Chapter 2 The heir

Sophia tried to focus on Maria's endless chatter about who was who in the room, but her thoughts kept circling back to the man she'd seen on the balcony. Adrian Romano. Even thinking his name made her chest tighten.

She sipped her champagne, wincing at the dryness, and scanned the crowd again. Maria pointed discreetly to a group of older men near the staircase, their heavy watches glinting in the chandelier light.

"That one owns a chain of casinos," Maria whispered. "The man beside him is into shipping, though that's probably just a cover. And that woman-don't let the pearls fool you. She runs half the city's money laundering."

Sophia nearly choked on her drink. "You actually know all this?"

Maria grinned. "My cousin used to date one of the Romano bodyguards. I hear things."

Sophia set her glass down. "This isn't a party, Maria. It's a lion's den."

"Then don't look like prey," Maria teased.

Easy for her to say. Sophia tugged her shawl tighter, wishing she could melt into the wall.

The crowd shifted, a subtle ripple moving through the room. Heads turned, conversations paused, as if some unspoken signal had swept across the floor. Sophia followed their gaze-and her heart stilled.

Adrian Romano was crossing the hall.

He moved with unhurried confidence, his presence drawing eyes the way gravity pulled the tide. Men inclined their heads respectfully; women straightened their posture, some leaning subtly toward him as though hoping to be noticed.

But Adrian's attention wasn't for them.

His dark gaze swept once over the crowd before landing squarely on Sophia.

She froze. Her breath snagged in her throat as he walked closer, each step deliberate, each second stretching taut with anticipation.

"Don't panic," Maria whispered urgently, though her tone carried a note of envy. "He never looks at anyone twice."

Sophia's mind raced. Why me? She'd done nothing to draw attention-if anything, she'd tried desperately to avoid it. Yet the weight of his stare was undeniable, as though he'd already chosen her for some role she didn't understand.

Before she could decide whether to stand her ground or flee, Adrian stopped just a few feet away. He spoke to no one, acknowledged no one. He simply lifted his glass of scotch slightly, a gesture so subtle it could have been mistaken for nothing at all-except that his eyes never left hers.

It was a toast. To her.

Sophia's chest tightened. Heat crept up her neck, and she looked away quickly, pretending to be fascinated by the string quartet. When she dared glance back, he was gone again, swallowed by the crowd.

Maria exhaled slowly. "Oh my God. He noticed you."

"No," Sophia said firmly, shaking her head. "He noticed someone behind me."

But the words sounded hollow, even to her own ears.

Maria smirked knowingly. "You'll thank me for dragging you here one day."

Sophia wasn't so sure.

She tried to steady herself, forcing a polite smile at a passing guest, but unease prickled beneath her skin. The air in the room seemed heavier now, charged with an undercurrent she couldn't name. Guards lingered at the edges, their eyes sharper than before. Somewhere above, a door closed too forcefully, echoing like a gunshot.

Sophia's instincts whispered that something wasn't right.

She turned toward Maria, meaning to suggest they leave early. But before the words could leave her lips, a sudden hush fell over the room.

Not silence exactly, but a thinning of noise-conversations cutting short, laughter dying mid-breath. The quartet faltered for just a beat before continuing, the notes strained and brittle.

Sophia's skin prickled. She didn't know why. She only knew that the party's glittering surface was about to crack.

And in the corner of her eye, she saw Adrian Romano watching her once again, his gaze sharp and unreadable.