Chapter 9
Thinking about the way his grip had tightened around her wrist, like he was clutching onto a memory that no longer existed.
She should have felt nothing. She had schooled herself to feel nothing.
But even now, as she sat in a room filled with power, filled with everything she had built, she could still feel the weight of his attention.
She clinched her jaw, placing the papers down. She had traveled too far to turn back now. Adrian Marsden was her past. And she was never going back.
But as she gazed at her phone, at the number she had memorized but never contacted, she wondered…
Why did it still feel like unfinished business?
The conference hall buzzed with expectation. The air was thick with interest and conjecture as reporters, industry leaders, and financial analysts gathered in rows, eager to watch the largest business news of the year.
Cameras flashed. Voices mumbled. The weight of anticipation hung in the air.
At the front of the room, Aria Laurent sat poised, her expression cool, unreadable. Her dark hair was pushed back sleekly, her fitted black dress fitting her shape with effortless assurance.
Beside her, Liam Carter leaned back, his keen green eyes twinkling with amusement as he studied the restless crowd.
Their news had already sent ripples through the business world, but now–now it would make waves.
Liam adjusted the microphone in front of him, his voice smooth yet forceful. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. Carter Industries has always believed in strategic collaborations, but this… this is different.”
A pause. A careful glimpse at Aria.
“I am proud to introduce Laurent Global Investments as our official business partner.”
The room erupted.
Reporters hurried to write down notes, voices overlapping as queries flew.
“Laurent Global?”
“Aria Laurent? Who is she?”
“How did she rise so quickly in the industry?”
Aria stayed composed, her fingers resting lightly on the polished table in front of her. She had expected this reaction.
No one knew her.
Not yet.
But after today, they would.
Liam looked to her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Aria?”
She leaned forward slightly, her voice calm, unflinching. “Laurent Global has been operating behind the scenes for months, securing key investments, acquiring strategic assets, and positioning itself as a leader in the financial sector. This cooperation with Carter Industries is not only about business–it’s about redefining power in an industry that has long been dominated by the same names.”
The subtle challenge in her words was evident.
And one name in particular was missing from that list.
Adrian Marsden.
The room exploded again, reporters yelling out questions, flashes of cameras nearly blinding.
And then-
A shift.
A sudden quiet.
The energy in the room altered. Aria’s spine tightened before she even turned to see. She already knew. And when she finally caught his eyes from across the hall, her heart didn’t race. She felt nothing
Adrian Marsden stood near the back of the room.
Tall. Unshaken. Dark eyes fixed onto hers with an intensity that sent a shiver through the audience.
People whispered Reporters exchanged looks.
He wasn’t meant to be here.
Aria inhaled gently, digging her nails into her palm beneath the table.
Of course, he couldn’t stay away.
Liam’s smirk intensified as he detected the shift in the air. He drew closer, his words exclusively for her.
“Looks like someone didn’t get the memo.”
Aria exhaled through her nose, forcing herself to remain still, undisturbed.
Adrian didn’t belong in this room. Not anymore.
But before security could intervene, before anyone could stop him- Adrian relocated.
He went straight past the crowd, disregarding the murmuring, the curious eyes, the flashing cameras.
He was Adrian Marsden–powerful, aggressive, determined to be ignored.
And as much as Aria wanted to pretend otherwise, he still knew how to command a room.
The muttering got louder, reporters casting their full attention on him now.
“Mr. Marsden, are you involved in this partnership?”
“Is this a business takeover?”
“Were you aware of Arla Laurent’s company before today?” Adrian disregarded them all. His eyes never left Aria’s.
He halted just feet away from the platform, hands in his pockets, his countenance unteadable.
Chapter 9
“Aria.”
Her name on his lips was like a razor, piercing through the final traces of the past.
Liam’s fingers beat lazily against the table. “You’re interrupting a press conference, Marsden.”
Adrian didn’t even glance at him. “I just need a moment.”
Liam smirked. “I don’t think you’re on the schedule.”
But Adrian wasn’t listening.
His eyes blazed into Aria’s, his voice softer now. “Just a moment, Bella.”
She didn’t react to the name. Didn’t blink
Because Isabella was dead.
And Adrian needed to understand that.
The cameras were rolling, every second of this occurring in real–time.
A billionaire hunting a ghost.
Aria gently moved from her seat, keeping her demeanor cool, controlled.
She stepped closer, her heels tapping against the marble floor as she closed the distance between them.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then, Adrian’s voice fell into something raw, something almost shattered.
“You can hate me,” he added. “But don’t erase what we had.”
The words could have mattered once.
They might have shattered her. But not anymore. Aria let out a gentle, almost amused breath. And then she laughed. Not loudly. Not cruelly. Just enough for him to feel it. For him to comprehend.
She tilted her head slightly, examining him like a stranger. “We never had anything, Adrian.”
His jaw stiffened.
She stepped even closer, reducing her voice to a whisper only he could hear.
“It was all just your illusion.”
Adrian’s body tightened.
For a fleeting second, she believed she saw something spark over his expression.
But then, just as soon, it was gone. He straightened, his barriers slamming back into place.
The cameras continued to flash. The world continued to watch.
And Adrian Marsden finally understood. She wasn’t coming back. He had already lost.
But as he turned, as he walked out of that news conference, as the rumors followed him—Aria knew one thing. The game was only just started
