The restaurant Ian chose was the kind of place where business deals were sealed with a handshake and vintage wine cost more than a car. High ceilings. Crystal chandeliers. Soft jazz playing beneath the buzz of quiet conversation.
Maria Sinclair stepped out of the black car the Ross driver had sent for her, dressed in the champagne gown Dana hated. It hugged her curves and shimmered under the lights like liquid gold. Heads turned as she walked in.
Confidence wasn't just armor tonight—it was strategy.
She spotted Ian at a private corner table. Black suit. No tie. Sleeves rolled just slightly above the wrist. He looked less like a man on a date and more like a ruler holding court.
Maria's heels clicked against the marble as she approached.
He stood, his eyes scanning her with something unreadable—surprise? Approval?
"Maria," he said, pulling out her chair. "You look... different."
She smiled as she sat. "That's not always a bad thing."
His lips twitched. "Not in this case."
The waiter appeared, all polite nods and murmured greetings. Ian ordered for them both—still the same old habit. Once, Maria had thought it was charming. Now, she wondered if it had always been about control.
But tonight, she would play along.
For now.
---
"Is this where you bring all your women?" she asked lightly, swirling her wine.
Ian's brow lifted. "Is that a question or an accusation?"
"Just curiosity."
He sipped his drink and leaned back, watching her closely. "You've been... sharp lately."
"Is that a problem?"
"No. It's just new."
Maria smiled. "Maybe I finally realized being sweet only gets you trampled."
Ian tilted his head slightly. "And who trampled you?"
She met his gaze, steady and calm. "Would it matter if I told you?"
His silence spoke volumes.
---
The food arrived. She barely touched it.
Ian, as always, was efficient with his meal—quick bites, no wasted motion. A man who made decisions fast and didn't second-guess them. The kind of man who could kill a woman with no hesitation... or so she thought.
But tonight, something was different. He wasn't cold. He wasn't distracted.
He was studying her, but not like a threat—like a puzzle.
"You used to smile more," he said after a while.
She raised a brow. "Maybe I had more reasons to."
He looked at her longer than necessary. "I used to wonder what you saw in me."
That caught her off guard.
"You're successful," she said, defaulting to the obvious. "Powerful. Every woman wants a man like that."
"But you never did."
Maria forced a laugh. "Sure I did. That's why I said yes when you proposed."
Ian set down his glass. "You said yes after I offered your father the Sinclair contract."
The air chilled.
Maria didn't flinch. "That's right. I forgot how transactional love could be."
He didn't respond.
---
For a moment, she studied him. The man she had loved so desperately—who had stood beside Dana and watched her bleed. She'd relived that memory in her nightmares a hundred times. And yet, tonight, this version of Ian seemed... unsure.
Almost human.
Was this how it all began? Before Dana poisoned his mind? Before the lies and the betrayal?
"Why did you really invite me to dinner?" she asked.
Ian leaned forward slightly. "Because I wanted to see you without everyone else watching."
She blinked.
"You've changed," he continued. "You speak your mind. You don't try to make me comfortable anymore. It's..." He hesitated. "Intriguing."
"So, I was boring before?"
"No. You were... obedient."
Maria's spine stiffened.
"And now?" she asked quietly.
"Now," Ian said, his voice low, "you're dangerous."
Maria's breath caught, but she kept her face neutral.
He leaned back again, calm, composed. "I respect that."
"Respect can be a dangerous thing, too," she murmured.
---
After dessert, they stepped outside into the crisp night. The city lights reflected off his car as it pulled around.
"I'll have the driver take you home," Ian said.
Maria looked up at him. "A gentleman, all of a sudden?"
He gave a rare half-smile. "Let's not get carried away."
As he opened the door for her, she paused.
"Do you trust Dana?" she asked.
His jaw tensed, just slightly. "Why?"
"Just curious. You always seemed... close."
"She's loyal," he said after a beat. "And useful."
Useful. That was all she needed to know.
"And you?" he added. "Do you trust her?"
Maria slipped into the car with a smile. "Trust is for fools."
The door closed.
---
Back in her room, Maria kicked off her heels and pulled out her notebook again. The pages were starting to fill.
Ian is suspicious of the change in my behavior.
Seems genuine, but not sure of motive.
Didn't defend Dana. Referred to her as 'useful.'
Possible to manipulate wedge between them.
She sat back and let the ink dry.
Tonight had confirmed something she hadn't wanted to admit.
Ian Ross might not have been the monster she thought he was.
But that didn't make him innocent.
And it definitely didn't mean he was safe.