Chapter Twenty-Two: The Woman in Silver

For a few seconds, the music kept playing, but the world around Zara seemed to stop.

She looked at Adrian.

Then at the woman.

Then back at Adrian.

He looked just as confused as she felt.

"I'm sorry," he said slowly, removing the woman's hand from his arm. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

The woman's smile remained in place.

"No, Adrian."

"I haven't."

"You know exactly who I am."

A few guests had started watching.

Whispers spread through the ballroom.

Zara took a small step back.

"I'll... leave you two to talk."

She turned to go, but Adrian caught her wrist gently.

"Don't."

His voice was low.

"Please."

She looked at him.

He wasn't asking as her boss.

He was asking as Adrian.

The woman noticed the exchange and her smile tightened.

"So this is Zara."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"How do you know her name?"

"I know a lot of things."

She held out a hand toward Zara.

"I'm Bianca Rhodes."

Zara shook it politely.

"It's nice to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same."

The words were sweet.

The tone wasn't.

---

Adrian led both women to a quieter corner of the ballroom.

"I'll ask one more time," he said. "Who are you?"

Bianca folded her arms.

"My father is Charles Rhodes."

Adrian searched his memory.

Then it clicked.

"Rhodes Holdings."

She smiled.

"Exactly."

Zara watched the conversation quietly.

She had heard that name before.

Rhodes Holdings was one of the biggest investment companies in the country.

"My father and yours had an agreement," Bianca continued.

"When we were children."

Adrian sighed.

"I remember."

"You do?"

"Barely."

He rubbed his forehead.

"Our parents joked that we'd get married one day."

Bianca's smile grew.

"So you admit it."

"I admit it was a joke."

"It wasn't a joke to my father."

"It wasn't a promise either."

The smile finally disappeared from Bianca's face.

"My father has spent years preparing for this merger."

"I'm not a business deal."

"No."

She looked at Zara.

"But she might ruin one."

---

Zara felt uncomfortable.

Very uncomfortable.

"I think I should go."

Neither of them stopped her this time.

She quietly walked toward the terrace outside the ballroom.

The cool night air hit her face.

She wrapped her arms around herself.

She wasn't angry.

She wasn't even jealous.

At least... that's what she kept telling herself.

After all, Adrian didn't owe her any explanations.

He wasn't hers.

They weren't dating.

So why did her chest hurt?

"You always run away when something bothers you?"

She looked over her shoulder.

Adrian had followed her.

"I didn't run."

"You disappeared."

She looked out over the city lights.

"I didn't want to interrupt."

"There was nothing to interrupt."

She stayed silent.

Adrian stood beside her.

"I've met Bianca three times in my entire life."

"Okay."

"I haven't spoken to her in almost eight years."

"Okay."

"There is no engagement."

She finally looked at him.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"I know."

"But I want to."

That simple sentence made it harder for her to look away.

He leaned against the railing.

"When my father died, a lot of people tried to control my life."

"The board."

"Business partners."

"Old family friends."

"They all thought they could decide what was best for me."

"And Bianca?"

"She's one of those people."

"So she's not your fiancée."

"No."

"Not even close."

Zara let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

He noticed.

"So..."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Were you jealous?"

Her eyes widened.

"I was not."

"You answered too quickly."

"I was simply... surprised."

"Mm-hmm."

"Don't 'mm-hmm' me."

He laughed.

"You sound defensive."

She lightly nudged his arm.

"You've become impossible."

"No."

He smiled.

"I think you've just become comfortable around me."

She opened her mouth to deny it.

Then closed it again.

Maybe he was right.

---

Back inside the ballroom, the auction had already begun.

Guests were raising numbered paddles as expensive paintings, jewelry and vacation packages were sold.

Evelyn spotted them returning.

"There you are."

She glanced between them.

"Everything alright?"

"We're fine," Adrian answered.

Evelyn looked unconvinced but decided not to ask.

The host suddenly stepped onto the stage again.

"Our next item is a scholarship fund for underprivileged students."

Zara's attention immediately shifted.

The host smiled.

"The winning bidder will sponsor twenty students through university."

The bidding started.

Five million.

Seven million.

Ten million.

The numbers climbed so quickly that Zara stopped trying to keep up.

Finally...

"Thirty million."

The room went quiet.

Everyone turned.

Adrian lowered his paddle.

"Thirty million."

"Sold!"

The audience applauded.

Zara looked at him in disbelief.

"That's a lot of money."

He shrugged.

"My father paid for the education of dozens of students."

"He believed education changes families."

"I agree with him."

She smiled.

"I wanted to study medicine."

He looked at her.

"You told me."

"I still think about it sometimes."

Without thinking, he said,

"It's not too late."

She laughed softly.

"It feels like it."

He didn't argue.

Instead, he quietly made a mental note.

---

As the evening came to an end, guests began leaving one after another.

Adrian and Zara walked toward the hotel entrance.

Just as the valet brought the car around, Zara noticed something tucked beneath the windshield wiper.

"A note."

She reached for it.

Adrian took it first.

His expression changed the moment he opened it.

"What is it?" she asked.

He handed her the folded paper.

There were only eight handwritten words.

Enjoy pretending. She'll be taken next.

Zara frowned.

"Who's 'she'?"

Adrian slowly looked at her.

His face had gone completely still.

"I think..."

He swallowed.

"...they mean you."

A cold breeze swept through the parking lot.

For the first time that night...

Neither of them felt like talking anymore.