Aria's POV
I couldn't stop watching him.
Even after Adrian Laurent walked away, my eyes kept drifting across the ballroom until I found him again.
He stood near a group of investors now, speaking calmly while they listened with intense focus. Every now and then someone laughed politely at something he said, but Adrian himself barely smiled.
He didn't need to.
There was something about him that commanded attention without effort.
Power.
Real power.
"Aria."
My father's voice was tight.
I turned quickly to face him.
His expression was dark far darker than I had ever seen it at one of these events.
"You will stay away from that man," he said quietly.
There was no room for argument in his tone.
"But he's family," I said carefully.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
My father's eyes flashed with anger.
"He is not family."
The force in his voice made a few nearby guests glance in our direction.
My father quickly composed himself, lowering his voice.
"You will not speak to him again tonight."
I hesitated.
"But.."
"Aria."
That single word carried enough authority to silence me.
I nodded slowly.
"Yes, Father."
Satisfied, he turned and walked back toward the politicians he had been speaking with earlier.
But the uneasy feeling in my stomach didn't disappear.
If anything, it grew stronger.
Because the more my father tried to push Adrian Laurent away from me…
The more curious I became.
Nearly twenty minutes passed.
I tried to focus on the event smiling at strangers, nodding politely during dull conversations about investments and government policies.
But my attention kept drifting.
And somehow, every time I looked up…
Adrian was already looking at me.
Not openly.
Not in a way that others would notice.
But I felt it.
His gaze.
Studying and observing me.
The strange awareness of him made my skin warm.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, I excused myself and slipped away toward the balcony doors.
I needed air.
___________________________________________________________________________
Outside, the cool night breeze wrapped around me like relief.
The city lights of Manhattan glittered in the distance, stretching endlessly beneath the dark sky.
For a moment, I simply stood there breathing.
Trying to calm the restless feeling inside my chest.
"You look like someone who just discovered a dangerous secret."
The deep voice behind me made my heart skip.
I turned slowly.
Adrian Laurent leaned casually against the balcony railing.
My breath caught.
I hadn't even heard the door open.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," I said.
His lips curved slightly.
"I wasn't sneaking."
He studied me again, his dark eyes calm but intense.
"You left the ballroom very quickly."
I folded my arms slightly.
"I needed some air."
Adrian nodded, as if he understood.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Just… strange.
"You've grown," he said suddenly.
The words surprised me.
"You remember me?"
His gaze softened slightly.
"Of course."
I frowned.
"I don't remember you."
"You were five the last time I saw you," Adrian replied.
"That explains it."
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"You used to follow your father around everywhere."
The thought made me laugh softly.
"That sounds like me."
His expression darkened slightly at the mention of my father.
"Your father and I… haven't exactly been on good terms."
"That's an understatement," I said.
Adrian chuckled quietly.
"Fair."
I hesitated before asking the question that had been burning in my mind for years.
"Why does he hate you so much?"
For the first time since I had met him, Adrian Laurent looked… thoughtful.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze moved past me to the glittering city lights.
"That," he said finally, "is a long story."
"Then tell me."
His eyes returned to mine.
Something dangerous flickered there.
"You really want to know?"
"Yes."
A small silence stretched between us.
Then Adrian straightened from the railing.
When he stepped closer, my breath caught again.
Up close, he was even more overwhelming.
Taller.
Stronger.
The faint scent of expensive cologne surrounded him.
"You should listen to your father, Aria," he said quietly.
The way he said my name made my pulse quicken.
"And stay away from me."
I blinked.
"That's exactly what he said."
Adrian's gaze hardened slightly.
"For once, he's right."
My curiosity only grew stronger.
"Why?"
Another pause.
Then Adrian leaned slightly closer.
His voice dropped lower.
"Because my world isn't the kind of place someone like you belongs."
A strange thrill ran through me.
"And what kind of world is that?"
His eyes searched my face carefully.
"The kind with consequences."
I swallowed.
His eyes darkened slightly, observing me
"Interesting."
Before I could respond, the balcony door suddenly opened.
My father stepped outside.
The moment he saw us standing together, his face turned pale with fury.
"Aria."
His voice was dangerously calm.
"I told you to stay away from him."
I stepped back instinctively.
"I was just..."
"She was getting some air," Adrian interrupted smoothly.
My father's glare shifted to him.
"Stay out of this."
Adrian didn't look bothered.
"Relax, brother. We were only talking."
"Don't call me that."
The hatred in my father's voice was unmistakable.
For a moment, the two men stared at each other again.
Just like before.
Like enemies.
Then my father turned to me.
"We're leaving."
"But the event isn't over..."
"Now."
His tone left no room for argument.
I glanced back at Adrian one last time.
He was watching me carefully.
Thoughtfully.
Almost, like he was memorizing something.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Goodnight, Aria."
The sound of my name in his voice sent another strange shiver through me.
I followed my father back inside.
But even as we left the ballroom…
I couldn't shake the feeling that Adrian Laurent had just given me a warning.
And somehow…
I knew I wasn't going to listen.