Adrian wolfe Blackwood didn't pause at the entrance. The crowd parted for him instinctively, sensing power, wealth, danger—whatever it was that made ordinary people step aside. His gray eyes swept the club only once, and in that glance, he saw her.
Lila.
For a second, the world slowed. The same girl whose face had haunted him since the night his car slowed at a lonely street where three loan sharks cornered her. He remembered every detail—the way her hands shook around the paper bag she held, the desperation she masked with stubborn pride, and the defiance in her eyes even as fear pressed against her ribs.
He hadn't stepped in then. He'd let the car roll forward, told himself it wasn't his concern. But he hadn't forgotten her. And now, fate had dropped her right in front of him again.
Adrian's jaw tightened as he headed straight for the VIP lounge. I finally found you.
---
By the time he settled into the leather couch inside the VIP, Nathan was already on his way. Adrian loosened his cufflinks with precise motions, but his mind wasn't on business. It was on the girl outside, the girl who had no idea she had been seen before, who had no idea she now had his full attention.
He pulled out his phone, dialing. "Nathan, come inside. I'm at the VIP."
"Yes, sir."
Adrian ended the call, poured himself into the seat, and let the thought sharpen into resolve. He would not let her vanish again.
---
On the other side of the club, Lila carried her tray toward a table when the owner's sharp voice stopped her.
"Lila!"
"Yes, boss?"
"Forget that table. VIP needs you."
Her stomach dipped. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Go ask for their order. Don't mess up."
"Okay, boss."
Clutching her notepad, she headed toward the velvet curtains that guarded the VIP. She had seen him earlier, when he entered—tall, broad-shouldered, eyes like polished steel. Somehow, she knew it would be him waiting behind those curtains.
Her pulse quickened.
---
Inside, Adrian leaned back, one leg crossed casually over the other. Nathan had arrived, standing beside him like a shadow.
The curtain shifted, and Lila stepped in.
Their eyes met again.
This was no accident. She had noticed him once tonight; now, she was staring into those same piercing gray eyes for the second time.
"Hello, sir," she said, forcing calm into her tone. "May I take your order?"
Adrian didn't answer. His gaze traced her features with quiet intensity, drinking in every detail as though to make sure she wasn't an illusion.
Nathan cleared his throat softly, breaking the silence.
"My usual," Adrian said at last, but not to her—to Nathan.
Nathan turned politely toward Lila. "Mr. Blackwood will have a twenty-year-old Macallan, neat. Ice on the side. And I'll take the same."
Lila scribbled quickly on her notepad, keeping her head down. "Yes, sir. I'll be back shortly."
She turned to leave, feeling the weight of Adrian's stare on her until the curtain closed behind her.
---
Nathan waited a beat before speaking. "You knew her before tonight."
Adrian swirled the empty glass in front of him, the faint clink of crystal breaking the silence. "I saw her once."
"Where?"
Adrian's jaw flexed. He remembered the shadows of that alley, the threatening words of desperate men, the helpless fire in her eyes.
"Somewhere she shouldn't have been," he replied quietly. "But I didn't forget her."
"And now?" Nathan asked.
Adrian's gaze cut toward the curtain, where she had just disappeared. His lips curved faintly, more steel than softness.
"Now, I won't let her out of my sight."
---
Back at the bar, Lila set down the order slip, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Clara, returning with her own tray, nudged her with a grin.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
"VIP," Lila muttered.
"Don't tell me you don't know who that is." Clara's eyes sparkled. "Adrian Blackwood. The Adrian Blackwood. Billionaire. CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. That man could buy this whole place twice over and not blink."
Lila froze. She'd heard the name before, whispered in news headlines and office chatter, but never connected it to a living, breathing man. She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. He's just another customer."
Clara laughed. "You keep telling yourself that."
But as Lila carried the Macallan back to the VIP, she knew it wasn't true. His eyes had unsettled her in a way no customer's ever had. And worse, she couldn't shake the feeling that those eyes had looked at her before, somewhere she couldn't quite place.
---
When she returned, Adrian's gaze locked on her the moment she entered. She set the glasses down carefully.
"Your Macallan, neat. Ice on the side," she said softly.
Nathan smiled in polite thanks. "Perfect."
Adrian didn't move. His gray eyes studied her with quiet possession, and when he finally spoke, his voice was a low murmur meant only for her.
"Thank you."
Lila dipped her head quickly. "You're welcome, sir."
And then she slipped out, her steps brisk, her chest tight, as if she had escaped something she didn't understand.
---
Adrian lifted the glass slowly, the amber catching the light. For years, business had consumed him, women passing through his life like shadows. None had stayed, none had mattered.
But this girl—this girl had burned herself into his memory from the very first night he saw her.
Adrian wolfe Blackwood never chased. But for Lila Hart, he would make an exception.
---