Chapter 4 - Among the Vipers
The ballroom of the St. Regis Hotel was a shimmering sea of old money, high-society politics, and ruthless corporate power.
Tessa kept her hand looped tightly through Adrian's arm as they navigated the room. Everywhere they walked, conversations died down. Heads turned. Whispers followed them like a shadow.
"Smile, darling," Adrian murmured down to her, leaning in close so his lips almost touched her ear. "The media photographers near the ice sculpture are taking photos."
"I'm smiling," Tessa gritted through a plastered beam. "I'm also wondering if this corset is going to fracture my ribs."
"It highlights your waist nicely. Suffer for the cause."
Before Tessa could retort, a loud, booming voice interrupted them from behind.
"Adrian! My dear nephew!"
A middle-aged man with slicked-back gray hair, sharp blue eyes, and a predatory smile stepped forward, flanked by two younger men in expensive suits.
Arthur Kang.
Adrian’s posture instantly shifted, growing rigid and formidable. "Uncle Arthur."
"I heard a ridiculous rumor at the bar," Arthur said, his eyes darting hungrily toward Tessa, scanning her from head to toe. "They said you brought a guest tonight. A woman no one in Atlanta high society has ever seen before."
"This is Tessa Morgan," Adrian introduced smoothly, placing a protective hand on the small of Tessa’s back. Her skin tingled where his palm rested. "My fiancée."
Arthur’s eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "Fiancée? You’ve been single for six years, Adrian. You haven't so much as attended a charity function with a woman since... well, since the tragedy. And now, two weeks before the trust deadline, you suddenly have a fiancée?"
Tessa felt the tension in Adrian’s back coil like a steel spring. She didn't know what "tragedy" Arthur was referring to, but she saw the flash of pain and anger in Adrian's eyes before he masked it.
It was time to perform.
"I know it seems sudden, Mr. Kang," Tessa spoke up, her voice smooth, confident, and ringing with absolute authenticity. She looked up at Adrian with a gaze so full of warmth and affection that even she was shocked by her own acting. "When Adrian and I met, it wasn't under normal circumstances. We... hit it off instantly. Quite literally, actually."
A quiet chuckle rippled through the nearby guests who knew about the supercar accident.
"I don't care about his corporate timeline," Tessa continued, turning back to Arthur with a cool, sharp smile. "I care about the man behind the desk. The one who works eighteen hours a day trying to clean up the mess left behind by people who care more about shares than family."
Arthur’s face flushed red. He took a threatening step toward Tessa. "Listen here, young lady—"
"That’s enough, Arthur," Adrian’s voice cut through the air like a broadsword. The air around them dropped below zero. "You’ve greeted my bride-to-be. Now step aside."
Arthur glared at both of them, his jaw clenching tightly. "We’ll see how long this romantic fairytale lasts at the board meeting next Tuesday, Adrian. Don't think for a second I haven't hired people to check into Miss Morgan's background."
Arthur spun on his heel and strode away into the crowd.
Tessa let out a long breath she didn't realize she was holding. She leaned slightly against Adrian’s shoulder. "Did I do okay?"
Adrian looked down at her. His eyes were no longer cold; they were filled with a intense, burning fascination.
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"You were incredible," Adrian whispered softly. "You just humiliated the scariest man in Southern real estate."
"Good," Tessa smirked softly. "Now take me to the buffet before I pass out from starvation."
