Chapter 6 - SHADOWS FROM THE PAST
The true test of our arrangement came three weeks later at the annual Kane Global Charity Gala. It was my public debut as Mrs. Adrian Kane. I wore a backless silk gown in midnight blue that Adrian had personally selected. When I stepped out of the bedroom, his eyes tracked over my body with a heated intensity that made my pulse race.
"You look..." he swallowed hard, adjusting his cufflinks. "Perfect."
"Thank you," I breathed, my cheeks burning.
The gala was a blur of flashing cameras, champagne, and calculating gazes from New York's elite. Adrian didn't leave my side. His hand rested firmly on the small of my back, a constant, grounding presence. He played the part of the besotted husband flawlessly, whispering in my ear, pressing light kisses to my temple. It felt so real it terrified me.
Towards the end of the evening, Adrian was pulled into a conversation with a senator. I stepped away to get a glass of water from the bar.
"Well, well. Look who moved up in the world."
The voice sent ice water through my veins. I spun around to find Mark, my ex-husband, standing near the shadows of the velvet curtains. He looked haggard, his suit cheap and ill-fitting, his eyes red-rimmed and desperate.
"Mark," I choked out, taking a step back. "How did you get in here?"
"I still have friends in catering," he sneered, stepping closer. The smell of stale alcohol and desperation rolled off him. "I saw the news, Lily. You bagged a billionaire. That’s very convenient for both of us. Because Russo is tired of waiting. You’re going to get me the two hundred grand, or I’m going to tell the press that your new husband is harboring a fugitive’s debt."
Before I could even process the threat, a massive, imposing shadow fell over Mark.
"You must be Mark," Adrian's voice was deathly quiet, devoid of any warmth. He stepped between us, completely shielding me from view.
Mark sneered, though his eyes betrayed his sudden fear. "Listen, Kane—"
Adrian didn't raise his voice. He didn't make a scene. He simply leaned in, his voice a low, terrifying whisper that only Mark and I could hear. "If you ever come within a hundred yards of my wife or my daughter again, you won't need to worry about Russo. Because I will personally ensure that your existence is erased. Now, turn around and walk out those doors, or my security team will break every bone in your body and throw you in the East River. Choose."
Mark turned pale. He looked at Adrian's cold, dead eyes, realized he was entirely outmatched, and bolted for the exit.
May you like
Adrian turned to me, his expression softening instantly. He cupped my face in his large, warm hands. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," I whispered, my heart hammering. "Because of you."
