FAZER LOGINJoshua realized the danger too late—the glass had already pierced his skin."Ah!"His terrified scream was drowned by the crackle of fireworks, but death did not come. The shard had only cut the flesh; it hadn't reached the artery.A large hand gripped Adriana's delicate wrist and pulled back, extracting the glass."Don't soil your hands on someone like him."Francesco produced a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from her fingers.Joshua clutched his bleeding neck, his face ashen."Francesco… it's you again?"He had heard Francesco had returned to Mitaly. How could he possibly be here?Francesco's eyes flicked open, cold and unyielding. The rare, violent intensity radiating from him made Joshua instinctively take a step back.Adriana's eyes were glassy; she panted slightly, clinging tightly to Francesco's arm, her weight pressing into the support of his hand. A swarm of restless ants seemed to crawl beneath her skin, a maddening, tingling fire she could neither soothe n
Adriana didn't recognize any of the guests, which suited her just fine. She found a quiet corner and sat down, keeping to herself.When it came time to cut the cake, the birthday girl descended the spiral staircase, arm-in-arm with Tony. Adriana looked up and froze.Keisha Nash?!"Let's raise our glasses to wish my dear friend, Keisha, a happy birthday!"The voice rang out clearly—and to her astonishment, it was Joan. Her cousin and Joan were best friends?"Adriana, you gorgeous thing! Long time no see!"A thickly smiling man in a dark green pinstriped suit stepped toward her. Adriana's brow furrowed immediately; she recognized him at a glance.Joshua Teegan. A year her senior in high school. He had played no small part in the bullying she had endured all those years ago."Adriana, you've only gotten more beautiful. If I'd acted faster back then, maybe I could've taken your virginity myself."Joshua grinned shamelessly, his tone lecherous.Adriana forced herself not to gag. "
When Mars found Francesco, he was riding a purebred Andalusian horse, trotting in steady circles around the paddock.For the past few days, his young master had kept people at arm's length—either riding or walking the dog alone, always distant."Sir, Miss Bianca is on the line."Francesco guided the horse toward him and took the phone."Bianca, the black cat figurine Adriana received—was that from you?""I think so. I don't like her."Bianca lay sprawled on the grass, idly plucking blades one by one, her gaze flickering.After a brief silence, Francesco asked again, "The New Year's gift I asked you to pass along to her—you didn't mix it up, did you?"Bianca pressed her lips together, her voice dropping slightly. "No.""Bianca, I don't like being lied to." His tone turned firm."I'm not lying!"She seemed to bristle with anger and hung up immediately.In truth, Francesco had only been testing her. Bianca never lied—he knew that much.Perhaps he really had been overthinking
But watching Adriana was anything but dull.After dinner, Chris insisted on seeing her back to Rosewood Avenue."I'm not comfortable letting you take a cab alone.""Thank you."The apartment there was already move-in ready, and Adriana didn't refuse—she didn't want to arouse suspicion.As they neared, Chris asked, "Why didn't you drive your own car?"Her heart skipped a beat. "The paint got chipped."His expression eased slightly. "I'll have someone take it in for repairs. Or I can get you a new one—just tell me when you've picked it out.""I'll get it fixed myself this weekend. I'm used to that car. No need for a new one."Once the car stopped, Adriana unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.Chris rolled down the window. "Go on in. I'll watch you enter. Good night.""Okay. Good night."She turned away, and only then did the tension inside her slowly begin to dissipate.When she reached the corner and glanced back, the black Maybach had already turned around and driven off."
Inside the car, Chris looked over at the silent Adriana.Dusk had settled, and the fading sunlight streamed through the window, wrapping her in a soft, golden glow.Resting her chin in her hand, her fingers appeared slender and pale. The light spread across her delicate profile, a fine layer of softness visible on her smooth skin. Strands of her hair caught the light, shimmering faintly in shades of soft brown.She sat there quietly, as if the noise and haste of the world had been filtered away by that tranquil wash of evening light around her, settling into something like a richly textured oil painting.Chris found himself recalling the first time his heart had stirred—also at an hour like this, under a setting sun.That day, he had just returned from outside. In the golden afterglow, she stood among the flowers in a knee-length red dress, playing with the white cat his grandmother kept.A leaf had caught in her hair. She tilted her head slightly and brushed it away, a loose str
"No idea. She just appeared out of nowhere. Sanctity Group really knows how to keep things under wraps.""They said they'd send top talent to work with us, but neither Oliver nor Elena showed up—just some well-connected hire.""Adriana's abilities are actually decent. Too bad about her character…""Shh! She's still Mrs. Slater in name. Watch what you say."Someone glanced toward the door, made sure no one was there, and lit another cigarette."If you ask me, it's not so bad having Adriana here. You don't come across beauties like her very often. If Elena turns out to be plain-looking, imagine having to stare at that every day."The moment he finished, several of the men laughed in unison.The smoking room filled with the stale, sour stench of cigarettes—yet the men inside seemed completely oblivious.…After everything she had been through, Adriana gradually stopped caring so much about what others thought.When Joan and her son first returned, she had felt ashamed, afraid of
Daisy studied Edward, a flicker of something unusual passing through her eyes. The boy looked far too much like a member of the Slater family."Mhm, I gave birth overseas," Joan said.She gently nudged Edward toward Daisy. "Edward, hurry up and say hello to Daisy.""Hello, Daisy.""So adorable,"
Francesco was supremely confident, moving without a shred of protective gear.Adriana tightened her grip on her sword, testing him with two tentative thrusts—both easily dodged by Francesco.His reflexes were lightning-fast, and soon he returned a strike of his own. Adriana couldn't evade it in ti
Daisy sat in the back seat of her luxury car, lost in thought.The driver spoke respectfully. "Madam, sir asked that you return his call."Daisy took her phone from her bag and dialed Dean."Chris isn't pretending to be sick. His face was extremely pale, and he barely had the strength to speak. I
Francesco had actually recorded their conversation!Adriana's teeth itched with frustration. Truly, fate had a cruel sense of humor.Adriana: [What do you want from me?]The video he sent was clearly a threat.Francesco: [Come to the old place tonight for fencing, or this video will appear in yo







