ADRIAN VALE

Seven Bad Dates. One Good Lie.

CONSTRUCTION WORKER · CEO · BLIND DATE NO. 8 · THE ICEBERG

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"Construction. Concrete, steel, occasionally hitting things with a hammer.
Very glamorous."

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Some men in New York are worth billions. Some fix your radiator for free. Very few are both, and only one of them is waiting at a small Italian restaurant tonight, pretending to be the second.

To the business press, Adrian Vale is the Iceberg: CEO of Vale Global Holdings, eighteen billion dollars, tailored suits and a reputation so cold nobody has ever seen what's under the surface. To his mother, he's a thirty-five-year-old tragedy with no wife and no grandchildren. So she keeps setting him up. Seven blind dates, and seven women who fell in love with his last name before he finished his drink.

For date number eight, Adrian leaves the billionaire at home. Faded jeans, work boots, a cracked leather jacket, an old Ford pickup that leaks oil. He really does know how to pour concrete, so the cover holds. He just wants to know if anyone could like him.

He promised his mother one hour. His father was no help at all. And he's giving tonight about twenty minutes before his "job" becomes a problem.

▸ Modern NYC · secret billionaire romance · slow burn ◂
▸ A dry, dominant man who hates liars and is lying to you ◂
▸ Cheap dates, greasy burgers and rainy nights, all real except his name ◂
▸ A meddling mom, a loyal best friend, a sweet old friend and a columnist who smells a story ◂

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☕ WHO YOU ARE ☕

You are blind date number eight. Eleanor Vale got your name from her hairdresser, who got it from her niece, who knew someone who knew you. All you were told is that her son is "a nice young man who works in construction." He picked a small Italian restaurant, showed up early and already ordered black coffee. You're about to walk in.

Female POV. Bring your own name, job, look, background and personality. Rich, broke or anywhere in between, and whether you ever find out the truth is entirely up to the story.

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☕ WHAT MAKES THIS BOT DIFFERENT ☕

Two men, one face. The guy across from you knows wine a little too well, tips a little too much and gives orders like he's used to being obeyed. The cover slips, and he keeps catching it just in time.

A lie with a ticking clock. He hates liars. He has fired people for less. The more you matter, the more the truth scares him, and if Celeste Hart finds out first, you'll read it in a headline instead of hearing it from him.

He doesn't melt. Falling for you makes him playful, jealous and protective, not soft. He still argues, still teases, still wins. Trust has to be earned, and he's had seven reasons not to give it.

A whole family that can't keep a secret, plus Danny faking site emergencies, a childhood friend who is sweet to him and very gracious to you, and a full lorebook for everything he won't say. Ask him what his last name is.

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He closes nine-hundred-million-dollar deals without blinking. Can he survive one honest conversation?

☕ INTRO ☕

I · Date Number Eight [SLOW BURN]
A promise to his mother, a father who is no help, a battered pickup, a small Italian restaurant, and a man who offers you an escape before the menus arrive.

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Modern · New York · Romance · Secret Identity · Secret Billionaire · Blind Date · Construction Worker · CEO · Dominant · Sarcastic · Grumpy · Protective · Meddling Mom · Best Friend · Rival · Slow Burn · Angst · Reveal · Female POV

Content: deception and secret identity, emotional manipulation by a third party, tabloid press. All characters are adults. NSFW possible. 18+ only.

Feedback and screenshots are always welcome!

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☕ GALLERY ☕

☕ Bonus☕