01-13-2025, 12:59 AM
Now that he was free of Colette and had concluded his conversation with the Ascendancy, Adrian spent the remainder of the evening observing. He absorbed the subtleties around him—the thin veneer of civility masking a room simmering with rivalries. Polished smiles hid repressed competition, and every conversation was a delicate balance of veiled threats and calculated alliances. It was a battlefield, though the lines of engagement were constantly shifting, alliances made and unmade in the span of a single toast.
Adrian navigated the chaos with ease, mingling just enough to glean what he needed. Every interaction, every polite laugh or shared anecdote, was a moment to catalog desires and ambitions. He had no intention of fulfilling those desires, of course. They were merely pressure points—tools to be used. Knowledge wasn’t just power; it was leverage. And Adrian had a talent for spotting the strings that made people move.
When the announcements came, he clapped with the crowd, his expression unreadable as Valentin formally handed over power to Scion. Yet when Jessika entered the room, his brow ticked upward ever so slightly. Her presence was unexpected but not entirely inexplicable. Of course you’d be here, he thought. Jessika had always been a wildcard. Her alliance with the late Zakarias and the now-defunct cartel hinted at the larger game Yasmine described, one she was undoubtedly spinning to her own advantage. Adrian didn’t trust her, but then again, he trusted no one in this room except himself. That’s what made them so predictable. Jessika, however, was an anomaly—an interesting one. He’d need to keep an eye on her.
For now, his attention shifted. Scanning the room, Adrian located Colette hovering near Sofia like an accessory. He took a step in their direction, then stopped. Whatever melodrama the two women were embroiled in wasn’t worth his time. Instead, he trailed after Zixin Kao, who had just been elegantly—but publicly—dismissed by Jessika.
The scene amused him. Zixin carried himself like a predator, but Adrian saw him for what he was—a man too impulsive, too prone to miscalculations. Zixin played his moves too loudly, whereas Adrian played in silence. That was the difference between them.
Adrian approached as Zixin turned away from Jessika, nursing his pride beneath a carefully maintained smirk.
“It seems our dates have plenty to discuss,” Adrian said, his voice smooth as glass, his gaze briefly flicking toward Sofia and Colette. The sharp edge in his tone suggested more than idle observation. Sofia looked like she might incinerate the room with a single glare, but Adrian didn’t care for what he dismissed as petty theatrics.
Zixin’s eyes narrowed, though his smile remained in place. “Ah, Adrian. You’re quick to notice the finer details,” he said, voice light, but his words carefully measured.
Adrian tilted his head slightly, as though considering whether to acknowledge the compliment. “Speaking of details,” he said casually, “I was informed earlier today that the plot sales have finally gone into contract. My land, Yuta’s building, and your entertainment venture—it seems the pieces are falling into place.” He let the word entertainment hang in the air just long enough to suggest more than he was saying.
Zixin’s expression didn’t change, but Adrian caught the faintest flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, perhaps, or suspicion. “I wasn’t aware you were the landowner,” Zixin said smoothly, his tone a touch too casual to be genuine.
Adrian allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. “And that’s intentional, Mister Kao. You’ll find I have a way of… blending into the background. But if you know where to look, you’ll find me in many places across this city.”
Zixin’s gaze sharpened, his mask of nonchalance slipping for just a moment. “It seems I should start looking more carefully,” he said, his voice dropping a fraction, his interest now piqued. “Anything else I should know about you?”
A low sound considered the statement, “Hmm,” he murmured. “Oh, there’s always more to know, but only when the time is right.” He let the silence stretch, his eyes boring into Zixin’s with a deliberate intensity. “Let’s talk,” he said finally, his tone shifting to something quieter, something that brooked no argument. Without waiting for a response, Adrian turned and walked toward a quieter corner of the room, the expectation that Zixin would follow implicit.
Adrian navigated the chaos with ease, mingling just enough to glean what he needed. Every interaction, every polite laugh or shared anecdote, was a moment to catalog desires and ambitions. He had no intention of fulfilling those desires, of course. They were merely pressure points—tools to be used. Knowledge wasn’t just power; it was leverage. And Adrian had a talent for spotting the strings that made people move.
When the announcements came, he clapped with the crowd, his expression unreadable as Valentin formally handed over power to Scion. Yet when Jessika entered the room, his brow ticked upward ever so slightly. Her presence was unexpected but not entirely inexplicable. Of course you’d be here, he thought. Jessika had always been a wildcard. Her alliance with the late Zakarias and the now-defunct cartel hinted at the larger game Yasmine described, one she was undoubtedly spinning to her own advantage. Adrian didn’t trust her, but then again, he trusted no one in this room except himself. That’s what made them so predictable. Jessika, however, was an anomaly—an interesting one. He’d need to keep an eye on her.
For now, his attention shifted. Scanning the room, Adrian located Colette hovering near Sofia like an accessory. He took a step in their direction, then stopped. Whatever melodrama the two women were embroiled in wasn’t worth his time. Instead, he trailed after Zixin Kao, who had just been elegantly—but publicly—dismissed by Jessika.
The scene amused him. Zixin carried himself like a predator, but Adrian saw him for what he was—a man too impulsive, too prone to miscalculations. Zixin played his moves too loudly, whereas Adrian played in silence. That was the difference between them.
Adrian approached as Zixin turned away from Jessika, nursing his pride beneath a carefully maintained smirk.
“It seems our dates have plenty to discuss,” Adrian said, his voice smooth as glass, his gaze briefly flicking toward Sofia and Colette. The sharp edge in his tone suggested more than idle observation. Sofia looked like she might incinerate the room with a single glare, but Adrian didn’t care for what he dismissed as petty theatrics.
Zixin’s eyes narrowed, though his smile remained in place. “Ah, Adrian. You’re quick to notice the finer details,” he said, voice light, but his words carefully measured.
Adrian tilted his head slightly, as though considering whether to acknowledge the compliment. “Speaking of details,” he said casually, “I was informed earlier today that the plot sales have finally gone into contract. My land, Yuta’s building, and your entertainment venture—it seems the pieces are falling into place.” He let the word entertainment hang in the air just long enough to suggest more than he was saying.
Zixin’s expression didn’t change, but Adrian caught the faintest flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, perhaps, or suspicion. “I wasn’t aware you were the landowner,” Zixin said smoothly, his tone a touch too casual to be genuine.
Adrian allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. “And that’s intentional, Mister Kao. You’ll find I have a way of… blending into the background. But if you know where to look, you’ll find me in many places across this city.”
Zixin’s gaze sharpened, his mask of nonchalance slipping for just a moment. “It seems I should start looking more carefully,” he said, his voice dropping a fraction, his interest now piqued. “Anything else I should know about you?”
A low sound considered the statement, “Hmm,” he murmured. “Oh, there’s always more to know, but only when the time is right.” He let the silence stretch, his eyes boring into Zixin’s with a deliberate intensity. “Let’s talk,” he said finally, his tone shifting to something quieter, something that brooked no argument. Without waiting for a response, Adrian turned and walked toward a quieter corner of the room, the expectation that Zixin would follow implicit.