Adira's heart raced as she entered the lavish party hall with Nikolai, her hands clammy with nervousness. Her mind was still reeling from the words he said to her in the car, and even when she tried to push them away, the weight of his misunderstanding hung heavy over her. Obviously, he thought she was some cheap, weak-hearted lady who was trying to crawl her way back to her married ex. Christ! She couldn't let him stay with such thoughts in his head. She couldn't let him think so low of her. She needed a way to explain things to him. But something else still bothered her - how did he get to know of the date? She'd made sure she went alone and even reserved a private garden. So, how did he find her? Even before they got married, Nikolai knew a lot about her, from her failed marriage to her name and even where she lived. He knew so much about her! Was it possible he had eyes on her? Perhaps he hired a spy to always follow her around? But why would he do that? The sound of glasses clinking and people laughing filled the air, and Adira forced herself to be distracted by them. As she walked in beside Nikolai, people turned to look at them, some offering greetings and others whispering in hushed tones. The air was filled with the scent of expensive perfume and cologne, adding to the luxurious ambiance of the event. "Nikolai Kensington." The celebrant, Mr. Vanderbilt, suddenly walked up to them with a wide smile on his face. "You really made it. I am so honored!" He extended his hand for a handshake but withdrew it when Nikolai didn't take it. "Happy anniversary, Mr. Vanderbilt," Nikolai said instead, feeling no sense of remorse that he had rejected the man's hands in public. That wasn't the first time. "Thank so much. And... Mrs. Adira," he said, shifting his gaze to her. "Thank you for coming. You look beautiful, by the way.""Thank you," Adira responded. "Alright, then. I do hope you enjoy the party." He left. Being left alone with Nikolai, Adira felt it was best to talk to him about the dinner she had with Lancelot. Holding it to herself was making her so damn nervous. She turned to look at him, but he wasn't doing the same. "Uh, Nikolai," she called, taking a hard gulp. Nikolai still didn't look at her. "About the dinner..." "Nikolai!" A cheerful voice suddenly called from behind. Adira groaned angrily as she turned to see one of their business partners, Mr. Alex, ambling towards them. Goodness! Why didn't he just wait a few more seconds? "Good evening, Mr. Nik. You are looking as dashing as ever." Adira rolled her eyes and watched as the man did most of the talking. Nikolai was a man of very few words. She fiddled with her nails and continued, hoping the man would leave soon enough. She couldn't wait. But just then, her eyes ran into someone else—a different man coming from behind. Her brows wagged as she looked at him with unease. It was Jared, walking towards their table with a glass of wine and a smug smile on his lips. He was also invited to the party? Adira felt so uncomfortable as he approached them and finally got to their table. "Mr Jared!" Alex called excitedly. "Wow! I had no idea you were at the party." "I sure am." The duo exchanged handshakes. Nikolai turned to Jared, and from the look on his face, Adira could tell they were not really acquainted. "Mr. Nikolai," Jared said with a smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you in person. I'm Jared, the new chairman of the Wyatt Group. I'm currently trying to process a contract with your company." "Mr Jared. I've heard about you." Nikolai's voice was low. "Yeah. I actually met your wife during the meeting. And I must say you made a wise choice." He shifted his gaze to Adira, making her cringe. What the hell was he doing? Nikolai also glanced at Adira before looking back at Jared. "I hope we get to work together, then," Nikolai added perfunctorily and left, making Adira's heart skip. Goodness! Where was he going? She really wanted to talk to him. The other business partner that was with them also left, leaving just her and Jared behind. "Do you miss him already?" Jared teased as Adira kept straining her neck to see where Nikolai was headed.She rolled her eyes and took up a glass of wine. Just then, she realized something: Jared didn't try to shake Nikolai's hands like the others normally did. Was he aware that Nikolai hated handshakes? How the hell could this guy know so much about them? She dropped her wine and looked at him. "Who are you? And why do you have so much information on my family?" "Your family?" Jared chuckled and sipped from his glass. "You call it like you actually belong there." "Of course I do. And it doesn't matter what you heard; they're still my family." He smiled and drank more from his glass. "You look really beautiful today," he complimented, but Adira rolled her eyes. "You haven't answered my question." "Because there is no question to answer. I'm Jared, and I know whatever I want to." This made Adira cringe again. There are more reasons to feel very uncomfortable around this guy. She picked up her glass and took another swig. "What about my dinner proposal? Have you given it a thought?" Jared asked after a few seconds. Adira's face crumpled with surprise. "I don't have to give it a thought, because it's a no from me. Why would I go out on a date with you when I'm married?" "Married." Jared whispered indistinctly. "Alright, then. By the way, I'm still reviewing the terms of our contract. I do hope it works out because, you know, you're the one in charge of it, and I'm pretty sure your father-in-law will not be happy when it gets cancelled." Adira's eyes dimmed. "Have a nice night, Adira," he added with a smirk, and he left. Adira was flummoxed. Her lips moved to say something to him, but she didn't have the chance as he walked away.Hold on,was he trying to blackmail her? That wasn't possible,was it? ****†****†****†****† The rest of the party went well, but was very boring for Adira. Nikolai didn't return to the table after he left, although there were times when Adira spotted him speaking with some acquaintances. It was obvious he was intentionally avoiding her. Adira felt infuriated that she was having such a misunderstanding because of Lancelot. Perhaps it was time he had a misunderstanding with his own wife as well. She took out her phone, scrolled through her gallery, and sighed when she found the pictures. It was clear enough. Then she forwarded them to Jardine, and a small smile left her lips. Now it was time to see how it played out. She lifted her gaze, and they met Nikolai, who was walking towards her. Her heart summersauled in her chest; she couldn't even comprehend why his presence suddenly made her so nervous.He looked as dauntless as ever as he got to where she was. "Let's go," he mumbled to her, and he began walking out. Huh? They were leaving already? Quickly, Adira picked up her purse and began going after him. As usual, eyes followed their every movement, with some of the women noting how lucky she was. She got outside with Nikolai and was headed for their car when the sound of a gunshot suddenly hit the air.