The black Maybach slowed as it approached the red carpet rolled out in front of the Waldorf Astoria. The flashbulbs of the paparazzi popped like strobe lights, blinding the street.

The valet rushed forward and pulled the rear door open.

Cade stepped out first. He wore a bespoke charcoal suit with a subtle pinstripe. The moment his custom leather shoes hit the pavement, the shouting of the press died down into a confused murmur. Cade Kramer did not attend engagement parties for mid-level corporate executives.

Cade ignored the cameras. He turned back to the car and held out his right hand.

Adeline placed her hand in his. The black velvet glove she wore contrasted sharply against his bare skin. She stepped out of the car, the heavy midnight-blue velvet of her dress pooling around her ankles.

The silence lasted exactly three seconds. Then, the flashbulbs erupted in a violent frenzy.

Adeline slipped her hand through Cade's arm. She stood tall, her chin lifted, the pigeon-blood rubies catching the light and throwing red sparks across her collarbones. Beside her, Cade looked like a warlord guarding his treasure.

Inside the grand ballroom, the string quartet played a soft waltz. Evan stood near the center ice sculpture, a glass of champagne in his hand, his arm tightly wrapped around Piper's waist.

The heavy mahogany double doors of the ballroom swung open.

The sudden influx of cold air made several guests turn their heads. The music seemed to falter as the musicians lost their focus.

Adeline and Cade walked through the doors. The crystal chandeliers bathed them in a harsh, brilliant light. The crowd parted instinctively, stepping back to create a wide path.

Near the buffet, Sarah Jennings dropped her champagne flute. The glass shattered against the marble floor, the liquid splashing onto her shoes. She stared at Adeline, her mouth hanging open in pure shock.

Evan heard the glass break. He turned his head, a condescending smile on his face, ready to reprimand whoever made the mess.

The smile froze. The blood drained from Evan's face so fast he looked like a corpse. His pupils dilated in absolute horror.

He stared at the velvet dress. He stared at the rubies. Then, his eyes locked onto Adeline's hand, resting comfortably in the crook of Cade's arm.

A sickening wave of jealousy and rage hit Evan's stomach. His fingers spasmed. He dropped his arm from Piper's waist, practically shoving her aside.

Piper stumbled, her pink dress swishing awkwardly. She followed Evan's gaze. When she saw the rubies around Adeline's neck, her face twisted into an ugly mask of pure envy.

Cade led Adeline straight toward the center of the room. Businessmen bowed their heads as Cade passed. Cade offered nothing but cold nods, his eyes fixed entirely on Adeline, playing the role of a man utterly captivated.

They stopped two feet in front of Evan.

Adeline smiled. It was a slow, devastating curve of her red lips. "Good evening, Evan."

Evan's chest heaved. He stared at her, his voice a tight, venomous hiss. "What are you doing here? Who did you steal that dress from?"

Before Adeline could speak, Cade moved. He slid his hand from her arm down to her waist. He pulled her flush against his side, his fingers pressing firmly into the velvet at her hip.

Cade stared at Evan, his eyes black and dead. "Watch your tone when you speak to the woman who is with me."

The declaration dropped like a bomb. The surrounding guests gasped. Whispers ripped through the crowd like wildfire.

Evan felt the floor tilt beneath him. The humiliation burned his throat. He pointed a shaking finger at Adeline. "Cade, she is a fraud! She is a broke, lying whore! She cannot even afford a cup of coffee!"

Cade let out a short, brutal laugh. He looked at Evan as if he were a cockroach.

"Are you losing your mind along with your company, Evan?" Cade's voice carried across the silent room. "She is with me. Do you think a woman under my protection needs to worry about money?"

Evan's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. His entire worldview fractured. He had convinced himself she was starving in the streets, and instead, she was standing here, untouchable, claimed by the one man Evan could never defeat.

Piper stepped forward, her face flushed red. "I am the one connected to the Stafford family! You cannot speak to us like this!"

Cade did not even look at her. He kept his eyes on Evan and let out a single, sharp word. "Leave."

Piper flinched as if she had been slapped. She shrank back, terrified by the sheer violence in his tone.

Adeline lifted her crystal glass of champagne. She reached out and tapped the rim against Evan's frozen glass. A sharp, clear clink rang out in the quiet room.

She turned away, leaving Evan standing in the wreckage of his own pride, and let Cade lead her toward the VIP tables.

The air in the ballroom felt thick and suffocating. Adeline leaned slightly toward Cade, her lips brushing near his ear.

"I need to fix my lipstick," she murmured.

Cade looked down at her. His eyes darkened as he tracked the movement of her red lips. He nodded once, his hand lingering on her waist for a second longer than necessary before letting her go.

Adeline turned and walked toward the heavy oak doors leading to the corridor. Cade picked up a fresh glass of bourbon. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Evan's rigid back as the man broke away from the crowd and slipped out a side exit, following her path. Cade's jaw clenched, but he stayed planted.

