The gala continued long after Victoria disappeared.
Music filled the ballroom again. Conversations resumed. Glasses clinked as the guests pretended they hadn't just witnessed one of the most uncomfortable scenes of the evening.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Everyone now knew one thing.
Adrian Kingston had chosen a side.
And it was his wife.
Serena stood on the balcony, resting her hands lightly against the railing.
The cool night air felt refreshing after the suffocating attention inside.
She could still hear the whispers whenever the ballroom doors opened.
His wife.
He defended her.
He chose her.
Those words shouldn't have affected her.
This was a contract.
A performance.
Nothing more.
At least, that was what she kept telling herself.
The balcony door opened behind her.
She didn't need to turn around.
"Can't stay away from me for five minutes?" she asked lightly.
Adrian stopped beside her.
"I came to check on you."
"I'm fine."
"I know."
She glanced at him.
"Then why are you checking?"
His gaze remained on the city below.
"Because I wanted to."
Serena went quiet.
That wasn't the answer she expected.
"You were different tonight," she said eventually.
"So were you."
"How?"
"You didn't run."
She laughed softly.
"Running would have made them think I was guilty."
Adrian looked at her.
"You're learning."
"I'm adapting."
"There's a difference."
"What's the difference?"
"Adapting means you understand the environment."
He paused.
"Learning means you understand the people."
Serena studied him.
"And which one am I doing?"
"Both."
She smiled faintly.
"That's probably because your world doesn't give beginners much time."
Adrian's expression softened slightly.
"You're handling it better than most people who grew up in it."
Serena looked away.
"Maybe because I've already learned what it feels like to lose everything."
Something shifted in his expression.
He didn't ask for details.
That surprised her.
Most people were curious about pain that wasn't theirs.
Adrian simply stood beside her.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Serena noticed something.
His knuckles were slightly bruised.
She frowned.
"What happened to your hand?"
Adrian glanced down.
"Nothing."
"That's clearly something."
"It's insignificant."
She reached for his hand before thinking.
He went completely still.
Serena immediately noticed the change.
His fingers were warm.
Her touch was gentle as she examined the bruising.
"Did someone hit you?"
"No."
"Then why are you injured?"
"I handled a situation."
She looked up.
"Your definition of handling something is concerning."
A faint smile appeared.
"You're worried."
"No."
"You are."
"I'm curious."
"That's not what your face says."
She released his hand.
"There. Fixed."
Adrian looked at his hand for a moment.
Then at her.
"Thank you."
Serena nodded.
"You're welcome."
The moment was strangely intimate.
Too intimate.
She stepped back.
"We should go inside."
Before Adrian could answer, the balcony door opened again.
His assistant, Daniel, appeared.
"Sir."
Adrian's expression immediately became businesslike.
"What happened?"
Daniel hesitated.
"We received a problem."
"What kind?"
Daniel glanced at Serena.
"Financial."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
"Three of our major investors received anonymous documents accusing the company of manipulating several overseas accounts."
Serena's brows furrowed.
"Are the documents real?"
Daniel shook his head.
"We're still verifying them."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"When did this begin?"
"About twenty minutes ago."
"Who has access to those accounts?"
"Only senior executives."
Adrian's gaze became colder.
"So someone inside the company is involved."
"That's our concern."
Serena looked between them.
The gala suddenly felt very different.
This wasn't just family drama.
Someone was attacking Adrian's business.
Adrian turned to her.
"I'm taking you home."
Serena shook her head.
"No."
His brows drew together.
"No?"
"You have a crisis."
"Exactly."
"And I'm your wife."
His expression changed slightly.
She continued:
"If we're supposed to look like a united couple, disappearing the moment something goes wrong isn't convincing."
Daniel looked away, wisely choosing not to involve himself.
Adrian studied her.
"You don't know what you're getting into."
"Neither did I when I married you."
A pause.
"But I'm here now."
