WELCOME BACK! WE'RE GONNA ENJOY THIS đź“Ť
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The aftermath of the attack left the penthouse buzzing with whispered panic. Guests huddled in corners, some dialing frantic calls, others trembling from the brush with death. The staff tried to maintain order, but it was futile. Broken glasses littered the floor, champagne spilled across polished marble, and the faint scent of smoke lingered in the air. Adrian surveyed the chaos from the balcony, his expression unreadable, every muscle taut with controlled anger. This was his domain, and yet tonight, for the first time in years, he had felt a real crack in its perfection.
Selene slipped toward the shadows near the bar, careful not to attract attention. She had survived the attack, yes, but that had only been the opening move. Every second here was a calculated risk. The man who had caught her attention—the one whose very presence radiated danger—watched her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. Adrian Moreau. She didn't yet know how deeply his empire ran, or how deadly he could be, but she was learning fast.
Adrian descended the grand staircase, each step deliberate, his eyes never leaving her. Guests parted instinctively, sensing the predator in motion. When he reached the bottom, he was calm, almost impossibly so, but there was a tension coiled beneath the surface, like a spring ready to snap. He approached her slowly, his gaze locked on hers, sharp and unrelenting.
"You survived," he said quietly, the words carrying a weight that made her skin prickle. "Most people would have frozen, or run."
Selene straightened, tilting her head slightly. "I don't freeze," she said, her voice steady. "And I never run from what I can handle." She allowed a flicker of intrigue to cross her eyes, letting him wonder if she truly meant it.
He studied her for a long moment, as if trying to read every hidden layer. Then, almost imperceptibly, his lips curved into a faint, dangerous smirk. "Interesting," he murmured. "Not many people can keep up with me."
The air between them crackled. A brush of shoulders as he moved closer sent a shiver down her spine. Her mind screamed at her to stay focused, to remember why she was here, yet part of her wondered what it would be like to lean in closer, to feel the man's proximity, to test the magnetic pull she couldn't ignore.
A sharp sound jolted them both—the distant click of a gun being loaded. Adrian's eyes narrowed instantly. "Stay close," he ordered, his voice low and commanding. Without another word, he guided her toward a side entrance, a hidden door he knew would lead them out of immediate danger. They moved through the private corridors of the penthouse, the world outside still in chaos, but here it was quiet, intimate, and tense.
Selene kept her movements precise, her heart hammering. Every step alongside him heightened the strange, unspoken connection growing between them. Their fingers brushed once, and she felt an almost electric spark shoot through her. She fought the awareness, reminded herself of her mission. He was dangerous. Attractive. Deadly. And she had to use that to her advantage, not fall prey to it.
As they reached the end of the corridor, Adrian paused, turning to face her fully. "You're hiding something," he said, voice low, dangerous, almost teasing. "I can feel it. But I'm not sure if I want to know… yet."
Selene held his gaze, letting the tension stretch. "Some things," she said, deliberately slow, "are better discovered when the time is right."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered across his lips, and for a moment, the predator and the intruder studied each other, measuring, calculating, and circling in a silent, magnetic dance. Outside, the city continued unaware of the deadly chemistry that had just ignited in one of its hidden penthouses, the kind of spark that could burn everything down if not controlled.
Selene knew she had survived the night, but as Adrian's presence pressed against her awareness, she realized that surviving him would be far more complicated than surviving the attackers. And for the first time, she wondered if she even wanted to.