Adrian pushed past the door that separated the main bar from the inner room and stepped in without hesitation.

The space inside was dimly lit. Some men lined up against the walls, but he did not spare any of them a glance. He walked straight to the center with even steps, where a single chair faced the man waiting for him. Without asking, he pulled the chair back and sat down casually.

Across from him sat a young man leaning back comfortably with a lady standing behind him, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"You really came," the man said, lifting his glass and taking a slow sip. "I was starting to think the little warning scared you off."

The lady behind him bent a little and whispered something in his ear. He then grinned and pulled her face closer, kissing her openly, slow and shameless, as if the conversation waiting for him didn’t matter at all.

Adrian’s gaze flicked toward them briefly... uninterested, before returning to the man’s face as if nothing of importance had happened.

"Performance over?" he asked flatly. "I have a schedule to keep."

The man’s expression hardened instantly as he turned to him. "You’re in my territory, Adrian. Watch your words." he said firmly.

"Territory?" Adrian repeated, a faint scoff leaving him. "All I see is a room full of men waiting to be bought... and a CEO I can bury."

The man said nothing for the next few seconds, clearly thrown off. But the lady already leaned in, her voice soft but coaxing, "Cassian... relax."

The man–Cassian– let out a breath and leaned back again, running a hand down her side possessively. "Ah Livienne. You always know how to set the mood on fire."

Then he turned back to Adrian and heaved a sigh. "My bad." He muttered.

Adrian’s expression did not change as he stared at him. "It’s almost nostalgic," he muttered quietly. "Years ago, you were nothing... Now you’ve learned how to bark. Progress."

His eyes lifted coldly. "But you still don’t know who you are barking at."

Cassian’s smile tightened. He took another sip before setting the glass aside. "Still arrogant." He said softly. "Tell me... how does it feel knowing your throne is starting to crack?"

"I know what you have. What can be touched and what can be broken." His lips curved up sinisterly. "Business. Influence. Even the fragile little secret with a dying grandfather and a career you’re trying to build from scrap.

His head tilted toward the woman behind him. "What was her name again?"

"Elara," Livienne replied softly while Cassian’s smile widened.

"Right... Elara." he repeated softly. "But really, Adrian... what would Relanie think? If she knew her future husband was busy playing hero for a little singer."

Adrian’s expression did not change. He simply checked his watch, then looked back at him. "I didn’t come here for a bedtime story," he said calmly. "I came to see if you were still worth the bullet i’d have to waste to end all this."

"You have twenty-four hours to fix the mess you made," he paused, his eyes resting on Cassian like he was looking at a speck of dust. "If I’m still bored tomorrow... I won’t come looking for you." His tone turned colder. "I’ll just buy the land you’re standing on and bury you under it."

Almost as soon as he finished his words, the door suddenly burst open and Harris stepped in, slightly out of breath as he looked around. "Boss, I just came to confirm if anyone here still have functioning limbs?"

The insult landed almost like a physical punch. One guard reached for the tool at his waistband, but he stopped when the guard next to him sent him a sharp look.

Cassian stood up abruptly from his chair. "You think you can just walk in here and—"

"Twenty-four hours," Adrian repeated, cutting him off without raising his voice.

Harris glanced sideways at the guard who had moved, then casually looked away, spinning the umbrella in his hand expressionlessly.

Adrian rose to his feet. His gaze passed over Cassian briefly, then to Livienne, before he turned and walked toward the door.

"That singer," Cassian said suddenly, his tone changing as confidence crept back in. "What do you think happens if something unfortunate touches her career... Or worse..."

"You talk too much," Adrian muttered without turning. Then when he reached the door where Harris had already stepped aside to let him pass, he paused.

"If you touch her," he said casually, "make sure you succeed."

Then he walked out.

Harris lingered at the doorway. When his eyes met Livienne’s, his lips curled in total disgust.

"Slut," he murmured under his breath. He then followed after Adrian quickly, slamming the door shut behind him...

Outside, the rain had lessened a bit. Adrian stepped out first and simply raised a hand. Harris immediately placed the umbrella in his grip, stepping back to let him lead the way to the car.

They got into the cabin and Adrian started the engine immediately, not wasting a second. As the car merged back onto the road, Harris spoke up.

"That lady from Miss Veyne’s training school, Livienne Cael... she’s really shameless. Busy jumping from one man to another." He shook his head in disdain. "And now the next person she’s clinging to is Cassian Kai. At this rate, she doesn’t know she’s already digging her own grave."

Adrian remained silent. He stayed perfectly still, his gaze fixed on the road in front of them. Though he looked completely calm, his grip on the steering wheel had tightened until his knuckles turned white.

After dropping Harris off at his condo when they reached Starfall, he drove home alone. When he stepped out of the car, he reached back out of habit toward the headrest. His fingers paused in midair for a small second. Then he slowly withdrew his hand and shut the door.

Without another thought, he turned and walked calmly into the building...