The ballroom shimmered with gold and glass. The company’s annual gala was the kind of night meant for celebration, for showing off power and wealth. But to Adam, it felt like a stage where every smile hid something dangerous underneath.
He stood by the bar, his suit sharp, his nerves tighter than the knot in his tie. He had received another message from the unknown number that morning. No name. No threat this time. Just a single sentence that refused to leave his mind.
> “I see the way you look at her.”
He had deleted it before anyone could notice, but the words stayed burned into his thoughts. He tried to act normal all day. He even told himself he wouldn’t look at Emily tonight. That he would keep distance. That he woul
