The moment Elara crashed into the person, the familiar scent hit her senses immediately and her lips pursed tightly in recognition. When she looked up, her eyes met Adrian’s instantly.

He was staring down at her with that same unreadable expression, his hand still firmly wrapped around her waist. Because he had pulled her out of the dance rotation so suddenly, her body was almost pressed completely against his.

Carris stared at them for a long quiet second but he did not say anything. He simply looked away and continued dancing with his new partner.

"Are you insane?" Elara whispered sharply trying to move away a little from his tight hold. "What are you doing?"

"Dancing," Adrian replied flatly, his eyes never leaving hers.

The corner of Elara’s lips twitched strangely into something between a sneer and a frown at his answer. She honestly did not know whether to laugh or cry.

She had not seen him anywhere near the dance floor while she was sitting earlier which meant he had just arrived.

So out of every lady here... she was the only person he could dance with?

And since when exactly did Adrian Vale dance?

But despite herself, she could not ignore how perfect his movements were. Every step of his was smooth and casual.

Well... how could she forget? Considering the family he came from, he had probably been trained for things like this since childhood.

Still, something about it made her feel a bit unsettled. Because it meant he had danced at elite events before. Probably with Relanie too.

Elara suddenly hated that thought. She had no idea why she even cared about such matters.

Meanwhile, Adrian remained quiet the entire time.

The more they moved, the more their bodies kept brushing against each other.

The dress still made her feel far too exposed. His hand around her waist had tightened noticeably and his thumb had begun tracing faint circles against her spine. The feeling sent an uncomfortable shiver straight through her.

She tried putting a little distance between them again, but the effort remained completely useless. At some point, just as Elara wanted to tell him the music was about to shift partners again, she suddenly noticed his gaze lower briefly to her lips before he immediately looked away.

"I can’t breathe," Elara finally muttered when she could not take it anymore but his movements did not even pause.

Instead, he pulled her even closer, one of his legs sliding between hers as he guided her smoothly into a slow turn.

Elara stopped protesting after that. It was already obvious that resisting him tonight was pointless so she simply followed his movements quietly. Though it wasn’t that his touch was completely unfamiliar, she still had an uncomfortable feeling about the way they were closely pressed together.

She honestly could not believe she was dancing with someone like Adrian Vale. Especially the fact that she had allowed it.

As Adrian lifted his hand and spun her around again, her eyes suddenly caught sight of Relanie a short distance away.

She was dancing with another man but her attention was nowhere near her partner. She was staring directly at them.

For a reason Elara herself could not understand, her lips curved slightly upward into something almost mocking.

As Elara continued staring at Relanie, Adrian’s eyes briefly shifted in that direction too. Then he looked back at her.

Instead of maybe loosening his hold, he suddenly pulled her even closer until Elara felt like she could barely think properly anymore.

But just then she realized something that made her freeze completely in confusion. As his leg slid between hers once more, she felt something hard pressing firmly against her inner thigh.

A breathless gasp caught in the back of her throat. Her eyes widened instantly as she stared up at him in absolute shock.

His jaw tightened slightly the moment their eyes met. Then he broke eye contact and looked elsewhere.

But it was only for a second because just as quickly, his gaze returned to her. His free hand suddenly rose and locked firmly along her jaw, tilting her face upward and forcing her to look directly at him.

Before Elara could even breathe out a protest, Adrian leaned down and captured her lips.

A soft muffled gasp escaped into his mouth, a sound he immediately swallowed as the kiss deepened. His tongue slid past her parted lips without hesitation, claiming her completely.

Elara could not even bring herself to care whether anyone had noticed. Or whether Relanie was still watching.

Her hands which had frozen against his chest earlier, instinctively curled tightly into the lapels of his suit jacket just to keep herself upright.

Her knees already felt weak.

The overwhelming intensity of the kiss spun her thoughts into complete chaos as her body melted helplessly against his rigid frame.

A low rough sound escaped Adrian’s throat. His grip on her jaw shifted, his thumb dragging warm and rough across her bottom lip as he tilted her head deeper into the kiss, taking her as if had lost control completely.

Then suddenly, he pulled away.

His lips left hers with a soft wet friction that made Elara gasp for air immediately, her lips flushed and slightly parted.

Adrian’s grey eyes had darkened completely as he stared down at her, his chest heaving violently against hers. Without loosening his grip on her wrist, he leaned down until his breath brushed directly against her ear.

Elara stood there stunned as his low voice entered her ear making her jaw tighten instantly.

"Come with me."

Her heart hammered so hard against her ribs that she was certain Adrian could hear it.

But strangely, she did not argue. She did not push him away like she always believed she would. She did not even try pulling her wrist free from his tight grip.

Adrian did not wait for her to process anything either. As always, everything moved on his own terms.

Without another word, he turned and guided her away from the dance floor, his broad figure cutting smoothly through the crowd as if people moved aside for him without even realizing it.

Elara followed behind him without a word, her head spinning as countless thoughts flashed through her mind all at once.

He led her past the wide entrance of the ballroom and down a dim hallway. Finally, he stopped in front of a dark mahogany door.

With a swift motion, he pulled out a private keycard and swiped it against the lock.

A click sounded immediately.

Then Adrian pushed the door open, pulled her inside, and shut it firmly behind them...