The air in the massive study was cold, almost suffocating.Elena stood in front of Adrian, her fists clenched at her sides. She'd heard stories about him, how he was ruthless in business, untouchable in courtrooms, and utterly unreachable on a personal level. But none of those whispers had prepared her for the weight of his gaze.
He leaned back in his leather chair, one arm draped lazily over the armrest, his eyes a deep, stormy gray that seemed to see right through her."So," he said, voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "You're the desperate little woman my father wants to shove into my life."
Her jaw tightened. "I didn't come here by choice."
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, cold, mocking. "And yet here you are. Willing to sell yourself for your mother's hospital bill."
Her nails dug into her palms. "If it's about the money, fine. I'll repay every cent. But don't think for a second I'm here to beg for your affection."
He chuckled, low and humorless. "Affection? That's the last thing you'll get from me."
He rose from his seat, moving toward her with slow, deliberate steps, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. She refused to step back.
"You don't know what you're walking into," he said, stopping so close she could feel the faint warmth of his breath. His eyes, up close, were colder than ice. "My world is sharp edges and dark corners. You'll bleed long before you ever belong."
"I'm not afraid," she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.
His smirk deepened, not in amusement, but in warning. He leaned in, his mouth dangerously close to her ear.
"Then hear this, Elena," he whispered, his voice a silken blade. "If you marry me… you'll regret it for the rest of your life."