Adeline pushed through the door of the women's restroom. The space was a cavern of white marble and gold fixtures. She walked to the massive mirror, unclasped her clutch, and pulled out her lipstick.

She uncapped the gold tube.

A violent crash echoed behind her. The heavy wooden door slammed open, hitting the wall stop with a sickening thud.

Evan stormed inside. He slammed the heavy door shut and pressed his entire body weight against the wood, his broad shoulders blocking the only exit. He reached up and violently smashed the electronic sensor panel with his fist, shattering the plastic casing and tearing the wires so the door could not be opened by badge swipe. Only a physical key could override it now. His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving under his tailored suit. He looked completely unhinged.

Adeline did not turn around. She met his eyes in the mirror and calmly raised the lipstick to her mouth, applying a fresh coat.

The dismissal snapped the last thread of Evan's sanity. He lunged across the room. He grabbed Adeline's wrist with brutal force, twisting her arm and slamming her back against the marble counter.

The lipstick dropped from her hand, snapping in two on the floor. The cold edge of the counter dug into Adeline's spine.

"How did you do it?" Evan spat, his face inches from hers, his breath smelling of sour champagne. "How did you get him into your bed? Did you get down on your knees and beg?"

Adeline let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Cade is ten times the man you are, Evan. In the boardroom, and everywhere else."

The insult hit its mark. Evan roared in anger. He let go of her wrist and grabbed the plunging neckline of her velvet dress, his knuckles brushing roughly against her skin as he tried to rip the fabric.

Adeline's eyes turned to ice. Her free hand shot out, her fingers wrapping around the heavy, solid brass soap dispenser sitting on the counter.

Without hesitating, she swung it upward in a vicious arc.

The heavy brass cracked hard against Evan's forehead.

Evan screamed. He stumbled backward, his hands flying to his face. Thick, dark blood instantly welled up between his fingers, dripping down the bridge of his nose.

Adeline did not pause. She reached into her clutch, her fingers finding the smooth glass of her phone. She pressed the side button three times in rapid succession—a shortcut she had programmed earlier, after pulling Piper's private number from the company's HR directory. A pre-written text with her GPS location shot out to Piper's phone.

Evan wiped the blood from his eyes. His face contorted into a mask of pure rage. He lowered his head and charged at her, aiming to tackle her to the floor.

The brass doorknob rattled violently.

"Evan! Open this door!" Piper's shrill voice pierced the heavy oak.

Evan froze mid-step. The rage vanished from his eyes, replaced instantly by blind panic. He looked at the locked door, then down at his bloody hands and ruined shirt.

Adeline moved fast. She reached up and violently messed up her own hair. She grabbed the fabric at her shoulder and yanked it sideways, baring her shoulder. She let her knees give out, sliding down the marble cabinet to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest.

A heavy thud shook the door. The hotel security guard had shoved a manual master key into the lock cylinder and wrenched it open. The door burst open.

Piper rushed in, followed by three other socialites and a security guard.

They stopped dead in their tracks. Evan was standing in the middle of the room, bleeding and disheveled. Adeline was huddled on the floor, trembling violently, her dress torn.

"You bastard!" Piper shrieked. She threw herself at Evan, her manicured nails digging into his face. "You were trying to sleep with her at our engagement party!"

"No! Piper, listen to me, she hit me!" Evan yelled, trying to shield his face from her blows.

Adeline buried her face in her hands, forcing out a realistic, terrified sob.

The crowd in the doorway was suddenly shoved aside with brutal force.

Cade stepped into the restroom. The temperature in the room plummeted. He took one look at Adeline on the floor, and his eyes turned murderous.

He shrugged off his custom suit jacket. He walked over to Adeline, knelt down, and wrapped the warm, heavy wool tightly around her shoulders, completely hiding her exposed skin.

Cade stood up, pulling Adeline against his side. He looked at Evan.

"My lawyers will file the bankruptcy liquidation papers for Strong Group at 8:00 AM tomorrow," Cade said. His voice was completely devoid of emotion, a death sentence delivered in a whisper.

Evan's knees buckled. He collapsed against the sink, his bloody hands gripping the porcelain as he hyperventilated. Piper continued to scream at him, the entire scene devolving into a pathetic circus.

Cade turned his back on them. He kept his arm tight around Adeline and walked her out of the restroom, the security guards parting to let them through.

They walked out of the hotel and into the cool night air.

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Adeline stopped trembling. She lifted her head from Cade's chest. The terrified victim vanished, replaced by a cold, triumphant smile.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Adeline whispered.

The black Maybach merged onto Fifth Avenue. Inside the cabin, the silence was thick, broken only by the hum of the tires against the asphalt.

