CROWN
422 Words
The Cole Tower was a monument to arrogance. Fifty floors of glass and steel cutting into the night sky, its crown lit gold like the city belonged to it.
She stepped from the sleek black cab and let the valet open the door. Her dress was deliberate — black silk that draped like liquid over her curves, the slit high enough to distract but low enough to be respectable. It wasn’t just about catching Adrian’s eye; it was about being remembered by everyone in the room.
Inside, the lobby gleamed in marble and shadow. No one asked for her name. Of course they didn’t — Adrian wanted her here.
The elevator ride was silent except for the faint click of her heels. She could see her reflection in the mirror-polished doors: calm, composed, but eyes sharp.
When the doors slid open, the scent hit first — expensive liquor, smoked meat, and something darker underneath. Power.
Adrian was at the far end of the private dining hall, leaning casually against the bar, drink in hand. His suit was black, tie undone, and the gold watch from last night still glinted like a warning.
“You clean up well,” he said, eyes raking over her in a way that wasn’t subtle.
She smiled like she hadn’t noticed. “You called. I came.”
“Not everyone does.” He gestured toward the long dining table, already set for two. The rest of the room was empty — no guards, no guests. Either he trusted her, or he wanted her to think he did.
They sat. The wine was poured. The first course was untouched.
“You know,” he said, swirling his glass, “I’ve been asking myself all day — why you?”
She raised a brow. “Why me what?”
“Why you walked into my world without flinching. Most people need a reason. Money, fear, desperation…” He leaned in, his voice low. “What’s yours?”
She took a slow sip of wine, letting the pause stretch. “Let’s just say I’m… curious about the man behind the curtain.”
Something flickered in his eyes. Not suspicion — intrigue. He thought she meant him.
Good.
Because the real curtain hung higher, over a man whose name people only whispered. The man Adrian called father.
Adrian’s smile returned, slow and predatory. “Then I should introduce you to him.”
She kept her expression still, but her pulse kicked once in her throat.
That was faster than she’d expected.
- Writer
