ВойтиAdrian’s POVI had seen Elena in expensive dresses before, but tonight felt different in a way I could not quite explain without sounding like a fool.Maybe it was the color. A soft champagne shade that seemed to catch the light every time she moved, warm and delicate and somehow still impossible to ignore. Maybe it was the way the dress fit her so perfectly, fitted through the waist and falling in graceful layers that made her look like she had stepped out of something far too beautiful to be real. Or maybe it was simply Elena herself, because she had that effect on me whether she was wearing silk, anger, or one of those stubborn little expressions that usually meant she was about to say something sharp.Tonight, though, she looked breathtaking.Not in the empty way people used that word when they wanted to sound poetic. I mean breathtaking in the truest sense of it. The kind that actually made my chest tighten for a second and reminded me, very inconveniently, that I was still ca
Adrian’s POVI stood on the balcony of my villa in Italy, the morning sun warm on my face, but my mind was already running at full speed.Engaged.The word still felt strange, but in the best way. Elena had said yes. She was going to be my wife. After all the mistakes, the fights, the months of trying to prove myself, she had chosen me. The diamond on her finger was proof of that.I wasn’t the type to get excited easily, but today I felt it — a quiet, deep satisfaction mixed with something sharper. I wanted this wedding to be perfect for her. She deserved the grandest celebration money could buy, and I was going to give it to her.I turned and walked back inside, where Marco was already waiting with a tablet in hand.“Boss,” he said, straightening up.“Listen carefully,” I told him, voice low and firm. “The engagement party starts tomorrow. I want everything perfect. Venue, flowers, food, lighting, security — nothing less than flawless. Hire the best chefs, the best decorators. Mo
Elena’s POVI stepped inside the house late the next evening, the emerald dress carefully folded in a bag and Adrian’s diamond ring sparkling brightly on my left hand.The lights in the living room were still on. Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch, clearly waiting for me. Mom looked curious and a little worried. Dad looked… well, like Dad — arms crossed, eyebrows already furrowed.“You’re late,” Dad said the moment I closed the door.“I know. Sorry.” I walked over, kissed Mom on the cheek, then gave Dad a quick hug before sitting down on the armchair across from them. “It was a long night… yesterday.”Mom leaned forward, eyes scanning my face. “So? What happened? Where did he take you? You look… different.”I couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. I lifted my left hand slowly and let the ring catch the light.Mom gasped. “Elena… is that…?”Dad’s eyes narrowed instantly on the diamond. “What is that?”I took a deep breath. “Adrian proposed yesterday night.”Silence fi
Elena’s POV The ring felt heavy on my finger, but in the best possible way. We were still standing on that beautiful terrace, the lights of the hills twinkling below us. Adrian hadn’t let go of me since I said yes. His arms were wrapped around my waist, forehead resting against mine, like he was afraid I might disappear if he loosened his grip. I pulled back just enough to look at him properly. “You really planned all this? The dress, the dinner, the ring… without giving me even a hint?” A small, rare smile touched his lips. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” “You succeeded,” I muttered, glancing down at the sparkling diamond again. “I feel like I just stepped into one of those romantic movies I used to make fun of.” His hand came up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing slowly across my skin. “You said yes.” “I did.” I bit my lip, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was still racing. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to make you work for it though.” Adrian’s eyes darkened w
Elena’s POVThe morning started peacefully enough.I was in the kitchen helping Mom with breakfast when the doorbell rang. Dad went to answer it, and a few moments later he walked back in carrying a large, elegant black box with a silver ribbon. His face was already tight with suspicion.“This just arrived for you,” he said, placing the box on the table. “From him.”I knew exactly who “him” was.My heart gave a little jump as I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside lay the most beautiful evening gown I had ever seen — deep emerald green, silky fabric that shimmered under the light, with delicate lace details along the neckline and sleeves. Beneath it were matching heels, a small jewelry box, and a simple white card.I picked up the card first.Wear this tonight. Be ready at 8. I’ll pick you up.No questions. Just trust me.— AA short laugh escaped me. “Of course he’d say ‘no questions’.”Mom leaned over, eyes widening. “Oh, Elena… that dress is stunning.”Dad, however, didn’t
Elena’s POVThe first full day back in my parents’ house felt both comforting and strangely foreign.I woke up in my old bedroom, sunlight filtering through the familiar lace curtains. The same bed, the same photos on the wall, the same faint smell of lavender from mom’s favorite detergent. For a moment it felt like the last two years had never happened. Then I remembered I wasn’t a teenager anymore, and the man I was slowly falling for again was somewhere out there doing God-knows-what in his dark world.I stretched and got out of bed, already missing the weight of Adrian’s arm around me from the nights we’d spent together in New York. Pathetic, really. One week of good mornings with him and I was already spoiled.Downstairs, the kitchen smelled like fresh coffee and buttery toast. Mom was at the stove flipping pancakes, and Dad sat at the table reading the newspaper like old times.“Morning,” I said, kissing mom on the cheek before sliding into my usual chair.Mom turned with a br
Elena's POVOne month flew by in a beautiful blur of penthouse mornings and Adrian's steady presence weaving security into every corner of my new life. He stayed buried in work constantly battling those Viktor remnants through late-night strategy calls and dock fires that lit up his burner phone b
Adrian's POV The penthouse alert system screamed like a banshee with red lights pulsing across every wall screen as the main elevator emergency override kicked in cutting through our breakfast idyll like a machete. Elena froze with her fork halfway to her mouth those green eyes wide with sudden
Adrian's POV I bolted from the study like a man on fire with my heart hammering against my ribs as that faint sob cut through the penthouse silence sharper than any blade. Every muscle in my body coiled tight because I was expecting the worst after Marcus's intel on Viktor but as I shoved the
Elena's POVSunlight poured through the penthouse windows like liquid gold, waking me tangled in sheets that still carried Adrian's scent. His arm draped heavy and possessive over my waist as he stirred beside me, pressing a lazy kiss to my shoulder that sent warm ripples through my skin. "Mornin







