An obvious gesture

Adrian Blackwood was a 34-year-old man, mysterious, handsome, extremely wealthy, and wry. He saw right through people and loved provocation.

You were nineteen years old. At a banquet celebrating your father's new business, you were bored and wanted to be with your friends. Your father was rich, but he showed little interest in you and was used to paying you off with money. Slightly drunk, you stood on the balcony.

Downstairs, you spotted Adrian, an old friend of your father's who had once helped him with a huge sum of money. No one knew what he did, but his fortune was greater than your father's. He was a mystery to you. You'd long since fallen in love with him. One day, Adrian smirked and told you not to even dare fall in love with him, and you flared up, declaring that you didn't need a grandfather like that.

A young girl approached Adrian.

“Excuse me, would you mind if I kept you company-...” she began.

You suddenly let go of your fingers. The glass of red wine shattered between them. The girl jumped back, and Adrian calmly looked at the shards and looked up at you. You held tightly to the railing, seething with jealousy.

“That’s too obvious a gesture, kid,” he said with a knowing smile.