The event was everything Adrian Valtier represented.
Elegant. Powerful. Untouchable.
Crystal lights shimmered across the grand hall, soft music playing in the background as influential figures moved through the space with practiced charm. Every conversation carried weight. Every glance meant something.
And tonight—
All eyes were on them.
“Elara,” Adrian said quietly beside her, his voice low enough that only she could hear, “stay close.”
She glanced at him.
“Worried I’ll get lost?”
His expression didn’t change.
“No,” he said. “Worried you won’t.”
A faint smile touched her lips.
Interesting.
---
Elara played her role perfectly.
Graceful. Composed. Effortless.
She greeted people with polite confidence, her presence drawing attention without trying. More than once, Adrian noticed the way others looked at her—not just with curiosity, but interest.
And he didn’t like it.
---
“Mrs. Valtier.”
A man stepped forward, extending his hand toward Elara.
Tall. Well-dressed. Too confident.
“Elara Voss,” he said smoothly, ignoring Adrian completely. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
Elara shook his hand lightly.
“Only good things, I hope.”
“Depends,” he said with a charming smile. “Do you consider dangerous women a good thing?”
Adrian’s gaze hardened slightly.
Too close.
Too familiar.
The man didn’t move away.
Instead, he leaned in just enough to cross an invisible line.
“I must say,” he continued, “you’re far more interesting than I expected.”
Elara’s expression remained calm.
“And you are?”
“Daniel Royce.”
The name meant something.
Adrian recognized it immediately—an investor with questionable alliances.
Not someone he trusted.
---
“And what exactly do you find interesting about my wife?”
The words came smoothly.
Too smoothly.
But there was an edge beneath them.
Daniel finally glanced at Adrian, as if noticing him for the first time.
“My apologies,” he said, though his tone didn’t match the words. “I was simply admiring.”
Adrian stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
But enough.
“Elara,” he said quietly, “we should move.”
Before she could respond, Daniel spoke again.
“Or perhaps,” he smiled, “you could spare a dance?”
A pause.
The air shifted.
Elara looked at Adrian.
Just for a second.
As if waiting.
Testing.
Adrian’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
“No.”
The answer was immediate.
Controlled.
Final.
Daniel raised a brow.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
That was it.
Something cold settled in Adrian’s expression.
“And yet,” he said quietly, “you should have.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
---
Elara exhaled softly, stepping back.
“I think I’ll pass,” she said, her tone light but firm.
Daniel studied her for a moment, then smiled faintly.
“Another time, perhaps.”
“Unlikely.”
This time—
The word came from Adrian.
As Daniel walked away, Adrian turned to her.
“You shouldn’t entertain people like him.”
Elara raised an eyebrow.
“I was being polite.”
“You were encouraging him.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“And if I was?”
A pause.
Dangerous.
Adrian stepped closer.
Too close.
“He was looking at you like you were already his,” he said, his voice low.
Elara held his gaze, completely unfazed.
“And that bothers you?”
Silence.
For a second—
Too long.
Then—
“Yes.”
The word slipped out before he could stop it.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
It surprised both of them.
Elara’s expression softened—just slightly.
Not pity.
Not weakness.
Something else.
“You’re breaking your own rule,” she said quietly.
Adrian frowned.
“No emotional involvement, remember?”
Their eyes locked again.
Closer now.
More dangerous than before.
“Don’t misunderstand,” he said, his voice dropping. “I don’t like what’s mine being touched.”
The words hung between them.
Possessive.
Clear.
---
Elara smiled slowly.
Not mocking.
Not cold.
But something deeper.
“Careful, Mr. Valtier,” she whispered.
“This is just a contract.”
And yet—
Neither of them moved away.
Because for the first time—
It didn’t feel like one.
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