09-02-2024, 11:41 PM
Adrian received Sofia’s warning with genuine amusement, the kind that hid sharp awareness beneath a smooth veneer. Her words were like a poisoned apple—carefully perfumed to entice, yet undeniably dangerous. He nodded, appearing to concede, but Adrian was never one to fully relinquish control, especially not over his own ego. When he chose to acknowledge something, it was always with purpose.
His gaze shifted to Colette, a calculated move that belied the casual nature of his words. “Mister Kao is quite the handsome partner. I hope, for your sake, my dear, that he doesn’t prove too distracting.”
The statement, laced with jest, carried a subtle undercurrent—one meant not for Colette, but for Sofia. Adrian wasn’t a possessive man, not when it came to women. His words were a message, a quiet assertion that he wasn’t just another ambitious brute vying for a spot among the city’s influencers. His strategy was different, his vantage point unique. For now, he played his game from the sidelines, where the best view was always found.
Though his focus was primarily on the latter half of Sofia’s warning, the first part didn’t escape his notice. To demonstrate his perceptiveness, he smoothly replaced Colette’s empty champagne flute with a fresh one. He refrained from drinking himself, but he loathed imagining Colette inebriated. Her natural candor and verbosity would only be amplified by alcohol, and while undesirable, it required careful management. Still, the gesture served its purpose—it was a small token of attention, a reminder that he was playing the role of doting date to perfection... when he chose to do so.
Adrian wasn’t the type for grand, romantic gestures; those belonged to men who needed to compensate for something. His charm had already done the heavy lifting, and he knew Colette was here because of it. Later, he would return her to the Radiance, put on the expected show of romance in private, and give her a night she’d likely never forget. After all, she’d never experienced the company of a real man before, and he was more than willing to demonstrate the difference.
As he imagined how she might react to the gift that was himself, his thoughts briefly wandered to Vasiliev Senior. What kind of spinelessness led a man to be so thoroughly dominated by his wife that even his children whispered about it? Perhaps the Russians were easier to manipulate than he had initially thought.
Adrian smiled inwardly.
His gaze shifted to Colette, a calculated move that belied the casual nature of his words. “Mister Kao is quite the handsome partner. I hope, for your sake, my dear, that he doesn’t prove too distracting.”
The statement, laced with jest, carried a subtle undercurrent—one meant not for Colette, but for Sofia. Adrian wasn’t a possessive man, not when it came to women. His words were a message, a quiet assertion that he wasn’t just another ambitious brute vying for a spot among the city’s influencers. His strategy was different, his vantage point unique. For now, he played his game from the sidelines, where the best view was always found.
Though his focus was primarily on the latter half of Sofia’s warning, the first part didn’t escape his notice. To demonstrate his perceptiveness, he smoothly replaced Colette’s empty champagne flute with a fresh one. He refrained from drinking himself, but he loathed imagining Colette inebriated. Her natural candor and verbosity would only be amplified by alcohol, and while undesirable, it required careful management. Still, the gesture served its purpose—it was a small token of attention, a reminder that he was playing the role of doting date to perfection... when he chose to do so.
Adrian wasn’t the type for grand, romantic gestures; those belonged to men who needed to compensate for something. His charm had already done the heavy lifting, and he knew Colette was here because of it. Later, he would return her to the Radiance, put on the expected show of romance in private, and give her a night she’d likely never forget. After all, she’d never experienced the company of a real man before, and he was more than willing to demonstrate the difference.
As he imagined how she might react to the gift that was himself, his thoughts briefly wandered to Vasiliev Senior. What kind of spinelessness led a man to be so thoroughly dominated by his wife that even his children whispered about it? Perhaps the Russians were easier to manipulate than he had initially thought.
Adrian smiled inwardly.