The Man Who Doesn’t Take No For An Answer

The following morning, Noah woke up feeling strangely proud of himself.

For once, he had stood his ground.

A billionaire invited him to dinner.

And he said no.

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Okay.

Maybe “invited” wasn’t the right word.

It felt more like being summoned.

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Still.

The answer was no.

And Noah intended to keep it that way.

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Unfortunately…

He underestimated Adrian Knight.

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Very badly.

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At exactly 10 a.m., Noah was working behind the bookstore counter when the door opened.

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A familiar figure stepped inside.

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Noah froze.

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“No.”

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The customer standing nearby looked confused.

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“No?”

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“No, not you.”

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The customer quickly walked away.

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Meanwhile, Adrian calmly approached the counter.

Looking perfectly composed.

Perfectly dressed.

Perfectly irritating.

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“No.”

Noah repeated.

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Adrian raised an eyebrow.

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“Good morning to you too.”

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“What are you doing here?”

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“Buying a book.”

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“You hate books.”

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“I never said that.”

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“You looked bored the entire time you were here.”

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For the first time, Adrian looked offended.

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“I was not bored.”

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“You looked bored.”

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“I was observing.”

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Noah groaned.

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This man was impossible.

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Adrian placed a book on the counter.

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Noah looked down.

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Then blinked.

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The book was upside down.

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“You haven’t actually been reading.”

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Silence.

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Adrian stared at the book.

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Then calmly turned it around.

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Noah burst out laughing.

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Actually laughing.

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And for a moment…

Adrian simply watched him.

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The sound was nice.

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Far too nice.

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Dangerously nice.

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Something warm settled in his chest.

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A feeling he wasn’t familiar with.

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And he wasn’t sure he liked it.

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“You’re smiling.”

Noah suddenly said.

⸻

Adrian immediately stopped.

⸻

“I am not.”

⸻

“You are.”

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“I’m not.”

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“You definitely are.”

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The irony was completely lost on him.

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Because they sounded exactly alike when arguing.

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Several customers nearby were openly staring now.

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Not because of Noah.

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Because of Adrian.

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Most people recognized him immediately.

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The billionaire CEO.

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The mysterious businessman.

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The man whose face appeared on magazine covers.

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Yet here he was…

Arguing with a college student about whether he was smiling.

⸻

Nobody would have believed it.

⸻

Not even Luca.

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Especially not Luca.

⸻

Speaking of Luca…

⸻

He was currently sitting inside a black SUV across the street.

Watching everything.

⸻

And trying not to laugh.

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“Boss is gone.”

One bodyguard said.

⸻

“What do you mean?”

⸻

“The boss is completely gone.”

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Luca nodded.

⸻

There was no saving him.

⸻

Not anymore.

⸻

Because Adrian Knight was absolutely fascinated by Noah Parker.

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Back inside the bookstore…

Noah handed Adrian his receipt.

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“There.”

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“Thank you.”

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“Now leave.”

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Adrian stared at him.

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“No.”

⸻

Noah blinked.

⸻

“What?”

⸻

“No.”

⸻

“You can’t say no.”

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“You said no first.”

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“That’s different.”

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“How?”

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Noah opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

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Because annoyingly…

Adrian had a point.

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A very annoying point.

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Finally, Adrian leaned slightly closer.

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“Dinner.”

⸻

“No.”

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“Coffee.”

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“No.”

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“Lunch.”

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“No.”

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“A walk.”

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“No.”

⸻

Adrian sighed.

⸻

“You reject everything.”

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“You kidnapped me.”

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“That was different.”

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“It absolutely was not.”

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For a second…

Neither spoke.

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Then Adrian surprised him.

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“I’m sorry.”

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Noah blinked.

⸻

“What?”

⸻

“I’m sorry.”

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The words sounded strange coming from Adrian.

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As if he rarely apologized.

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Maybe never.

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Yet somehow…

The apology felt genuine.

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And that made it harder to stay angry.

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Much harder.

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Noah looked away.

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“Fine.”

⸻

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

⸻

“Fine?”

⸻

“You’re forgiven.”

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Something unexpected flashed across Adrian’s face.

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Relief.

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Actual relief.

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And Noah suddenly realized something.

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This powerful billionaire cared far too much about what he thought.

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The realization was both flattering…

And terrifying.

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Later that afternoon, Noah finished his shift and headed home.

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The sun was beginning to set.

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The streets were crowded.

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Everything felt normal.

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Until he noticed two men standing near his apartment building.

⸻

Watching him.

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Noah slowed.

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His stomach tightened.

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Something felt wrong.

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Very wrong.

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The men exchanged glances.

Then started walking toward him.

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Fast.

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Too fast.

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Noah immediately turned around.

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His heart started racing.

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Every instinct screamed danger.

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Before he could react—

A black SUV suddenly pulled up beside him.

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The passenger door flew open.

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And a familiar voice shouted—

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“Get in!”

⸻

Luca.

⸻

Noah didn’t hesitate.

⸻

He jumped inside.

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The door slammed shut.

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The SUV sped away.

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Through the rear window, Noah watched the two men disappear into the distance.

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His breathing was uneven.

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“What was that?”

⸻

Luca’s expression was serious.

⸻

“That’s what we’d like to know.”

⸻

Noah’s stomach dropped.

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Because for the first time…

This wasn’t about Adrian’s obsession.

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This was something much darker.

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And somewhere in the city…

Adrian Knight was about to discover that someone had been watching Noah.

⸻

And whoever it was…

Had just made the biggest mistake of their life.

To Be Continued… ❤️🔥

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