From Music to: CEO's Contract Wife

The Invisible Girl

Carolin's POV

Lancaster Academy looked like it had been carved from stone and privilege.
Clean, cold, and polished within an inch of its soul.

Stone towers pierced a gray-blue sky. Hedges trimmed like sculpture. Students with cheekbones carved by legacy and shoes worth more than my family car.

To them, I was background noise.

Dragging my leg across the icy steps, I kept my chin down. Invisible was easier.

The school motto loomed above the gate: Veritas. Honor. Prestige.
I used to dream of carving in a fourth word with a pocketknife: Survive.

"Look, the limp is fashionably early today," someone sneered behind me.

Another voice: "Do you think that backpack came with the Ark?"

Laughter followed. Polished and practiced.

I didn't flinch.

I was Carolin Make-the scholarship ghost. A walking cautionary tale. Not pretty enough to be envied. Not bold enough to be feared. Just... tolerated.

And yet, on some fragile days...

I still dreamed of being seen.

At my locker, I bent to punch in my code.
SLAM.
The metal bit into my fingers.

"Oops," came the syrupy voice.

Olivia Sterling.
Blonde curls, white coat or malice in mascara.

Tiffany and Zara flanked her, designer bags and all.

"Didn't see you there, Carol-LUMP," Olivia purred.

I clenched my jaw. "Leave me alone."

She leaned closer, her perfume suffocating. "Just admiring your... dedication. Still trying to make that dusty piano thing happen?"

Their laughter felt like glass.

That piano had once been my world.

I stayed silent.

And then... he walked by.

Adrian Chase.

His presence shifted the air.
Dark curls, jawline like defiance, and a blazer that should've been illegal.

He didn't laugh.

Didn't stop.

Just... looked.

Our eyes met for a moment longer than they should have.

There was something different in his stare today. Not the usual smirk, not quite pity and not quite anything I could name.

I looked away first.

But my pulse didn't.

He passed by-and somehow, the cold stayed.

Later, I slipped into the west wing-my refuge of forgotten music.

The door opened. The piano waited.

I sat, hands trembling.
One chord, two.

🎵 "Built my walls with silence... stone by lonely stone..." 🎵

My voice filled the room, raw and real. For once, it didn't sound broken.

It sounded like me.

What I didn't know?

Someone was recording.

Lunch was different.

Whispers, stares and then-

SLAM.
Mabel my only and best friend from old days, dropped her tray beside me. "Carolin. You need to see this."

She turned her phone around.

A video.

Of me. Singing.

It was shaky-filmed through the cracked door-but my voice was crystal-clear.

The caption?

Lancaster's Hidden Angel
"She sings like heartbreak and heaven."

My heart stuttered.

"It's viral," Mabel said. "Everywhere. TikTok. Reels. Even VidPop."

Comments flew past the screen.

> North Star Music Festival: DM us. Let's talk.

I blinked.

And when I looked up...

Adrian Chase was watching me again.

From across the room.

No smug grin. Just... stillness.

Eyes locked on me like he didn't understand what he was seeing.

Like maybe-just maybe-he heard me for the first time.

I didn't look away this time.

Let him see me.

Let him wonder.

Let him want.

That night, I curled up in my room beneath flickering fairy lights and dreams I never dared speak aloud.

My phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

> Two thousand followers.
Audition request.
My voice, heard.

I stared at my reflection in my cracked mirror. At my scars, at the leg that bent wrong.
At the girl I had hidden away for too long.

And then... I saw it.

The tiniest shimmer of worth.

Sunday came fast.

I stood outside the regional audition hall, guitar in hand, nerves climbing like ivy.

Mabel squeezed my fingers. "You ready?"

"No," I whispered.

Then smiled.

"But I'm going in anyway."

Inside, I sang-not for them.
Not even for revenge.

I sang for the girl in the mirror who finally deserved to be loved.

Backstage, a boy leaned against the wall, watching the livestream on his phone.

Adrian.

His jaw tensed.

His chest rose, slow and heavy.

"She's not invisible anymore," he murmured to himself.

And for the first time...

He didn't know what to do with that.

Closer Than Ever

Carolin's POV

I couldn't stop shaking.

My hands still hovered in the air like they were catching notes. The stage lights had faded, but their warmth stayed on my skin-tingling like some kind of magic I wasn't ready to let go of.

I had just sung in front of judges, cameras, influencers, and strangers who whispered my name like I was something rare.

I should've been floating.

Instead, I was spiraling.

And it wasn't from the music.

It was him.

Adrian Chase.

He was walking toward me now, threading through the small backstage crowd like he belonged here-which, of course, he did. He always belonged wherever the spotlight hit.

But this time, his eyes were only on me.

I froze, hugging my guitar case to my chest like it could protect me from whatever was coming.

He stopped a foot away. Close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his eyes. Close enough to smell his cologne-rich and entirely too expensive.

"Carolin," he said, his voice lower than I remembered. No smirk and no smug grin. Just... my name. Like he'd been practicing it.

My throat went dry. "What do you want, Adrian?"

He flinched. Barely-but I saw it.

