Elena spent nearly twenty minutes deciding what to wear.
Not because she cared what anyone thought.
At least, that was what she kept telling herself.
She stood in front of the mirror, arms crossed, staring at her reflection. A black blouse. A cream-colored skirt. Simple. Professional. Nothing that screamed for attention. Nothing that looked like she was trying too hard.
Satisfied, she grabbed her handbag and headed out. The entire drive to Volkov Industries felt strangely familiar. A few weeks ago, she would never have imagined herself stepping into this world so often. Now she knew the building. The lobby. The elevators. The constant feeling of being watched.
As soon as she entered the glass doors, several heads turned.
Elena pretended not to notice.
The receptionist immediately stood.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Volkov."
Elena smiled politely.
"Good afternoon."
The woman seemed nervous for some reason.
"Mr. Volkov is currently in a meeting."
"I know," Elena replied.
She wasn't here to interrupt him.
At least not intentionally.
The receptionist hesitated.
"Would you like me to inform him you've arrived?"
"No."
The answer came quicker than expected.
The receptionist blinked.
"Oh."
Elena almost laughed.
She wasn't sure why she had said no.
Maybe because she wanted five minutes without Adrian hovering over her.
Maybe because she was still irritated about the way he'd been treating her lately.
Like she might break.
Like she needed protecting from everything.
The thought annoyed her all over again.
"Thank you," Elena said.
"I'll wait."
She moved toward a nearby seating area. Several employees passed by. Some smiled politely. Others stared. A few whispered. Elena ignored all of them. Eventually. Curiosity got the better of her. She stood and began walking through one of the hallways. The executive floor was quieter than the rest of the building. More expensive too. The carpets. The artwork. The glass offices.
Everything practically screamed money.
As she rounded a corner, she heard laughter.
A woman's laughter.
Confident.
Comfortable.
The kind of laugh people used when they belonged somewhere.
Elena slowed.
The conference room door wasn't completely closed.
Through the gap, she caught sight of Adrian.
He stood near the large screen at the front of the room.
Focused.
Commanding.
Every person inside seemed to be paying attention to him.
Every person except one.
The woman sitting closest to him.
Sophia Kane.
The same woman she'd seen briefly before.
Sophia wasn't looking at the presentation.
She was looking at Adrian.
Not openly.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But Elena noticed.
Women always noticed.
Something unpleasant settled in her stomach.
She hated it immediately.
Jealousy wasn't attractive.
And she certainly wasn't jealous.
Right?
Before she could stop herself, she continued watching.
Sophia leaned toward Adrian and said something.
Something that made him glance down at a document she was holding.
Their shoulders almost touched.
Almost.
The feeling in Elena's chest worsened.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
She was a grown woman.
Yet somehow she suddenly felt sixteen.
A hand touched her shoulder.
Elena nearly jumped.
"Oh!"
Daniel grinned.
"Easy there."
She exhaled.
"You scared me."
"Sorry."
His eyes moved toward the conference room.
Then back to her.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Oh."
"Oh what?" Elena asked.
Daniel folded his arms.
"You were spying."
"I was not."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You absolutely were."
Elena rolled her eyes.
Daniel's grin widened.
"Interesting."
"Stop smiling like that."
"I can't help it."
Before Elena could respond, the conference room door opened.
Immediately.
Her heart betrayed her.
Because the first person she looked for was Adrian.
Unfortunately.
The first person who noticed her was Sophia.
The elegant woman stepped out first.
Her gaze landed on Elena.
For a brief moment, neither woman spoke.
Then Sophia smiled.
A flawless smile.
The type that looked warm but felt cold.
"You must be Elena."
Her voice was smooth.
Professional.
Confident.
Elena straightened.
"And you must be Sophia."
Something flickered in Sophia's eyes.
Approval perhaps.
Or amusement.
"I've heard a lot about you."
Elena smiled politely.
"Hopefully good things."
Sophia laughed softly.
"That depends on who you ask."
The answer caught Elena off guard.
Before she could think of a response, Adrian appeared behind Sophia.
His gaze immediately found Elena.
Always.
Every single time.
The realization sent an uncomfortable warmth through her chest.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Sophia's eyebrow lifted slightly.
Daniel looked like he was enjoying himself far too much.
"I came to see the famous empire for myself."
Adrian stared at her.
For a moment.
Then another.
As if trying to figure out what was really going on inside her head.
Finally he said,
"You should have told me you were coming."
Elena folded her arms.
"You were busy."
A strange silence followed.
Not hostile.
Just charged.
Sophia looked between them.
Then smiled.
"Well."
She picked up her tablet.
"I'll leave you two alone."
Her eyes met Elena's one last time.
There was nothing openly threatening there.
Nothing rude.
Yet somehow Elena felt like she had just been challenged.
Sophia walked away.
Elegant as ever.
The moment she disappeared around the corner, Daniel muttered,
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
Adrian shot him a look.
Daniel immediately raised both hands.
"Not my business."
Then he wisely escaped.
Leaving Adrian and Elena alone.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Finally Adrian sighed.
"What happened?"
Elena frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been acting differently."
His voice softened slightly.
"Talk to me."
Elena looked away.
Because she wasn't entirely sure herself.
All she knew was that things were changing.
And that scared her more than she wanted to admit.
For the first time since
meeting Adrian Volkov...
She wasn't worried about his secrets.
She was worried about her feelings.
And somehow that felt far more dangerous.