The name Adrian left her lips like a curse, cold and final.
Adrian Cole stood paralyzed, his polished composure crumbling like ancient stone. He was a man who navigated boardrooms and hostile takeovers with shark-like indifference, who rarely bothered with the shallow theatrics of the entertainment world.
He had only come tonight as a concession, a trophy for Lydia to display at her side… another acquisition in her endless collection of status symbols. But seeing Nina standing there… real, breathing, radiating that haunting magenta glow felt like a physical blow that knocked the air from his lungs and left him gasping.
He hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected her.
His gaze traveled over her face, cataloging every subtle change. The high cheekbones had grown even more defined, carved with an elegance that bordered on severity. Her eyes appeared more guarded yet somehow deeper, holding secrets he could no longer access.
