Serena wasn't sure which was worse—the weight of Adrian's gaze on her or the way her body betrayed her every time he came near.
The gala continued around them, a sea of wealth and power swirling in the grand ballroom. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light over men in tailored suits and women in glittering gowns, but none of them mattered. Not when Adrian Blackwood stood beside her, his presence wrapping around her like a silken noose.
"Time to give them a show," he murmured, offering his hand.
Serena hesitated.
She hadn't agreed to dance. She had played the perfect fiancée all night—smiling, nodding, letting him stake his claim in front of the city's elite. But this? This was dangerous.
Because the moment Adrian touched her, she forgot this was all an act.
But she had signed her name on that contract. And now, she belonged to him.
So she placed her hand in his, ignoring the jolt that shot up her arm at the contact.
Adrian led her onto the dance floor, and the moment he pulled her against him, the world shrank to nothing.
His hand rested on the small of her back, firm but not demanding. His other hand cradled hers, fingers warm against her skin. Serena kept her spine straight, her chin high, refusing to let him see the way he affected her.
"You're tense," Adrian observed, his breath ghosting against her ear as they moved in sync.
"I don't dance with strangers," she replied smoothly.
His lips curved in amusement. "We're married, Serena. That makes me something far worse than a stranger."
The words sent a shiver down her spine.
Adrian Blackwood was right. He wasn't a stranger.
He was her husband.
At least, that's what the world would believe.
He spun her effortlessly, his grip never faltering, his movements smooth and deliberate. Every shift of his body was precise, controlled. The way he led was both commanding and intoxicating.
"Tell me something, wife," he murmured. "Are you always this resistant, or is it just me?"
Serena tilted her head, meeting his gaze with feigned boredom. "Would you prefer I swooned at your feet?"
Adrian chuckled, low and dark. "No, I'd prefer you admit you enjoy this."
She refused to answer.
Because the truth was dangerous.
She did enjoy this.
She enjoyed the way his hands fit against her body, the way his presence curled around her like smoke. She enjoyed the way he looked at her—not like she was a pawn in some business deal, but like he wanted to consume her.
"Nothing to say?" he mused. "Interesting."
Serena exhaled sharply. "What's interesting is that you seem to think you already know me."
Adrian's fingers flexed slightly on her waist, pulling her just a fraction closer. "Oh, I don't know you, Serena. But I will."
A warning. A promise.
Before she could respond, he dipped her low, his grip tightening around her, forcing her to trust him—to surrender, even if just for a second.
And in that second, she hated how much she liked it.
When he pulled her upright, their bodies were closer than before. The air between them thickened, charged with something neither of them wanted to name.
"You play your role well," Adrian murmured, his thumb brushing against her waist ever so slightly. "Almost too well."
"That's what you're paying me for, isn't it?" she countered.
Adrian smirked, but his gaze darkened. "You think this is just business, Serena?"
"That's what you said," she reminded him.
His jaw tightened. "I say a lot of things."
The music slowed, and Serena finally allowed herself to step back, placing distance between them.
She needed space. Air. Something that wasn't him.
But as soon as she turned, a familiar voice cut through the night.
"Adrian."
Serena turned her head just enough to see Olivia standing nearby, her emerald dress shimmering under the chandelier light.
Of course.
Olivia's gaze flickered between them before settling on Serena. "You dance well," she commented, voice laced with something that wasn't quite a compliment.
Serena smiled, unbothered. "I had an excellent partner."
Adrian remained silent, watching Olivia with an unreadable expression.
Serena didn't like it.
Didn't like the way his past lingered like a shadow.
Didn't like the way Olivia knew things Serena didn't.
It was ridiculous to feel anything at all. This was a contract. An arrangement. Adrian Blackwood wasn't hers.
But that didn't stop the ugly twist of something sharp in her chest.
Olivia finally turned to Adrian, tilting her head slightly. "I need a moment alone with you."
Adrian hesitated. Just for a second. Then, he turned to Serena. "I won't be long."
Serena met his gaze, her expression smooth, controlled. "Take your time."
She walked away before he could respond, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
What did she care if Adrian wanted to entertain ghosts from his past?
She didn't.
She couldn't.
And yet, she couldn't stop herself from glancing back.
Adrian and Olivia stood close, too close, their voices low. Serena couldn't hear what they were saying, but she didn't need to.
She saw the way Olivia reached for his arm, the way Adrian let her.
And for the first time since signing that contract, doubt slithered into Serena's mind.
Had she made a deal with a man she couldn't control?
Or worse…
A man who already belonged to someone else?
She should turn away. She should walk off and remind herself this was just business.
But something kept her rooted to the spot, gripping the stem of her champagne glass a little too tightly.
Then, as if sensing her gaze, Adrian turned his head slightly, his sharp blue eyes locking onto hers.
Serena held her ground, refusing to be the first to look away.
His lips quirked into something that wasn't quite a smirk.
A challenge.
And just like that, Serena realized something.
Adrian Blackwood may have secrets.
But so did she.
And before this was over, she'd make sure he learned them all.