Adrian's eyes remained fixed on hers.
Then he nodded.
"Stay beside me."
Serena smiled slightly.
"That's becoming a habit."
"It is."
They returned to the ballroom together.
But before they reached the main floor, Serena noticed someone watching them from across the room.
A man she had never seen before.
He wasn't talking to anyone.
He wasn't drinking.
He was simply watching Adrian.
Then his eyes shifted toward Serena.
Their gazes met.
The stranger smiled.
Not warmly.
Almost knowingly.
Serena's instincts immediately warned her.
Something was wrong.
She lightly touched Adrian's arm.
"Do you know that man?"
Adrian followed her gaze.
The moment he saw him, every trace of warmth disappeared from his face.
His jaw tightened.
"Yes."
"Who is he?"
Adrian's voice dropped.
"Someone who should not be here."
The stranger raised his glass from across the room.
A silent greeting.
Adrian didn't return it.
Instead, he moved Serena slightly behind him.
That small movement didn't escape her.
"Adrian?"
"Stay close."
The stranger began walking toward them.
One step.
Then another.
Adrian's posture changed completely.
Cold.
Alert.
Ready.
When the man finally stopped several feet away, his smile widened.
"Kingston."
Adrian's voice was flat.
"You're not welcome here."
The man chuckled.
"I wasn't invited."
His gaze moved toward Serena.
"But I wanted to meet your new wife."
Serena's stomach tightened.
Adrian stepped forward.
"You've met her."
The stranger smiled.
"Not yet."
His eyes remained on Serena.
"But I intend to."
Adrian's voice became dangerously quiet.
"You'll stay away from her."
The man's smile disappeared.
"Protective already?"
Adrian didn't answer.
The stranger looked amused.
"Interesting."
Then he turned and walked away.
Serena watched him disappear into the crowd.
"Who was that?"
Adrian remained silent for several seconds.
Then he finally answered.
"Damien Cross."
The name meant nothing to Serena.
But the expression on Adrian's face told her enough.
This wasn't an ordinary enemy.
"Is he dangerous?"
Adrian looked at her.
"Yes."
"How dangerous?"
His answer came quietly.
"He's the reason I don't trust people."
Serena's heart skipped.
She had never heard Adrian speak about his past like that.
Before she could ask another question, Daniel hurried toward them.
"Sir, we've confirmed something."
Adrian turned.
"What?"
Daniel's face was tense.
"The documents weren't fabricated."
Adrian's expression darkened.
"They're real?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"But someone changed the numbers before sending them."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Meaning?"
Daniel swallowed.
"Someone with access to the company's internal systems altered the records."
Serena's blood ran cold.
An insider.
Someone close enough to Adrian to reach his most protected information.
Adrian looked toward the ballroom.
Then toward the direction Damien had disappeared.
His voice became ice.
"Find out who."
Daniel nodded and left.
Serena looked at Adrian.
"Does this happen often?"
"No."
"Then tonight isn't just about your family."
"No."
He looked at her.
"Someone planned this."
Serena suddenly understood.
The leaked marriage announcement.
Victoria's confrontation.
The financial attack.
And now Damien Cross.
Too many things were happening at once.
"Adrian…"
He turned toward her.
"Maybe marrying me wasn't your biggest problem."
His eyes remained on hers.
"No."
His answer was immediate.
"It wasn't."
Then his voice lowered.
"You're now part of it."
Serena swallowed.
She expected fear.
Instead, determination settled inside her.
"Then we'll deal with it."
Adrian stared at her for a long moment.
We'll.
Not you.
Not me.
We.
Something about that single word unsettled him.
Because somewhere between the contract and the lies…
Serena had stopped feeling like an arrangement.
She was becoming someone he wanted beside him.
Someone he wanted to protect.
And Adrian Kingston had never been afraid of protecting his assets.
He was afraid of what he might do…
If someone tried to take away the woman he was beginning to care about.