"I just wanted to say... you were incredible," he said.

"Are you-complimenting me?"

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I am."

I waited for the punchline, the insult hidden under layers of charm. But it never came.

Instead, he looked... nervous.

His gaze dropped to my boots, then back up slowly, pausing for a second too long on the hem of my jacket. His tongue darted out to wet his lips like he had more to say-but didn't know how.

"You really surprised me," he admitted.

I stiffened. "Because I'm not supposed to be good at anything, right?"

"No," he said quickly. "That's not what I meant."

My voice trembled, even though I hated that it did. "You laughed when I fell in the cafeteria. Sophomore year."

He winced like the memory physically hurt. "I know, I was an idiot."

"You were," I said, higher than I intended.

He didn't argue, just nodded.

Silence stretched between us like a tightrope.

"I'm not here to rewrite history," he said eventually. "But I saw you up there, and for the first time, I didn't see the version of you people painted. I saw... you."

His words hit something I didn't realize had been unguarded.

The silence around us was more thickened. The hallway emptied. People moved past us like background noise. But he stood still. Unmoving and intent.

"I never hated you, Carolin," he said quietly.

I lifted my chin. "You didn't have to. You let everyone else do it for you."

He looked down. "I regret that."

The way he said it-it didn't feel rehearsed, it felt honest.

And I didn't know what scared me more: the apology... or the part of me that wanted to believe it.

I swallowed. "Why are you really here, Adrian?"

He ran a hand through his curls, making them messier. "Because... I didn't expect to feel something when I heard you sing."

My stomach did a flip. A very inconvenient and traitorous flip.

"You're not going to post another video, are you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He shook his head. "No. This wasn't for TikTok. This was... for me."

My eyes narrowed. "Why do you care?"

He stepped closer. Just an inch. But it was enough to feel the shift.

His voice dropped to a near whisper. "I don't know. Maybe because I saw someone real for the first time in a very long time."

My breath caught.

There was something dangerous about Adrian when he wasn't performing for the crowd. When he wasn't playing Lancaster's golden boy. When his walls were down and he looked at me like I was a puzzle he wanted to figure out.

And maybe that's why I didn't walk away.

Maybe that's why, when Mabel texted me and I glanced at the screen-

> Mabel: "Where are you? We're heading to the after-audition hangout!"
-I didn't respond.

Because a different part of me... a selfish part I'd buried deep long ago...
Wanted to stay.

Adrian noticed me hesitate. "You don't have to run."

I laughed bitterly. "Funny. That's all I've ever done."

"Then don't," he said.

The silence between us wasn't awkward, it was charged.

He looked at my lips.

I saw it.

And I should've moved.

I should've said something clever or dismissive or even safe.

But instead-

"I've never kissed anyone," I said, voice barely audible.

His brows lifted in surprise. Not mocking, Just surprised.

He stepped even closer. "Would you want to?"

My heartbeat was in my ears now. "I don't know."

His fingers brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, lingering at the curve of my jaw.

My skin tingled.

"Then let me know if you change your mind," he said.

His voice was caution and something that felt an awful lot like temptation.

Then he walked away.

And I stood there-still trembling, still breathless, still unsure if what just happened was a dream or the beginning of something dangerous.

Two days later, I was sitting in the music room again-my sanctuary.

I played the keys, but my mind wasn't on the notes. It was on him. The warmth of his hand. The sound of my name in his voice.

I hated that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Mabel flopped beside me, holding a pink drink. "Okay, spill. You've been walking around like someone rewired your brain."

"I saw Adrian after the audition," I confessed.

She choked on her straw. "Please tell me you mean passed by."

"He talked to me."

"Talked?" Her eyes widened. "Like a full sentence?"

"A few," I muttered. "And he... touched my face."

Mabel stared at me like I'd grown wings. "Touched your-? Carolin! That boy is trouble dipped in cologne."

I laughed. "You sound like my mother."

"Good. Because she'd say the same thing: do not let that boy back into your heart. I swear, if he hurts you-"

"I'm not falling for him," I lied.

Because the truth?

A part of me already had.

The invitation came later that night.

An exclusive afterparty.

For select regional finalists.

It was being hosted at a hotel suite in the city.

Mabel was all in. "This is your moment! You've been in the background for too long. We are going. End of discussion."

I wore a black sweater dress and combat boots. My hair was down, messy on purpose.

My limp was more noticeable when I was nervous, so I took my time. Deep breaths.

The suite was packed with glowing people and music that pulsed through the walls.

And then...

There he was.

Adrian.

In a green jacket and boots that probably cost more than my rent.

He saw me.

And his expression softened instantly.

He crossed the room. "You came."

"I wasn't going to," I admitted.

"But you did."

"I guess I wanted to see if the boy from the hallway was real... or just another performance."

He nodded slowly. "I've been pretending so long, I'm not sure anymore."

Something in his eyes broke open. And it made me break a little too.

We found a quiet balcony.

The city lights flickered below.

He leaned against the railing, I stood beside him.

"Do you ever feel like... you're too broken to belong?" I asked.

