Chapter 1: His Attention

I shouldn’t have been there.

That was the first thought that crossed my mind the moment I stepped into the grand hall.

Everything about the place screamed money. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling like they had never known dust, soft golden light spilling over polished marble floors. The air smelled expensive—like perfume I couldn’t afford and power I didn’t belong around.

This wasn’t my world.

And I knew it.

“Relax,” Lila murmured beside me, nudging my arm lightly. “You look like you’re about to run.”

“I am thinking about it,” I muttered under my breath, adjusting the simple black dress I had spent too long choosing.

It suddenly felt too plain.

Too small.

“Don’t you dare,” she said, grabbing my wrist before I could even consider turning back. “You got invited. That means you deserve to be here.”

I let out a quiet breath.

Invited.

That word still felt strange.

This event was filled with people who owned companies, built empires, controlled rooms without saying a word.

People like Ethan Blackwood.

I stiffened slightly at the thought, quickly pushing it away.

He wasn’t here.

Men like him didn’t attend events like this casually—they were the reason events like this existed.

“Come on,” Lila said, already scanning the room with excitement. “At least pretend to enjoy it.”

I forced a small smile.

“Fine. Ten minutes.”

“Liar,” she grinned.

I tried.

I really did.

I smiled when necessary, nodded when spoken to, accepted a glass of something I didn’t even like just to avoid looking out of place.

But the longer I stayed, the more I felt it.

That quiet pressure.

Like I didn’t belong.

Like at any moment, someone would notice and ask me what I was doing here.

“Stop overthinking,” I whispered to myself.

And then—

The room shifted.

It was subtle.

So subtle most people wouldn’t notice.

But I did.

Conversations slowed.

Attention shifted.

Energy changed.

I didn’t know why at first.

Until I followed everyone else’s gaze.

And saw him.

Ethan Blackwood.

He didn’t walk into the room.

He owned it the moment he stepped in.

Tall. Composed. Effortlessly controlled. His suit was dark, perfectly fitted, like it was designed for authority rather than style. And his expression—

Unreadable.

But powerful.

People didn’t just look at him.

They adjusted around him.

Moved for him.

Watched him.

My chest tightened slightly.

So he was here.

Of course he was.

“Don’t stare,” Lila whispered sharply beside me.

“I’m not,” I replied quickly, looking away.

But it was too late.

Because somehow—

He had already seen me.

I felt it before I confirmed it.

That unsettling awareness of being watched.

Slowly, against my better judgment, I lifted my gaze.

And froze.

His eyes were on me.

Not scanning.

Not passing.

Focused.

Intentional.

Like out of everyone in this room—

He chose me.

My stomach twisted.

Why?

That made no sense.

There were women here who looked like they belonged beside him. Women who understood this world, who fit into it effortlessly.

I wasn’t one of them.

So why me?

“Okay… that’s not normal,” Lila muttered under her breath.

“I know,” I said quietly.

“Do you know him?”

“No.”

That was a lie.

Not a complete one.

But enough.

I looked away first.

I had to.

Because something about the way he was looking at me felt dangerous.

Like if I held his gaze any longer—

Something would shift.

Something I wouldn’t be able to control.

“Miss.”

The voice came from behind me.

Low.

Calm.

Too close.

I turned.

And there he was.

Ethan Blackwood.

Standing right in front of me.

Not across the room.

Not distant.

Close.

Too close.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

Up close, he was worse.

Sharper.

More intense.

His presence wasn’t just noticeable—it was overwhelming.

“You don’t seem impressed,” he said, his voice smooth, controlled.

I blinked, forcing myself to recover.

“I’m sorry?”

“This event,” he clarified, his gaze steady on mine. “Most people are.”

I held his gaze this time.

Carefully.

“I guess I’m not most people.”

Something flickered in his eyes.

Interest.

Real interest.

And that was a problem.

“Ethan Blackwood,” he said, extending his hand.

I looked at it briefly.

Then back at him.

And didn’t take it.

“I know who you are.”

A pause.

Small.

But noticeable.

“And you are?” he asked.

“Ava.”

No last name.

No extra information.

Nothing he could use.

His gaze lingered slightly.

“Walk with me,” he said.

Not a question.

A decision.

I felt Lila shift beside me.

Waiting.

Watching.

Expecting.

But I didn’t move.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said calmly.

Another pause.

He studied me now.

“Why not?”

I met his gaze fully.

“Because I don’t belong in your world.”

A beat.

“And I have no interest in trying.”

Silence.

Real silence.

For the first time—

Ethan Blackwood didn’t look certain.

“Interesting,” he said quietly.

But the way he looked at me after that—

It wasn’t interest anymore.

It was intention.

And something told me—

Rejecting him wasn’t the end of this.

It was the beginning.