The morning sunlight spilled through the tall windows, warm and golden, yet the bridal suite felt cold.
Elena stirred slowly, her lashes fluttering open as her gaze landed on the empty space beside her. The sheets were untouched, smooth, as if no one had ever lain there. She sat up, her chest tightening with a strange mix of relief and disappointment.
Adrian hadn't touched her.
Not a hand. Not a word beyond what was necessary. He had taken the couch in the sitting area instead, his tall frame stretched out in quiet repose until dawn.
In her past life, she would have scoffed, convinced it was rejection, convinced it was proof he didn't care. But now… now she understood that Adrian Blake was not a man who acted without purpose. If he had kept his distance, it was by choice, not indifference.
And it left her wondering what choice he would make next.
She rose from the bed, adjusting her robe as she moved toward the sitting area. Adrian was already awake, of course. He sat with one leg crossed over the other, a tablet in hand, his expression unreadable as he scrolled through lines of text. He was dressed sharply again, as if the night had not touched him, his presence filling the room effortlessly.
He looked up when she approached. Their eyes met, and for a moment, silence pressed between them.
"You're awake," Adrian said simply, his tone cool, detached.
Elena forced a faint smile. "And you're already working."
"Habits don't change overnight."
She studied him carefully, noting the sharp lines of his jaw, the way his eyes seemed to take in every detail without ever softening. This was the man she had married but never tried to understand. The man she had resented while wasting her devotion on Daniel.
Her fingers curled against her robe. Not this time.
"Do you regret it?" she asked suddenly.
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. "Regret what?"
"Marrying me."
Her question hung in the air, bold and heavy. In her last life, she never would have dared to ask. She would have avoided his gaze, too consumed by her own bitterness to seek his truth. But now, she needed to know. She needed to hear it from him.
Adrian set the tablet down, leaning back in his chair. His gaze fixed on her, sharp, unyielding.
"You want honesty?"
"Yes."
He didn't hesitate. "This marriage was arranged. A transaction between families. Regret doesn't factor into it."
His bluntness cut, but it didn't surprise her. She had expected nothing less. Still, there was something in the way he said it—flat, detached—that made her pulse quicken.
"And you?" he asked suddenly.
Her lips parted. "Me?"
"Do you regret it?"
The question caught her off guard. In her past life, the answer would have been an immediate yes. She had despised him, resented being bound to him, yearned for Daniel instead. But now…
Her heartbeat thudded in her chest. She thought of Naomi's mocking smile, Daniel's betrayal, her family's cruelty. She thought of her death.
"No," she said firmly.
Adrian's brows rose ever so slightly. Surprise. It was gone as quickly as it came, but she saw it.
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes narrowing in quiet scrutiny. "You're not the same woman I married yesterday."
Elena's breath caught.
In her past life, she had been timid with him, always defensive, always hostile. But now her gaze didn't waver. "People can change overnight."
Adrian's lips curved into the faintest smirk. "No, they can't. Not like this."
The air between them grew taut, charged with unspoken challenges. For the first time, Elena realized that Adrian wasn't just cold—he was perceptive. Sharp. Dangerous.
If she wasn't careful, he would see through her rebirth before she was ready.
But instead of shrinking back, she straightened her spine and met his gaze head-on. "Maybe you just never bothered to see me before."
Silence. His eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. For a heartbeat, she wondered if she had pushed too far. Then, slowly, Adrian leaned back, the smirk vanishing as quickly as it had come.
"You're full of surprises today," he murmured.
Elena forced a calm smile, though her heart raced wildly. "Get used to it."
Adrian studied her for another long moment before finally picking up his tablet again. "We'll see how long that lasts."
She turned away, hiding the flicker of triumph in her eyes. He was noticing. He was paying attention.
Good. That was exactly what she wanted.
The Blake estate's dining hall was as grand as Elena remembered. Long windows flooded the room with golden light, illuminating the polished oak table that seemed to stretch endlessly. Crystal glasses sparkled, silverware gleamed, and porcelain plates sat neatly in place. Servants moved swiftly, their steps silent, their faces carefully blank.
But what filled the room wasn't elegance. It was scrutiny.
As soon as Elena entered at Adrian's side, she felt it—eyes sweeping over her, weighing, judging. Adrian's relatives, distant yet influential, sat scattered along the table. Men in sharp suits, women dripping in jewels, all wearing expressions that blended politeness with veiled disdain.
"Elena," one of the women greeted, her smile tight. "How radiant you look this morning. Marriage suits you."
The words dripped with condescension. Elena remembered this woman—Adrian's aunt, Lady Miriam. In her past life, Elena had shrunk under that gaze, fumbling polite responses, giving these jackals the satisfaction of watching her squirm.
Not this time.
She smiled smoothly, sliding into her seat beside Adrian. "Thank you, Aunt Miriam. It must take sharp eyes to notice radiance at this hour. Not everyone can manage that."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Miriam's face before she composed herself. Adrian's gaze, though silent, lingered on Elena with the faintest trace of intrigue.
