Chapter 6

Elena's pov

The entire ballroom fell silent.

Every pair of eyes were now turned towards the entrance, he was framed by the golden light of the hallway.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, different from what he had on earlier. It made him look even more intimidating than he had been at the penthouse.

Whispers immediately rippled through the crowd.

“Is that–”

“Adrian?”

“It's Adrian Laurent…”

“What is he doing here?”

Even the staff near the door froze, because men like Adrian Laurent didn't attend small engagement parties.

Men like him owned the buildings where these kinds of parties were held.

Matteo’s face immediately drained of color as he noticed the man by the door.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

Sofia's confident smile faltered slightly as Adrian began to walk into the ballroom. His steps were slow and controlled.

And somehow, the room seemed to shift around him as he moved.

The guest instinctively stepped aside, like people parting for a storm.

I stood there frozen in the middle of the room as my heart began to pound again.

Why was he here?

Adrian stopped a few feet behind me, close enough that I could feel the faint warmth of his presence at my back.

The silence stretched throughout the room and into my head.

Then his calm voice immediately filled the room.

“Did I interrupt something?”

No one answered, but Matteo stupidly forced out a nervous laugh.

“Mr. Laurent,” he said quickly. “What a surprise.”

Adrian's gaze shifted slowly towards him– it was cold and unreadable.

“Is It?”

“Well… yes,” Matteo said. “This is just a private family event.”

Adrian glanced around the ballroom as his eyes briefly scanned the decorations, from the roses, down to the banner then the guests and finally, they landed on Sofia.

“Congratulations,” he said flatly.

Sofia straightened slightly, clearly trying hard to regain her confidence.

“Thank you, Mr. Laurent,” she replied sweetly.

Her voice still moved throughout the silence room.

“We're very happy to have you at our engagement.”

Adrian was still quiet as his gaze shifted again.

This time… it settled on the engagement ring lying dormant on the stage floor.

The same one I had thrown at Matteo. He suddenly walked forward calmly, bent down and picked it up.

The diamond glittered under the chandelier as he examined it briefly.

Then he looked at me.

“I'm guessing this is yours?” he said.

My throat immediately tightened. “Not anymore.”

Adrian studied my face for a moment and then he slipped the ring into Matteo’s hand.

“You dropped something,” he said.

Matteo forced another tight smile and whispered, "Thank you.”

The tension in the room was suffocating as Adrian finally turned his attention back to me.

“Elena.”

My name actually sounded strange coming from him, it was low but controlled.

“Are you finished here?” he asked, catching me off guard.

“I…what?” I blinked.

He nodded slightly towards Matteo and Sofia.

“With this.” He added softly.

My eyes moved toward them as I noticed the irritated look on Matteo’s face and Sofia's smug look.

And suddenly…

I realized something, they actually thought they had won. They thought I was the humiliated woman who had just come here to cry and leave.

My shoulders began to slowly straighten.

“Yes,” I said quietly. “I'm finished.”

“Good,” he said, nodding.

Then he stepped forward and placed his hand lightly on my back.

The gesture was subtle, but it felt like electricity through out my body.

The entire room seemed to inhale at the same time.

“What are you doing?” Matteo snapped suddenly.

“Taking my wife home.” He said, looking back at Matteo calmly.

The words exploded throughout the ballroom.

“What?” Several guests gasped as I watched Sofia's face turn white.

Matteo actually burst out laughing— short but It showed his disbelief.

“Your wife?” Matteo repeated.

“Yes.”

Adrian's voice remained perfectly steady.

“That's impossible,” Matteo said quickly. “She's not–”

He stopped abruptly. Because Adrian just pulled something out of the inside pocket of his suit.

It was a folded document, which he now handed casually to Matteo.

“Read it.” He said.

Matteo stared at the paper for a moment, then he unfolded it and his expression changed instantly.

First of all he was filled with confusion, then came the shock which I really enjoyed and then the pure disbelief.

“This… This is fake,” he stammered.

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“You are highly welcome to verify it with the city registrar tomorrow.”

Sofia immediately grabbed the paper from Matteo’s hand as her eyes scanned the document 

Then she gasped.

“You got married?” She blurted, and the guests all erupted into whispers.

“No way…”

“When did that happen?”

“This has to be a joke…”

My own mind was spinning, because I had never signed any marriage papers. 

“What is this?” I whispered, turning towards Adrian.

He slowly leaned down so only I could hear and then he said,

“Insurance.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“For what?” I asked.

“For tonight.”

Before I could ask another question—Matteo exploded.

“You planned this?” He shouted.

Adrian's expression didn't change, instead he was still very calm.

“You offered her,” he said calmly. “You don't get to complain about who gets accepted.”

“She wasn't yours to take!” Matteo yelled.

Adrian's eyes now turned dangerously cold.

“You know what, Matteo…” He paused, “ I think that's the interesting part.”

The room immediately fell silent again, because the next words he spoke were even sharper.

“You clearly didn't want her.”

Matteo’s fist were already clenched.

“That doesn't mean you get to steal her!!”

Adrian now laughed, but it was quiet.

“Steal?” He said, glancing briefly towards Sofia.

“Isn't that what you two were doing?

The accusation felt like a dropped bomb. Several guests were already exchanging uncomfortable looks as Sofia's cheeks flushed red.

“You are twisting things,” she snapped.

“Oh.. Am I?” he muttered, returning his gaze to Matteo.

“Didn't you just propose to the lady beside you tonight,” he said calmly. “Meanwhile, you sent your fiancée.. Oops, I mean Ex– fiancée to my bed.”

Matteo couldn't say a word and just like that the whispers grew louder.

“Oh my God…”

“Did he really do that?”

“That's disgusting…”

Matteo’s face turned bright red.

“Elena agreed to it!” He snapped defensively as Adrian stared at me briefly.

Then his gaze shifted back to Matteo.

“Yes,” he said.

“She did.”

His voice now slightly above whisper.

“But only because she believed you loved her.”

The room went quiet again and Matteo this time had nothing to say.

Adrian finally stepped closer to him, this time he was close enough that even Matteo’s feet had to take a step back.

“Let me make something clear,” Adrian said softly.

“You sold her .” he said, his gaze hardened. “ I bought her.”

I almost choked on my saliva.

The statement alone sent chills down my spine and it wasn't just because of the words themselves… but because of the way he had said them.

It sounded possesive and certain, and now he was back to his former stance. 

His hands on my back..

“Come on,” he murmured. “It's time to leave.”

For a moment there, I hesitated and then I looked around the ballroom one last time and then my gaze moved to Matteo and then to Sofia. 

It was reality playing in my face, five years of love gone in one night.

Slowly…. I turned and walked beside Adrian as we both moved towards the exit.

Just as we got to the door— Sofia's voice suddenly rang out behind us.

“You think you won?” She yelled.

We both stopped as Adrian glanced over his shoulder.

Sofia's eyes now clearly burned with anger.

“You didn't marry her because you care about her,” she started. “You married her because she's damaged goods.”

The insult echoed through the room as my chest squeezed, but Adrian did not react the way I had expected.

Instead…

He smiled in a slow but dangerous way.

Then he said something that made the entire room freeeze.

“And that's where you got it all wrong,” Adrian said calmly. “I married her because she's the only woman in this room worth keeping.”