A stranger called cousin
Cathy's pov
The way Adrian's eyes lingered on Cathy sent a shiver down her spine. She had no idea who he truly was, yet the quiet confidence in his presence made her feel small and nervous.
Her father clapped him on the back, he was clearly happy to see him. “Come inside, son. You must be tired from the journey.” he said.
Adrian smiled politely, “Thank you, Uncle.” he said warmly.
Uncle. The word echoed in Cathy’s head, reminding her that this tall, handsome stranger was her cousin.
He was her cousin, but something about him didn’t feel like family. It felt dangerously different.
They walked back into the mansion together. Cathy’s mother told Nelly to prepare another breakfast plate for Adrian while her father guided him to the sitting room. Cathy trailed behind, unable to stop stealing glances at him.
Sunlight poured through the large glass windows, falling across his face and highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw. His fitted shirt clung perfectly to his broad shoulders, and Cathy couldn’t help but wonder if he was a model.
“Cathy,” her mother’s voice broke her thoughts. “Sit down, dear.”
She blinked and quickly took a seat at the dining table. Soon, Nelly arrived with Adrian’s food and placed it carefully before him.
“Thank you,” he said with a small nod.
His manners were calm, almost too calm like he had been trained all his life to act properly.
Cathy picked at her food but found herself watching him. He didn’t talk much, he was only answering her father’s questions with short sentences.
“So, how’s your father?” Cathy's father asked, slicing his toast.
“He traveled for business,” Adrian replied smoothly. “He asked me to stay here until he’s back.... he wants me to learn more about business”
Her father nodded knowingly, while her mother smiled faintly. But Cathy noticed the quick glance that passed between them. Something was unsaid, something she wasn’t supposed to catch.
Curiosity stirred inside her. Why had no one mentioned Adrian before? Why now?
After breakfast, she excused herself and walked toward the hallway. Some seconds passed, she heard footsteps behind her and turned. It was Adrian.
For a second, her heart skipped.
Adrian stopped, his phone was buzzing loudly in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. His jaw was tightened slightly before he stepped to the side and answered.
“Yes?” His voice dropped lower, almost harsh. “I told you not to call me now.”
Cathy froze, pressing herself against the corner of the hallway. Her breath hitched as she strained to listen.
“No… not now. I’ll call you later,” he muttered, his tone clipped. Then he ended the call abruptly and slid the phone back into his pocket.
At this, Cathy's mind spun. Who was that? And why did his voice sound so… different? The polite cousin at the table wasn’t the same person who had just spoken on the phone.
Before she could slip away, his eyes lifted and caught hers.
Cathy gasped softly, realizing too late that he knew she’d been watching. His dark gaze locked with hers, and she felt her cheeks flush.
“Do you always spy on people?” he asked quietly, with his lips tilting into a small smirk.
“I-I wasn’t spying,” she stammered, clutching her robe tighter around her. “I was just… passing.”
He raised a brow and stepped closer. The air between them thickened so much that Cathy could hear her own heartbeat.
“Well then, cousin,” he said softly, but the word carried a strange weight, “I’ll try not to take it personally.”
Then he brushed past her, and the lingering freshness of his cologne made her senses tingle as he walked away.
Cathy stood frozen, her thoughts tangled. Why did he have to look at her like that? And why did her body react as if he wasn’t her cousin at all?
She shook her head, trying to convince herself she was imagining things. Maybe she was just dreaming that she suddenly had a cousin in her house.
But the memory of his voice from that phone call clung to her like a stubborn shadow.
Then, footsteps approached again. She froze, her mind immediately whispered that it was him coming.
Just as she had suspected, Adrian appeared again and walked toward her. “Yeah… I totally forgot. I meant to ask you earlier, could you show me the guest room? I need to get my luggage from my car.”
“Oh…yess.. sure” she said, her words was stumbling. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. “One of the guest rooms is by the left when you get upstairs.” She pointed toward the stairs as she described it.
Adrian nodded and said, “Thanks,” before walking off. Cathy’s eyes followed him until he disappeared upstairs.
"Living with him would surely be a challenge" she thought.
The truth was undeniable, because he stirred something inside her that she couldn’t understand.”
Later that evening, Cathy found herself in her room again. The diamond necklace lay on her desk, it was glittering under the lamp. She picked it up and clasped it around her neck, admiring how it shone against her skin.
Just then, her phone buzzed. It was Isabella.
“Cathy! I’m getting prepared already… tonight I’m coming with the best gift ever!” she squealed.
Cathy laughed. “You’ve been hyping this gift since morning. You better not disappoint me.”
“You’ll see, and I can’t wait for your party. I’m going to dance till morning!”
They both giggled like children, but even as Isabella talked, Cathy’s mind wandered back to Adrian.
“Hello are you there Cathy?” Isabelle’s voice snapped her back.
“Sorry, Issabella. I was just… distracted.” she Muttered immediately.
Her friend gasped dramatically. “Is something wrong?”
At this, her cheeks grew hot. “No!” she said too quickly. “Just… birthday nerves.”
“Hmm,” Isabelle hummed suspiciously. “ okay, I will call you later."
They ended the call, and she lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Adrian settling into his room.
For reasons she couldn’t explain why her mind kept drifting to him…
and every time it did, something inside her tightened.
Could she really leave with him?
Or was she supposed to push him away before things got worse?
