Chapter 4 Collision Of Fate

Nyx's POV

Blackwood Industries had outdone itself with this gala-its power laid bare under the glittering chandeliers, the sharp murmur of wealth and influence humming through the air.

I tightened my grip on Adrian's small hand as we stepped inside. His suit was perfectly tailored, a younger version of me with those wide, searching eyes, taking in everything with a mixture of wonder and caution.

I forced myself to keep my gaze low, to breathe steady. This wasn't my world anymore. Not really. I was here for business.

But to show that Kalyndra Jewelry could hold its own-but beneath all the glitter and glass, I felt exposed. Like a threadbare secret in a sea of silk.

Then, across the room, my breath hitched.

Zane.

He stood there like a shadow carved from stone...dark and imposing, his presence filling the room without effort. His black suit was sharp as a knife, clinging to muscles that seemed too perfect to be real.

His jaw was set hard, sharp enough to cut through steel, shadows falling deep beneath his high cheekbones. Mollie-delicate, bright, a stark contrast-laughing lightly at his side, holding him close like a trophy.

But I knew better.

His eyes found me instantly. Dark, cold, piercing-the kind of stare that saw right through the surface, straight to the things you tried to hide.

For a heartbeat, everything else melted away. The crowd, the noise, the glittering chaos-all gone. Just the two of us, tangled by years and pain and something raw and aching beneath.

My heart pounded like a wild drum, fierce and unsteady. I swallowed hard and squeezed Adrian's hand.

He looked up at me, innocent and unaware. "Mom, who's that?" he asked softly.

I forced a smile, the kind that felt brittle on my lips. "Just someone important," I said, though my voice trembled more than I wanted to admit.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Zane. The way his gaze flickered, darkening when it landed on Adrian, then snapping back to me like a wound reopening.

His face tightened, a flash of something-shock? Recognition? I wasn't sure if I imagined it. It was so quick, like lightning.

I pulled Adrian closer, shielding him without even thinking. We moved deeper into the hall, weaving through the crowd, trying to disappear into the sea of black ties and glittering gowns.

But the pull between Zane and me crackled in the air like static-unseen but impossible to ignore.Then, his voice came from behind me-low, smooth, dangerous.

"You look different."

"It's been what?"

"Five years?"

The words sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, my heart catching in my throat. He was close now, standing not far from me with Mollie at his side, but his eyes never left mine.

I forced myself to smile, cold and calm. "People change."

Mollie's eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. "Nyx," she said, voice sweet but hard underneath, "I didn't expect to see you here."

Neither did I.

Adrian squirmed in my grip, restless, and I crouched down, whispering in his ear, "Stay close to me, okay?"

Zane's gaze shifted, darkening even further. "Who's this?" His voice was low, his eyes flicking to Adrian with a sharp intensity.

My heart stopped. I swallowed hard, lying without choice. "My brother."

The lie tasted bitter and heavy in my mouth.

Zane's eyes narrowed. "Really?" His voice dropped, the sharp edge unmistakable. "He looks a lot like me." Heat flared through me, wild and dangerous. I clenched my jaw tight, refusing to meet his gaze.

Mollie's smirk was a quiet victory. "Nyx," she said, voice smooth but icy, "if you're here for business, Kalyndra Jewelry would be happy to collaborate with Blackwood."

I glanced sideways at Zane, whose jaw tightened almost painfully. "Thank you. We'll consider it."

I grabbed Adrian's hand again, pulling him gently toward the exit, every step feeling like a battle. But then, like a shadow stretching out to grab me, Zane's voice stopped me cold.

"This isn't over," he growled, his voice low and rough like gravel, his eyes dark with fire and something dangerously close to wanting.

"You walk away from me once, Nyx-don't think you can do it twice without consequences."

Outside, the cold night air hit me like a wave. I pulled in a shaky breath, trying to steady my nerves. Adrian looked up at me with wide eyes, innocent and unknowing.

"Mom... who is he?"

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close. "Just someone from the past." But I knew, deep down, the past wasn't done with me.

The way Zane looked at me-it was no longer just cold. There was something else tangled in those dark eyes. Something dangerous and raw. Anger. Regret. Desire.

Love and hate are woven tight like barbed wire.

The weight of what happened between us pressed down, heavy and sharp. That night, the bond, the fire-it wasn't something you just walked away from.

And now, it was all coming back.