The ballroom was made of glass and gold — a place where power wore diamonds and every smile hid a secret.
Seraphina Noir moved through the crowd with practiced ease, her posture regal, her expression unreadable.
She had been to a hundred events like this.
But tonight felt different — heavier somehow, electric in a way she couldn't name.
Everyone in the room knew her.
Or at least, they thought they did — the elegant heiress, the ruthless businesswoman who rebuilt her father's empire from ashes.
No one saw the girl who once dreamed of simpler days.
No one, until him.
Her gaze caught on a tall figure across the room — broad-shouldered, effortlessly composed.
He was laughing softly with a group of CEOs, his suit perfectly tailored, his presence magnetic.
There was something about the way he stood… calm yet commanding.
Something that made her chest tighten unexpectedly
She frowned.
Where had she seen those eyes before?
No. It couldn't be.
"Ms. Noir," one of her assistants whispered, "that's Adrian Kael — CEO of Kael Corporation. They say he's the only one your company can't outrun."
Adrian Kael.
Her newest rival.
The man everyone called untouchable.
Seraphina's lips curved slightly, her usual weapon of charm returning.
"Then maybe it's time someone tried."
But when he turned, his gaze locked directly onto hers.
A slow smile — not polite, but knowing — curved his lips.
And in that single second, the noise around her faded.
Her heart stuttered.
Those eyes.
That smile.
It wasn't possible.
Adrian began to walk toward her, his steps unhurried, confident — the kind of confidence that came from knowing exactly who he was walking to.
When he stopped in front of her, the faintest amusement danced in his tone.
"Still can't stand wearing heels for too long?"
Her breath caught.
That voice. That teasing line.
The one only one person had ever said — the boy who once helped her sneak barefoot through their gardens after every family dinner.
"…Adrian?" she whispered, disbelief softening her usually icy tone.
His smile deepened, warm and steady.
"You still remember."
For a moment, the world stopped moving.
The years between them vanished.
And all she could see was the boy she once adored — now standing as the man the world feared, and the rival she was supposed to destroy.