Chapter 78

Adrian was dressed in a light-colored casual suit, his handsome face clean-cut and composed, his usual cool detachment firmly in place.

Ryan opened his mouth, then thought better of it.

He had never particularly liked Adrian. As far as Ryan was concerned, Adrian's family was nothing remarkable compared with the people in their circle. Yet the guy was annoyingly good-looking, academically brilliant, and somehow had Victoria Sterling's attention on top of everything else.

Why did some people get all the luck?

And meeting Adrian now, when Ryan himself looked like he had been dragged through a fight and lost badly, only made the resentment burn hotter.

He lowered his head, stepped around Adrian, and continued down the stairs. His pace grew faster until he was practically stumbling over himself in his hurry to disappear around the corner.

Adrian watched him go for a moment before continuing upstairs.

The restaurant had not completely returned to normal.

Soft vinyl jazz still played through the elegant dining room, now accompanied by the faint hum of a cleaning robot. The sweet, roasted scent of spilled coffee lingered in the air while several servers quietly replaced the tablecloth at one of the tables.

Adrian glanced around automatically, looking for Victoria.

Then his gaze reached a table by the window.

He stopped.

Elena was sitting there.

Golden sunlight streamed through the windows, tracing the delicate line of her profile and catching in her blonde hair.

Adrian's hand tightened inside his trouser pocket.

What was she doing here?

This was Greenfield, one of the most exclusive private golf clubs in the city. Membership was strictly invitation-only.

Unless—

Right.

He had almost forgotten.

Elena had found herself a new rich man.

Adrian's jaw tightened.

His gaze shifted to the man sitting across from her.

Tanned skin. Solid build. An ordinary face. Not particularly tall. He wore a plain dark jacket with no obvious designer details and was calmly drinking tea as if nothing around him had anything to do with him.

He looked more like someone's father waiting through a school meeting than a powerful businessman.

Adrian stared.

That was him?

Nothing about the man suggested the kind of wealthy figure Adrian had imagined. And he looked far too old for Elena.

Contempt rose almost immediately.

Adrian had assumed that whoever Elena had chosen after him would at least be someone important—someone whose name mattered in the city.

Instead, this was the man she had replaced him with?

He thought of the limited-production car he had seen before.

Maybe even that had been part of the act.

Borrowed, perhaps.

And he had actually taken it seriously.

Adrian looked away and headed toward Victoria's table.

"Victoria."

His tone was casual.

"I ran into Ryan on the stairs. His face was covered in blood. What happened?"

Victoria didn't answer immediately.

Her eyes flicked toward Elena.

At the same time, the restaurant manager was personally supervising the replacement of everything at Elena's table. Fresh pastries from the club's highest-tier afternoon tea service were being set out, along with glasses of freshly pressed juice that had just been chilled.

"You missed quite a show," one of the others said. "Ryan only went over there to say a few words. She wouldn't give him the time of day, so he tried to splash her with his coffee. Her bodyguards beat him so badly they knocked his teeth out."

The speaker shook his head.

"Victoria went over because we're all from the same school and tried to get her to let him go. And you know what she said?"

Adrian frowned.

"She told Victoria to go get her father."

His expression changed.

He didn't particularly like Ryan. As far as Adrian was concerned, Ryan was a spoiled rich kid who spent most of his time partying and wasting money.

But having his teeth knocked out?

And Elena had spoken to Victoria like that?

Had she completely lost her mind?

Adrian looked at Victoria and found her expression unusually dark.

He thought quickly.

At the very least, he should make his position clear. Supporting Victoria here seemed obvious.

"Elena."

He hadn't even sat down yet.

Elena turned toward him.

Adrian's face hardened.

"How did you become like this?"

He glanced toward the men around her.

"Resorting to violence whenever there's a conflict shows a complete lack of basic restraint. And once you start having other people punish someone on your behalf, that's not justice. That's taking the law into your own hands."

As he spoke, Adrian watched Victoria from the corner of his eye.

Her expression seemed to ease slightly.

Encouraged, he continued.

"There are laws for a reason. Conflicts are supposed to be handled through rules and legal channels."

His voice turned colder.

"If you think having someone powerful behind you gives you the right to humiliate people and threaten their safety whenever you want, how is that any different from a common thug?"

Elena put down her glass.

"Top student really is a top student. You can make anything sound like a criminal indictment."

She leaned back slightly.

"If you have a problem with what happened, call the police. I'll cooperate."

Adrian paused.

His brows drew together.

"You think I won't?"

"Go ahead."

Mockery filled Elena's face.

"Call them. Right now."

Adrian stared at her in disbelief.

Then he pulled out his phone.

"I—"

"Enough!"

Victoria's voice cut through the restaurant.

Adrian stopped.

He turned toward her and immediately noticed how dark her expression had become.

Damn it.

He understood almost at once.

He had stepped directly onto something he knew nothing about.

Victoria didn't want the police involved.

He had no idea why, but clearly his last few sentences had been a mistake.

Regret hit immediately.

He didn't care what happened to Ryan. He had only spoken up because he wanted Victoria to see that he had principles—that he was willing to take a stand, and that whatever had once existed between him and Elena was over.

Instead, he seemed to have done the opposite of what he intended.

"Elena," Victoria said through clenched teeth, "the reason I don't think calling the police is a good idea is partly for your sake. You were the victim at first, but your people injured him afterward. If the police come, your security will have to answer for that too."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Right. And if they investigate and discover you're actually the one behind all this, you'll have to answer for that too."

Adrian frowned.

"Victoria is trying to help you. You don't have to appreciate it, but there's no reason to say something like that."

His gaze shifted toward the driver seated across from Elena.

The contempt in his eyes was almost impossible to hide.

"You're relying on someone else's power to throw your weight around. But borrowed power is still borrowed. Whatever status you get by selling yourself to someone else is temporary."

His expression grew colder.

"If you want any real dignity, earn it yourself. Live with some principles."

"Really?"

Elena smiled.

"Then swear something for me."

Adrian frowned.

"What?"

"Swear that you'll never date or marry anyone richer or more powerful than you."

She tilted her head.

"And if you ever do, may your whole family drop dead."

Adrian stared at her.

For a moment, he was too furious to speak.

Then his jaw tightened.

"I'm not like you. If I ever give my heart to someone, it'll be because I admire her character and ability—not because of her money or power."

He straightened.

"I don't attach myself to powerful people, and I don't compromise my principles for personal gain."

"Adrian Cole."

An unfamiliar voice came from the restaurant entrance, cutting him off.

Every head turned.

Three men stood in the doorway.

The man in front appeared to be in his forties, dressed in plain clothes with a serious expression. A black identification holder was clipped at his waist.

He walked directly toward Adrian.

"Mr. Cole, I'm with the Cybercrime Unit. These two officers are with the local police department."

He held out an official document.

"Adrian Cole, you're suspected of involvement in a major criminal investigation concerning unauthorized access to a government computer system."

Adrian's expression went blank.

The officer remained impassive.

"You're required to come with us for questioning."

For a moment, no one in the restaurant said a word.