Adeline sat in the back seat, the heavy wool of Cade's suit jacket still draped over her shoulders. The scent of cedar and dark tobacco clung to the fabric. She reached up, gripping the lapels to slide the jacket off and hand it back to him.

"Thank you," Adeline said, her voice light, completely detached from the violence in the restroom.

Cade did not take the jacket. He turned his head. His dark eyes locked onto a faint, angry bruise blooming at the nape of her neck, where the marble counter had driven into her spine.

Cade shifted his weight. He reached out, his large hand hovering near the edge of her collar. His rough thumb brushed against the darkened skin. The touch was feather-light, but the heat radiating from his fingers sent a sharp jolt straight to Adeline's chest.

Adeline's breath hitched. She instinctively pulled back, pressing her shoulders into the leather seat. Her mind raced, a sudden spike of panic cutting through her carefully constructed icy exterior. Damn it, she hated this feeling of losing control. She had spent eight years mastering her emotions, turning herself into an untouchable fortress, yet this man's raw, unapologetic aggressiveness was making her body's primal instincts react faster than her reason. The heat of his touch was a dangerous variable she hadn't accounted for.

Cade's other hand shot out. He cupped the back of her neck, his long fingers tangling in the loose strands of her hair. He held her in place, forcing her to look at him.

"If you ever use your own safety as bait again," Cade said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble, "I will make you regret it."

Adeline's heart hammered against her ribs. She could see the raw possessiveness burning in his pupils. She forced her chin up, refusing to break eye contact.

"I had it under control," she shot back. "I knew exactly what I was doing."

Cade let out a harsh breath. He dropped his hand, severing the contact, and leaned back against his door. He pressed the intercom button.

"Billionaires' Row. 57th Street," Cade ordered the driver.

Adeline blinked, surprised. That was the exact location of the secret penthouse Alistair had arranged for her. She kept her face neutral. She pulled her phone from her clutch—the one now fitted with the prepaid SIM she had installed that morning—opened her contacts, and permanently blocked Evan's number. She then opened an encrypted email app and forwarded the photos of a bloody, pathetic Evan to three major gossip outlets.

The Maybach descended into a heavily fortified underground garage. The concrete walls were lined with Bugattis and limited-edition Ferraris.

Cade stepped out of the car and waited for Adeline. They walked toward a private elevator bank. Cade stepped up to the retinal scanner. A red laser swept across his eye, and the heavy steel doors slid open.

Cade stepped inside and pressed the button for the top-floor penthouse. He looked at Adeline, who was standing in the lobby.

"Do you need my driver to take you back to whatever slum you are hiding in?" Cade asked, a mocking edge to his voice.

Adeline smiled. She stepped into the elevator. She reached into her clutch and pulled out a sleek, black keycard with an embedded gold chip. She tapped it against the scanner panel below the buttons.

A hidden light illuminated on the panel. The floor right below Cade's penthouse lit up.

Cade stared at the glowing button. His jaw tightened. The realization hit him like a physical blow. The security in this building cost tens of millions of dollars. No one lived here on a lease. You had to own the floor.

He let out a low, dark laugh. "When did the board start letting Evan's charity cases buy real estate here?"

"Maybe the building just has a soft spot for gold diggers," Adeline replied smoothly, not breaking eye contact.

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open to reveal a massive, private marble foyer.

Adeline stepped out. She turned around and pulled Cade's jacket off her shoulders. She tossed it directly at his chest.

"Goodnight, neighbor," she said.

As the doors began to close, Cade's arm shot out. His forearm hit the rubber bumper, forcing the doors to violently retract.

He stepped out of the elevator. His tall frame ate up the distance between them in two strides. He backed Adeline up until her spine hit the heavy oak door of her apartment.

Cade planted his hand on the wood right next to her head, caging her in. He leaned down, his mouth hovering inches from her ear.

"Since we are neighbors," Cade whispered, his breath hot against her skin, "do you need to borrow some sugar? Or maybe... something else?"

Adeline's lungs seized. The heat radiating off his body was suffocating. She raised her hand and pressed her index finger flat against the center of his chest, right over his racing heart. She pushed, creating a half-inch of space.

"I am allergic to sweets," Adeline said, her voice breathless but steady. "Especially men who think they are too sweet to resist."

She reached behind her back, punched her code into the keypad, and pushed the door open. She slipped inside and slammed the heavy door shut in his face.

Adeline leaned against the wood, closing her eyes as she dragged air into her burning lungs. Her control was slipping. Cade Kramer was too dangerous.

The satellite phone Alistair had left her vibrated sharply from inside her bag. She pulled it out. The screen displayed a name she had not seen in years—Marion Strong. A cold spike of recognition shot through her; somehow, her mother-in-law had breached the encrypted line. The heat in her blood vanished, replaced by absolute ice. The wicked mother-in-law was calling.