Serena barely had time to process Adrian's warning before he was pulling her through the grand estate, his grip firm but not painful. The energy thrumming through him was dark, restrained, and utterly unreadable.
The party still buzzed behind them—laughter, clinking glasses, murmured conversations. But for Serena, it all faded into a blur.
All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.
All she could see was the hard line of Adrian's jaw, the tightness in his posture.
Finally, he led her through an arched doorway and into a private lounge, dimly lit and luxuriously furnished. The door clicked shut behind them.
"Adrian," she breathed, yanking her wrist free. "What the hell was that?"
He turned, raking a hand through his dark hair. "You shouldn't have been eavesdropping."
Serena scoffed. "Are you serious? You're hiding something, and I'm just supposed to ignore it?"
His eyes locked onto hers, sharp and assessing. "Yes."
The sheer audacity of his response sent a flare of frustration through her. "That's not how this works, Adrian! If I'm going to be part of your world, I need to know what I'm up against."
Adrian let out a slow exhale, stepping closer. "Serena, my world isn't something you can just step into and walk away from unscathed."
Her pulse quickened at his proximity, but she held her ground. "Then stop keeping me in the dark."
A muscle in his jaw ticked. "You really want to know?"
"Yes," she whispered.
Adrian studied her for a long moment, then, with a resigned sigh, he reached into the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a sleek black envelope. He handed it to her without a word.
Serena hesitated before taking it. The envelope felt heavier than it should have, as if it carried more than just paper—secrets, power, danger.
She slowly lifted the flap and slid out a folded sheet of high-quality parchment.
Her stomach clenched as she read the first line.
The contract between Blackwood Enterprises and Kensington Holdings is contingent upon the conditions agreed upon by both parties, including but not limited to the resolution of pre-existing conflicts.
Her hands trembled slightly.
This wasn't just a business deal.
It was leverage. A weapon.
Serena's mind raced as she pieced the puzzle together. "Olivia has something on you."
Adrian's gaze was unreadable. "Olivia has something on everyone."
"But what does she want from you?"
His lips pressed into a thin line. "That's not your concern."
Serena's frustration flared again. "It is my concern, Adrian. I'm your wife, remember? Or does that only matter when it's convenient for you?"
Something in his expression shifted—like she had struck a nerve.
Then, without warning, he closed the distance between them, his hands gripping her waist, his body pressing her back against the nearest wall.
The air between them crackled, thick with tension.
"You really want to know what Olivia wants?" he murmured, his voice dangerously low.
Serena swallowed hard, refusing to let her resolve waver. "Yes."
His fingers tightened ever so slightly on her waist. "She wants control. She wants to prove that she still holds the strings, even in my world."
Serena's breath hitched. "And you let her?"
A humorless smirk tugged at his lips. "Do I seem like the kind of man who lets anyone control me?"
No.
No, Adrian Blackwood was the kind of man who was the control. The power. The storm.
And yet, Olivia had something that could shake even him.
Serena's mind reeled. "What are you not telling me?"
Adrian's gaze darkened. "Enough."
She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, his lips crashed onto hers.
The kiss was raw. Demanding. A battle neither of them could afford to lose.
Serena gasped against him, but he didn't relent. His hands slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.
Her fingers found his hair, gripping tightly as she kissed him back with equal intensity.
Because damn him.
Damn him for making her feel this alive.
Damn him for making her forget—
Everything.
When he finally pulled away, their breaths were ragged, their bodies still tangled together.
Adrian's forehead rested against hers. "You can push all you want, Serena," he murmured. "But some doors are better left closed."
She swallowed hard, her heart still racing. "And if I decide to open them anyway?"
His smirk was dark, dangerous. "Then be ready for what's on the other side."
—
A Warning from the Past
The next morning, Serena couldn't shake the feeling that she was standing on the edge of something irreversible.
She had made her choice the moment she stepped into Adrian's world, but now, she was beginning to understand the weight of it.
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen—an unknown number.
Frowning, she hesitated before answering. "Hello?"
A deep voice rasped through the line. "Mrs. Blackwood, you should be careful where you tread."
Serena's blood ran cold. "Who is this?"
A low chuckle. "A friend. Or an enemy. Depends on how well you listen."
Her grip on the phone tightened. "If you have something to say, say it."
A pause. Then—
"Your husband isn't the only one keeping secrets. And some of them? Might just cost you everything."
Click.
The line went dead.
Serena's breath came in short, uneven bursts as she lowered the phone.
Her hands trembled, her mind racing with possibilities.
Who the hell had just called her?
And more importantly—
What did they know that she didn't?
—
The Man in the Shadows
That night, Serena stood in front of Adrian's office, her heart pounding.
She had spent the entire day debating whether to tell him about the call.
But something told her he already knew.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door.
Adrian sat behind his desk, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his eyes lifting lazily to meet hers.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mrs. Blackwood?"
Serena stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I got a call today."
Adrian's expression didn't change, but she noticed the way his grip tightened around the glass. "From?"
She crossed her arms. "A man who said I should be careful where I tread."
Adrian exhaled slowly, setting the glass down. "And you think I don't already know?"
Her stomach twisted. "Who was it?"
Adrian leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady. "Someone who doesn't understand the rules of this game."
Serena's chest tightened. "And what are the rules, Adrian?"
He smirked, but there was no humor in it. Only cold certainty.
"There are none."