Part 140
The rejection came through a polite, carefully worded email from Adrian's management.
"Mr. Adrian respectfully declines Miss Liana's invitation due to current project commitments. He extends his gratitude for the honor and wishes her success in her event."
Liana reread the message three times.
Her assistant stood a few feet away, fidgeting. "Should I—uh—send a follow-up? Maybe reschedule?"
Liana set her teacup down with a soft click. The china trembled slightly on the saucer, but her face remained composed — perfectly still, perfectly unreadable.
"No," she said at last. "Don't send anything."
"Yes, Miss Liana."
When the door closed behind her assistant, silence filled the room — the kind that made every breath sound too loud.
Rejected.
She wasn't used to the word.
Not from men, not from artists, not from anyone.
People didn't say no to her. They didn't even think it.
Liana rose from the couch and crossed to the large window overlooking the city. Lights shimmered below like scattered jewels — her father's city, her domain. And yet somewhere out there, among those lights, was a man who had dared to turn her down without hesitation.
A small, sharp smile curved her lips.
It wasn't anger that burned in her chest. It was something more electric — fascination mixed with challenge.
"So that's the kind of man you are," she murmured. "The one who thinks he can't be reached."
She picked up her phone, scrolling through the endless stream of Adrian's fan videos — his interviews, his rehearsals, his voice echoing through crowded halls. Each clip pulled her in deeper. His calm was magnetic, his distance infuriating.
And the more he resisted, the more she wanted to see him bend.
Liana sat back down, her fingers lightly drumming against the armrest.
"Alright, Adrian," she whispered, her tone low, measured. "If you won't come to me… I'll come to you."
Her mind began to work — methodical, strategic. She didn't need to chase him; she had power, influence, and media on her side. A single feature request, an official endorsement, a government-sponsored campaign — she could have him standing beside her in public within weeks.
And when he did, when the whole world saw the President's daughter and the nation's top idol together — she wanted to see if he would still look so composed then.
Her reflection in the glass smirked back at her.
"No one says no to me twice."