C1 The man she should never want

The first time Amelia saw Adrian Blackwood again, she wished her heart had forgotten how to beat.

But it didn’t.

It betrayed her.

Just like he did.

The glass of champagne in her hand trembled slightly, the golden liquid rippling as her fingers tightened around the stem. The room was filled with laughter, expensive perfume, and the low hum of powerful people making even more powerful deals—but none of it mattered anymore.

Because he was here.

Adrian Blackwood.

Standing across the room like he owned the air everyone breathed.

And maybe he did.

Tall. Impossibly composed. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that clung to his broad shoulders like it was made for him alone. His presence wasn’t just noticed—it was felt. Like a slow, dangerous fire creeping under your skin.

Amelia swallowed.

No.

No, no, no.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Not tonight.

Not ever again.

“Amelia?”

Her best friend’s voice sounded distant, like it was coming from another world. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Worse, she wanted to say.

I’ve seen the devil who still owns my heart.

But she forced a smile instead. “I’m fine.”

Lie.

Her eyes betrayed her, drifting back to him like they had a mind of their own.

And that was when it happened.

Adrian turned.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

As if he had felt her stare burning through the crowd.

Their eyes met.

And just like that…

Everything crashed.

The past. The pain. The nights she cried herself to sleep. The way he had walked away without a single explanation, leaving her shattered and humiliated.

Three years.

Three whole years, and yet one look from him was enough to ruin her all over again.

His gaze darkened slightly, recognition flickering before something deeper settled in—something dangerous.

Something possessive.

Amelia’s breath caught.

Why was he looking at her like that?

Like she still belonged to him.

No.

She refused.

She had rebuilt herself. She had survived him. She would not fall again.

Not for Adrian Blackwood.

Not for the man who had once kissed her like she was the only thing in the world… and then discarded her like she meant nothing.

She looked away sharply, forcing herself to breathe.

In.

Out.

Control yourself.

But the damage was already done.

Because moments later—

She felt him.

That presence again.

Closer this time.

Too close.

Her body stiffened before she even turned.

“Amelia.”

Her name rolled off his tongue in that deep, smooth voice she had tried so hard to forget.

And failed.

Slowly, she turned to face him.

Up close, he was even more devastating.

Those dark eyes. That sharp jawline. That familiar scent—clean, masculine, and dangerously intoxicating. It wrapped around her senses like a memory she couldn’t escape.

God.

Even his fragrance still haunted her.

“You’ve grown,” he said quietly, his gaze sweeping over her in a way that made heat crawl up her spine.

Amelia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And you haven’t changed.”

A faint smirk touched his lips.

“I have,” he said. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Her heart skipped.

Traitor.

“What do you want, Adrian?” she asked, her voice colder now, steadier. “Because I know you didn’t come here for me.”

His eyes held hers.

Unblinking.

Intense.

“What if I did?”

Silence.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Amelia let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “Then you’re three years too late.”

Something flickered in his expression—fast, almost invisible—but it was there.

Regret?

No.

Adrian Blackwood didn’t regret anything.

He stepped closer.

Just one step.

But it was enough to make her pulse race wildly.

“I don’t believe in late,” he murmured. “Only in what’s mine.”

Her breath hitched.

There it was.

That same arrogance.

That same control.

That same man who thought he could walk back into her life and claim her like nothing had happened.

Anger flared inside her now, burning away the lingering weakness.

“I was never yours,” she shot back.

His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes, darker this time.

“You were,” he said softly. “You just didn’t know it.”

Her heart slammed painfully against her chest.

This was dangerous.

He was dangerous.

And the worst part?

A small, traitorous part of her still wanted him.

Still remembered the way his hands felt on her skin… the way his voice sounded in the dark… the way he had once made her feel like she was everything.

“Stay away from me,” she whispered, her voice not as strong as she wanted it to be.

Adrian leaned in slightly, close enough for his breath to brush against her ear.

“You don’t mean that.”

Her fingers curled into fists.

“I do.”

A pause.

Then—

“Prove it.”

Her heart stopped.

And just like that, Amelia realized something terrifying.

Adrian Blackwood wasn’t back for closure.

He was back for her.

And this time…

He wasn’t going to let her go.