapter 02

Pretended to Need Quiet, Loved Another’s Chaos Chapter 02

When Adrian came home that evening, he stopped just inside the door.

“Where’s the carpet?”

“I had it removed.”

He hummed quietly, changed into his slippers, and walked inside.

“Replace it with something thicker. The old carpet didn’t absorb enough sound.”

I kept working on my laptop without looking up.

“I’m not replacing it.”

His eye twitched. As he loosened his tie, his gaze landed on the proposal deck for an automotive account open on my screen.

“So this is still about our project,” he said, irritation sharpening his voice.

“I told you, this campaign is for the launch of our new beauty brand. I have a responsibility to my company.”

“I understand. That’s why I’m ending our partnership and pursuing another account. I have a responsibility to my company too, and I can’t keep wasting time on a project you’ll never let us finish.”

Adrian pressed his lips into a thin line.

“This is business, Ivy, not some game you can quit whenever you feel like it.”

I stared at him, remembering the posts I’d seen on Faye’s TikTok account that afternoon.

[Best boss ever! He cuts up fruit for me, orders me boba, and even got me a premium streaming subscription because I wanted to binge a new show at work!]

[He even sneaks me candy during meetings. Is Mr. Pierce trying to spoil me like a kid?]

The comments were full of envy.

[That’s straight-up boyfriend behavior. Your boss definitely knows how to spoil a woman.]

I swallowed hard and lowered my eyes.

“Aren’t you the one treating this like a game, Mr. Pierce? We worked on this campaign for six months, and you put it on hold just like that.”

He’d already tugged his tie loose. Looking away, he said, “We’re adults, Ivy. Start acting like one.”

Then his tone shifted.

“I reviewed the drafts. The first version was good. Bring your team in tomorrow and present it for approval.”

He turned toward the door.

“Without the carpet, your footsteps are too loud. I’ll stay at the office for a few days and come back after you install something thicker.”

I hadn’t even left my chair, yet somehow I’d already made too much noise for him.

And then he was gone again.

The next day, I brought my team to Pierce Cosmetics for the presentation. To prove he was being impartial, Adrian offered no comments and removed himself from the vote.

Half an hour later, our first proposal was approved unanimously.

My team was thrilled and insisted on taking the client team out to celebrate. Before I knew it, I’d been dragged along.

In the restaurant’s private dining room, Adrian seated Faye beside him.

When One of the employees came over to toast Faye, she had barely picked up hers before Adrian stopped her.

“She can’t drink.”

Faye blushed and ducked behind him with an embarrassed smile.

One of the Pierce employees laughed.

“Mr. Pierce has changed so much since Faye started working here.”

“He used to scare the life out of everyone. Now he almost seems human.”

Adrian didn’t respond, but he didn’t deny it either. He ordered Faye a cup of herbal tea and handed it to her.

“You said your cramps were bad. Alcohol will only make them worse. Drink this instead.”

Last Christmas, his mother had humiliated me for still not being pregnant and made me shovel the driveway in the snow. I’d been on my period then too.

The cramps became so severe that I ended up at urgent care for a painkiller shot. When I complained to Adrian through the haze of medication, he’d only looked at me coldly.

“You’re the one who didn’t take care of yourself. Who else are you going to blame?”

Beneath the table, I clenched my hands and tried to steady myself.

Once the laughter died down, Faye came over to me. She wore a bright, innocent smile.

“Ms. Dawson, I’m Mr. Pierce’s assistant. I’d like to propose a toast.”

She poured me a shot of whiskey while keeping her herbal tea in hand.

I shook my head.

“Sorry, I can’t drink.”

Her smile froze.

Adrian watched us closely. He spoke in a low voice.

“Ivy, don’t embarrass Faye.”

I met his eyes and caught the warning in them. My nails dug into my palm as I quietly asked, “Did you forget?”

“Our doctor told us both to avoid alcohol while we were trying for a baby.”

Every conversation at the table stopped.