The gala blurred into chaos after Adrian's declaration. Some guests clapped politely, others whispered like vipers, and the cameras kept flashing as though the moment was history itself.
But Lena barely heard any of it.
Her mind spun with his words — This woman is mine.
When the car door shut behind her and the city lights streaked by outside, silence wrapped around them like a cocoon. Adrian leaned back, his expression unreadable, while Lena's hands twisted nervously in her lap.
Finally, she whispered, "Why did you do that?"
Adrian's gaze shifted to her, intense and unyielding. "Because it needed to be said."
"But… in front of everyone?" Her voice trembled. "You've just painted a target on me. Clara won't stop. The press won't stop. You've made it worse."
Adrian leaned forward, his hand brushing hers, stilling her restless fingers. "No, Lena. I made it clear. You are untouchable. And anyone who tries to hurt you will have to go through me."
Her heart ached at the conviction in his voice. But the fear didn't fade. She pulled her hand back gently, staring out at the glittering skyline.
"You don't understand," she murmured. "My life was quiet before you. Now… everything is loud, dangerous. Sometimes I wonder if I was foolish to step into your world."
For the first time that night, his composure cracked. A flicker of something raw — fear, frustration — crossed his features. "Do you regret it?"
Lena froze. The question pierced too close to the truth she hadn't dared admit to herself. Did she regret him? Or did she regret how easily he made her heart betray her common sense?
She couldn't answer.
Instead, she whispered, "I don't know."
The silence that followed was heavier than any declaration.
Adrian leaned back again, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed. For once, the man who seemed to control everything… said nothing.
And Lena realized, with a pang, that for all his power, Adrian feared only one thing — losing her.