The meal began. Silverware clinked softly, conversation flowing like poisoned honey. Elena listened, barely tasting the food, her mind alert. She caught the subtle glances, the half-hidden smirks. She knew what they saw when they looked at her: a woman unworthy of Adrian Blake, thrust into his life by family arrangements.
In her past life, she had let their disdain cut her down, had let it fuel her resentment toward Adrian. But now, she met their gazes head-on, her posture straight, her expression calm.
"So, Elena," another relative spoke, a cousin this time, his tone deliberately casual. "Tell us—how do you plan to… adjust to your role? Being Mrs. Blake is no small responsibility."
The table chuckled softly, the kind of laughter meant to belittle.
Elena placed her fork down carefully, her every movement graceful. "Adjust?" she echoed, tilting her head slightly. "I don't intend to adjust. I intend to set the pace."
The laughter faltered.
Her cousin blinked, caught off guard. "Set the pace?"
"Yes." Elena's smile didn't waver. "A wife doesn't need to trail behind her husband, nor does she need to live in his shadow. She stands beside him. If that's too much for anyone here to understand, then perhaps it's not me who needs to adjust."
The silence that followed was thick.
Elena's pulse pounded in her ears, but outwardly she was calm, serene. She lifted her glass of orange juice and took a slow sip, as though she hadn't just shattered the unspoken rules of the Blake family table.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adrian's hand pause over his coffee cup. His expression didn't change—still that same calm mask—but his gaze flickered toward her, sharp, assessing.
Lady Miriam cleared her throat delicately, her painted lips twisting into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Such… confidence. We'll see if it lasts."
Elena smiled sweetly in return. "Confidence isn't something that fades overnight, Aunt Miriam. It's either there, or it isn't."
The conversation shifted after that, stilted, awkward, their probing questions quieter than before. Elena ate without flinching, every bite a small victory.
When the meal ended, the relatives dispersed with polite farewells, but their narrowed eyes told her enough. They had underestimated her before. They wouldn't make that mistake again.
As the last of them left, Adrian remained seated, his hands folded neatly on the table. He didn't speak at first, just studied her with that unnerving gaze.
Finally, he said, "That was bold."
Elena dabbed her lips with a napkin, her movements slow, deliberate. "Would you prefer I had stayed silent?"
Adrian's lips curved faintly. Not a smile, not exactly—but something close. "Most women would have."
"Then I'm not most women."
His eyes darkened, and for a heartbeat, she thought she saw amusement there. But it vanished almost instantly, replaced by cool calculation.
"You're going to make this marriage… interesting," he said quietly.
Elena leaned back in her chair, her own smile calm but edged with fire. "Good. I would hate to be boring."
The corridors of the Blake estate were quiet once the relatives departed, their murmurs fading into memory. Elena walked beside Adrian, her steps light, her heartbeat steady despite the storm of adrenaline that still pulsed through her veins.
She could feel his gaze on her—silent, probing, like a predator circling prey.
When they entered his private study, Adrian finally spoke.
"You enjoyed that."
Elena turned, meeting his eyes. "Enjoyed what?"
"Provoking them." His voice was low, controlled, yet edged with something she couldn't place. Amusement? Curiosity? Warning?
"They provoked me first," she replied smoothly.
Adrian closed the door with a soft click. The sound echoed louder than it should have, sealing them off from the world outside. He stepped closer, his tall frame casting a shadow over her.
"Yesterday, you would have sat quietly," he said. "You would have let them mock you until you broke. That was the woman I married."
Elena's breath caught, but she kept her expression calm. "People change."
His gaze sharpened. "Not overnight."
She smiled faintly, tilting her head. "Maybe you never paid enough attention to see what was always there."
The words lingered between them, heavy with double meaning.
Adrian studied her for a long moment, his silence more dangerous than any threat. Then, slowly, he leaned closer, his voice a low murmur.
"You're hiding something."
Her heart thudded, but she didn't flinch. "Everyone hides something, Adrian."
For the first time, the corner of his lips curved into something like a smirk. It wasn't warmth. It was challenge.
"Very well," he said softly. "Keep your secrets. But remember this—" His gaze darkened, the air between them tightening like a rope drawn taut. "—I will uncover them. And when I do… there will be no turning back."
The words sent a chill racing down her spine, but Elena forced herself to meet his eyes, unyielding.
"Then I suppose we'll both have something to look forward to," she said.
Silence stretched.
And then Adrian stepped back, his mask of calm returning as though nothing had been said. "Dinner is at eight. Don't be late."
He turned and left the room, his footsteps fading into the distance.
Elena stood alone, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. The fire in her chest burned hotter than ever.
So be it, she thought fiercely. If he wants to play this game, I'll make sure I win.
But deep down, she knew—Adrian Blake was not a man easily defeated.
And for the first time since her rebirth, she wondered if she had underestimated him.