He turned toward me, his voice raw. "All the time."

I looked up at him. He looked back.

No more games and no more pretending.

He leaned in.

And this time, I didn't stop him.

Our lips met.

It wasn't fireworks or fairy tales.

It was breath and heat and everything I didn't know I'd been waiting for.

When he pulled back, he didn't smile.

He looked afraid.

So was I.

Because what if this wasn't just a kiss?

What if this was the beginning of something I couldn't take back?

A Night of Mistake

Carolin's POV

The kiss still lingered.

Not just on my lips, but in my chest. A heavy warmth that pulsed every time I closed my eyes.

I kept telling myself it didn't mean anything. That Adrian had just gotten caught in the moment. That I had.

But every time I replayed it-his hand on my cheek, the way he whispered my name like it meant something-I couldn't breathe right.

For the first time in my life, someone looked at me like I wasn't invisible.

And God help me... I liked it.

That should've been the warning sign.

Two days later, he messaged me.

> Adrian: You left so fast after the party.

Me: Thought it was better that way.

Adrian: It wasn't. I've been thinking about you.

Me: Why?

Adrian: Come over, I'll tell you.

I stared at the screen for too long.

Mabel would've warned me. She'd have told me to take a cold shower and walk it off.

But Mabel wasn't there. She was home for the weekend, visiting her grandma. I was here, in my too-small room, surrounded by fairy lights and spiraling thoughts.

So I typed:

> Me: Okay. Send the address.

His apartment was exactly what I imagined.

Modern, minimalist but expensive.

He answered the door barefoot in a gray hoodie, like he hadn't even tried-and still looked good.

"Hey," he said, voice husky.

"Hey," I replied, wishing my heart wasn't pounding like I was walking into fire.

"Come in."

I stepped inside. Every nerve ending in my body felt too loud.

He handed me a soda and motioned toward the sofa. We sat-close, but not touching.

The silence was heavy, awkward in a way I hadn't expected.

"So," I said. "You've been thinking about me?"

He turned to face me, elbow hooked over the back of the couch. "Yeah. I know it probably sounds like a line. But it's not."

I raised a brow. "You sure? Because you've probably said that to half the school."

He winced. "Fair, I was... a jerk. No excuse but I see things differently now."

He looked at me like he meant it.

And suddenly, I hated how much I wanted to believe him.

"Why me, Adrian?" I asked. "Why now?"

He sighed. "Because you make me feel something real. When you sang... it wasn't just a voice. It was like you cracked something open in me. And I couldn't stop thinking about you since."

I stared at him.

Wanting to believe.

Needing to doubt.

And completely lost between the two.

"You kissed me," I whispered.

"I wanted to."

"You still do?"

He didn't answer.

He just leaned in slowly, like giving me time to run.

But I didn't.

Our lips met again-and this time, it wasn't tentative.

It was breathless.

Urgent.

My hands curled into his hoodie, pulling him closer. His fingers grazed my neck, my waist-everywhere I'd once tried to hide.

And something inside me broke.

Years of being overlooked, mocked, dismissed-suddenly I was the center of someone's attention.

Not just seen.

Wanted.

It overwhelmed me.

I didn't stop when his hands slid beneath my sweater.

I didn't stop when we stumbled to the bedroom, or when his hoodie landed on the floor, or when he paused long enough to ask, "Are you sure?"

I just nodded.

Because in that moment, I didn't want to be careful.

I wanted to be held.

To be chosen.

To be more than the limp or the stretch marks or the scars.

I wanted to be his.

Even if just for a night.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through unfamiliar curtains.

I woke up tangled in sheets that smelled like cedar. My head was dizzying, my heart even fuzzier.

Adrian lay beside me, half-asleep, arm draped across my waist.

For a moment, I let myself pretend.

That this was real.

That this meant something.

Then my phone buzzed.

Mabel.

> You good? You didn't answer last night. I'm worried.
Text me when you wake up. Please.

Reality crashed in.

My stomach tightened.

Adrian stirred. "You okay?" he mumbled.

I sat up, pulling the sheet around me. "Yeah. I should go."

He blinked, rubbing his face. "You don't have to. We could get breakfast."

But I was already slipping into my clothes. My body ached in unfamiliar places and my heart ached worse.

"I just... need air," I said.

He stood, watching me like he wanted to say something. But he didn't.

"Last night," I said, "was a mistake."

His jaw tightened. "You sure?"

I hesitated.

Then nodded.

Because I didn't know what else to do.

I cried all the way home.

Not because I regretted what happened.

But because I wasn't sure if he did.

Three weeks passed.

The world didn't end.

The school whispered about my audition video less.

Adrian and I didn't speak.

Not really.

We passed each other in the halls. He looked at me, I looked away.

Sometimes his hand twitched like he wanted to reach out.

But neither of us did.

Mabel noticed the shift. "What happened between you two?"

"Nothing," I said.

She narrowed her eyes. "Carolin..."

"It was one night," I snapped. "That's all."

But her expression softened. "And you're hurting because you wish it was more."

I didn't answer...

Because she wasn't wrong.