Adrian didn’t wait for Viktor’s reply. He rose, his chair scraping lightly against the marble floor, and Selene followed without hesitation. Together, they walked out, leaving Viktor Volkov in his own silence.
The door shut behind them, and Viktor sat back, one hand brushing over the long scar that bisected his face. Her words replayed in his mind, burning like salt on an open wound. Fear? He smirked bitterly. No woman had ever dared say that to him. And yet—he found himself intrigued, drawn in spite of the insult.
Outside, Adrian lit a cigarette, offering no words to Selene, but his jaw was tight, his thoughts unreadable. She didn’t press him. They drove away from Viktor’s estate with the air of two people who had won a battle neither of them had prepared for.
---
Meanwhile…
Cole, th
