CHAPTER 13 — JEALOUSY EXPLOSION

By seven, Elena was ready.

She took her time getting dressed, not because she cared about impressing Adrian, but because she refused to walk into another room full of his world looking like she didn’t belong there. The dress she chose was black, smooth against her skin, fitted in a way that didn’t beg for attention but didn’t hide her either. Her hair fell naturally over her shoulders, and her makeup was clean, sharp, just enough to make a statement without trying too hard.

When she stepped into the living area, Adrian was already there, standing near the window with his back partially turned.

He looked at her.

Not quickly. Not carelessly.

His eyes moved over her once, slow and deliberate, taking in every detail like he was assessing something he hadn’t expected. For a second, there was something in his expression—something darker, quieter—but it disappeared almost immediately.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Nothing else.

The ride to the event was silent, but it wasn’t the same silence from before. It felt heavier now, like there were things sitting between them that neither of them was willing to touch.

When they arrived, the atmosphere was different from the gala. Smaller crowd, quieter conversations, but the kind that mattered more. People here didn’t need noise to prove power.

The moment they stepped in, Adrian was pulled away.

Men approached him almost immediately, greeting him with familiarity and respect. He stepped into the conversation effortlessly, his posture shifting, his focus locking in like this was where he was always meant to be.

Elena stood beside him for a moment, waiting.

Expecting, at the very least, a simple introduction.

It didn’t come.

He didn’t look at her. Didn’t acknowledge her presence. Didn’t even gesture in her direction.

It was like she had never walked in with him.

Something tight settled in her chest.

She didn’t say anything.

Didn’t call his name.

She simply stepped away on her own, picking up a glass of wine from a passing tray before moving toward the side of the room. Not hiding, just… removing herself from a space where she clearly wasn’t needed.

From where she stood, she could still see him.

Focused. Calm. Completely in control.

Like she didn’t exist.

Elena took a slow sip of her drink, her grip tightening slightly around the glass.

So that’s how it was going to be.

“Not enjoying yourself?”

The voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She turned to see a man standing beside her, relaxed, observant, not forcing anything.

“I’m fine,” she said.

He gave a small, knowing smile. “That didn’t sound convincing.”

Elena let out a quiet breath, glancing briefly in Adrian’s direction before looking back at him.

“I came with someone,” she said. “Didn’t realize I’d be standing alone most of the night.”

The man followed her gaze, then nodded slightly. “His mistake.”

Something in her shifted.

Maybe it was the frustration from earlier. Maybe it was the way Adrian hadn’t even bothered to acknowledge her. Maybe it was the memory of everything he had said—and not said—after what happened between them.

Whatever it was, she didn’t step away.

“Elena,” she said.

“Marcus.”

The conversation started simply. Nothing deep, nothing serious, just enough to pass time. But Elena didn’t miss the fact that she was choosing to stay. Choosing to engage. Choosing not to look back at Adrian.

Across the room, Adrian’s voice slowed.

It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but his attention wasn’t as sharp anymore. His responses came a second later than they should have, his focus shifting without permission.

Then he looked up.

And saw her.

Standing there, talking to someone else.

Not just standing—engaged. Listening. Smiling slightly at something the man said.

His expression didn’t change, but something in his posture did. A quiet tension settled in his shoulders, his jaw tightening just enough to give him away.

“…Adrian?”

The man in front of him was still speaking.

Adrian blinked once, forcing his attention back, but it didn’t settle.

His gaze shifted again.

Still there.

Still talking.

Still not looking at him.

That was enough.

He set his glass down with quiet precision.

“We’ll continue this later,” he said, cutting the conversation cleanly without waiting for a response.

Then he walked away.

Not rushed.

Not angry.

Just controlled.

Elena noticed him approaching before he reached her.

Of course she did.

Marcus was still speaking when Adrian stopped beside them, his presence immediately shifting the air around them.

“Elena.”

Her name came out low, steady, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

She turned her head slightly, meeting his eyes.

“Yes?”

“We’re leaving.”

Just like that.

Elena frowned, the irritation she had been holding in finally surfacing.

“I just got here.”

“And now we’re leaving.”

Same tone. No change. No explanation.

Marcus glanced between them, picking up on the tension instantly.

“It’s alright,” he said, stepping back. “Nice meeting you.”

“You too,” Elena replied.

Adrian didn’t acknowledge him.

He had already turned.

Elena stood there for a second, her grip tightening slightly around the glass before she set it down and followed him.

The walk out was quiet, but it wasn’t calm.

It felt… controlled on the surface and unstable underneath.

The car door shut behind them, sealing them into the silence.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then—

“You seemed comfortable.”

His voice was low, measured, but there was something under it now. Something less controlled than usual.

Elena turned slightly, her expression unreadable.

“I was having a conversation.”

“With a stranger.”

“And?”

The word hung between them.

Adrian’s jaw tightened. He didn’t look at her this time.

“That’s not what you’re there for.”

Elena let out a quiet, disbelieving breath, turning fully toward him now.

“And what exactly am I there for, Adrian?” she asked, her voice calm but sharp. “Because from where I was standing, it looked like I was just… decoration. Something you walk in with and forget about once the real conversations start.”

He didn’t respond immediately.

That silence said enough.

“You didn’t even introduce me,” she continued, her voice lower now but no less steady. “You just left me there like I didn’t matter.”

“I was working.”

“And I was standing there like an idiot.”

That landed.

Adrian finally turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting hers, darker now, less controlled.

“You chose to entertain yourself,” he said.

Elena’s eyes held his. “You gave me the opportunity.”

A pause.

Then—

“Don’t do that again.”

Quiet. Firm. Possessive in a way he didn’t bother to hide this time.

Elena didn’t look away.

“Then don’t give me a reason to.”

Silence fell between them again.

But this time, it wasn’t controlled.

It was something else entirely.