Chapter 15 Chapter 15
The morning light spilled into Adrian’s penthouse like liquid gold, warm and soft, completely at odds with the storm inside me. I stood near the floor-to-ceiling window, staring down at the city that felt both familiar and foreign. Maybe it was me who had changed. Maybe it was everything else.
Behind me, I felt him before he spoke—Adrian. His presence had a way of filling a room even when he was silent.
“You didn’t sleep,” he said.
I didn’t turn. “Neither did you.”
“I wasn’t the one pacing at 3 a.m.”
I shot him a look over my shoulder. “You heard that?”
“I hear everything.”
Of course he did. Adrian Blake wasn’t a man who missed details. Not in the boardroom. Not in life. And definitely not when it came to me.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady my thoughts. “You should’ve gotten rest. We have a long day.”
He moved closer, his footsteps soft against the marble floor. “I don’t need rest,” he murmured. “Not when I have you walking around here like you’re about to disappear.”
Something pulled at my chest—surprise or heat or something I didn’t want to name. “I wasn’t going to disappear.”
“You were thinking about it.” His voice dropped. “Your eyes always give you away.”
I looked down at my fingers. “It’s just… everything is moving so fast. Yesterday I was a wife. Today I’m plotting revenge with a billionaire who barely knows me.”
He stepped even closer. I felt the warmth of him at my back. Not touching me—just there, enough to make my breath catch.
“I know you,” he said quietly.
“More than you think.”
The words shouldn’t have comforted me… but they settled into the cracks of my chest like warmth seeping into frozen glass.
A soft knock interrupted the moment, and one of his assistants entered with a tablet. Adrian’s voice shifted immediately—cold, clipped, controlled. Seeing him switch so easily reminded me who he really was: powerful, intimidating, dangerous.
But when his eyes slid back to me, they softened. Only for me.
After the assistant left, Adrian cleared his throat. “Tonight we make our first move.”
“Tonight?” I asked, startled.
He nodded. “There’s a charity gala downtown. Daniel and Mandy will be there. It’s the perfect place to introduce you… officially.”
“As what?” My heart thumped. “Your friend? Your date?”
He held my gaze for a long moment. Too long.
“As my fiancée.”
The air left my lungs.
“Adrian—”
“It’s the quickest way to get Daniel’s attention,” he said, stepping closer. “He only understands power. Status. Possession.”
My pulse raced. “You’re using me as bait.”
“You’re using me too.” His voice softened. “This is a partnership, Elena.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it. He was right. I needed him. He needed me. And somewhere in that chaos, something unspoken had begun to form between us—something that scared me more than Daniel ever had.
“Fine,” I whispered.
His eyes dipped to my lips for a split second before he looked away. “Then you’ll need a dress.”
The boutique Adrian took me to was nothing like I imagined. It wasn’t loud or flashy—not like Mandy’s usual preferences. It was quiet, elegant, its walls lined with silk and velvet, fabrics that shimmered like secrets.
“Pick whatever you like,” Adrian said.
I raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be serious.”
“Completely.”
A stylist approached us with a polite smile. “Mr. Blake, should I bring out the private selections?”
“Yes,” he said, eyes still on me. “Only the best.”
She hurried away, and I swallowed. “You’re making this look… real.”
“It has to look real,” he replied. “Daniel watches everything.”
The stylist returned with three dresses—each one stunning, each one more expensive than anything I’d ever owned. I ran my fingers gently over a deep emerald gown, soft as water, shimmering under the lights.
“Try that one,” Adrian said quietly.
“Why?”
“Because it’ll make him furious.”
I blinked. “Daniel?”
He shook his head. “No.”
His gaze traveled over me slowly—deliberate, unavoidable.
“Me.”
My breath hitched.
I went into the changing room, slipping into the dress carefully. When I stepped out, I felt… different. The dress hugged me like a second skin, elegant, bold, nothing like the simple clothes Daniel preferred me in.
Adrian stood frozen.
His eyes traveled from the neckline to the curve of my waist, then lower, a slow, devastating study that made heat flood my cheeks.
“Elena,” he said, voice lower than I’d ever heard it, “you’re going to start a war tonight.”
I looked away quickly. “Is that a problem?”
He stepped closer, so close the air thickened. “Only for everyone who underestimates you.”
My heart hammered. I told myself it was nerves. But I knew better.
We arrived at the gala together, Adrian’s hand hovering near the small of my back but never touching—not quite. It was maddening, the almost-touch, the heat of him so close it felt like electricity.
Cameras flashed as we stepped out of the car. Whispers rippled instantly.
“That’s Adrian Blake—”
“Who’s she?”
“Is he engaged?”
“She’s gorgeous.”
My knees shook slightly. Adrian leaned in, his breath brushing my ear just enough to make me shiver.
“Breathe,” he murmured.
“I am breathing.”
“Then breathe slower.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “You’re enjoying this.”
He tilted his head, eyes glinting. “Maybe.”
Inside, the lights were bright, music soft, glasses chiming. People flocked to Adrian immediately—but their gazes kept darting toward me.
“Smile,” Adrian whispered.
“I am.”
“No,” he corrected softly. “Smile like you’re mine.”
His words shot straight through me.
I lifted my chin, letting confidence—real or imagined—settle around me like armor. Adrian watched me with something almost proud in his eyes.
For a moment, I forgot why we were here. I forgot the betrayal. The pain. The revenge.
For a moment, it felt like something else was beginning between us—dangerous, forbidden, electric.
Then the crowd shifted.
I felt the air change before I even saw him.
Daniel.
He stood on the upper steps of the ballroom, his eyes locked on me like he was seeing a ghost. His jaw tightened. Mandy clung to his arm but froze when she saw who I was standing beside.
Adrian leaned close, his lips nearly brushing my ear.
“Showtime.”
My heart thundered.
And when Daniel started moving toward us with fury burning in his eyes—
The world around me fell into a breathless, perfect silence.