The entire Grand Ballroom remained frozen in a collective, stunned silence. The three aggressive Omegas were scrambling backward, their silk gowns rustling like scared birds. The silver dagger lay abandoned on the polished floor, reflecting the terrified, wide-eyed faces of the witnesses.
But all Lila could see was Adrian.
He hadn't moved. He was still standing close enough for his immense, terrifying True Blood Aura to completely envelop her. His body heat radiated off his armor, and his eyes, usually the coldest silver, were still burning with that primal, focused intensity.
For a dizzying, dangerous second, Lila didn't see the tyrannical male lead, the toxic scientist, or the True Blood Alpha. She saw a man who had moved heaven and earth to protect his own—his asset. She saw the undeniable, breathtaking power of a hero.
A sharp, painful lump formed in her throat. Her eyes welled up, not from fear of the Omegas, but from the overwhelming, contradictory swell of relief and confusion. She was supposed to hate him, despise him, and actively fear him. Yet, he had saved her life. The romance-reader part of her brain, the part that had gotten her into this mess, immediately seized on the dramatic irony. He saved me! He protected me!
She stared at him, her vision blurry with unshed tears, her racing heart thumping out a rhythm that felt entirely too fast and too hopeful.
Adrian's attention was still fixed on the cowering Omegas. "You will be dealt with," he stated, his voice a low, final growl that promised unimaginable consequences.
He then turned his full attention back to Lila. He noticed the tears—the clear, emotional distress that was not chemically induced. He saw the soft, dreamlike look in her eyes, the complete lack of her usual Blackwood hostility.
Adrian's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine shock crossing his face. This was a deviation in the data he had not anticipated. His asset was looking at him with admiration.
Then, slowly, the shock melted away, replaced by a slow, cold, predatory amusement.
He reached out and, with exaggerated tenderness, placed a cool, gloved hand against her cheek. "My apologies, Assistant," he murmured, his voice now dropping to a velvet whisper meant only for her. "Did I frighten you with my display? Or did my Alpha dominance prove too overwhelming for your sensitive lineage?"
The question—so loaded with arrogant, possessive teasing—snapped Lila violently back to reality. The hopeful, teary-eyed look vanished instantly, replaced by a flush of humiliated fury.
I was not admiring you! I was having a momentary, completely inappropriate lapse in judgment based on a fictional trope!
"Neither, Alpha," Lila bit out, pulling her head away from his touch. The lump in her throat hardened into stone. "I was merely observing the pathetic state of the competition. The scene lacked elegance."
Adrian chuckled, a low, satisfied sound. "Oh, my sweet, defiant creature," he whispered, leaning in just enough for his intoxicating, toxic scent to hit her senses. "Do not attempt to deny the data. Your heart rate is still racing at a highly inefficient, romantic pace. And your eyes were suspiciously damp."
He then gripped her elbow firmly—a gesture that looked protective but was entirely commanding—and guided her toward the main doors.
"Come," he announced loudly to the room, the volume immediately shattering the tense silence. "The Social Harmony Challenge is over. Assistant Blackwood has proven her value and is fatigued. The rest of you may continue your tedious gossip."
Adrian practically dragged Lila out of the ballroom. As they exited, Lila risked one final glance back at the scene of the crime. She saw Harry Westwell rushing to check on Rose, and Chloe looking like she was about to explode with jealousy.
Once they were back in the relative silence of the main Academy corridor, Lila ripped her arm from his grasp, her voice shaking with controlled rage.
"Don't touch me," she hissed, rubbing the spot where his hand had been. "I regret that two seconds ago I didn't let that Omega stab me just to spite you."
Adrian paused, turning to face her. His expression was once again completely blank, the amusement gone, replaced by the detached scientist.
"Do not insult my intelligence, Lila," he said, his voice flat. "That look you gave me was not spite. It was the regrettable emotional reaction of a foolish female who mistakes an act of asset protection for romantic salvation."
He stepped closer, forcing her to look up at him. "Let me be clear. You are vital to my success in the Trials, and your unique toxicity makes you irreplaceable. That Omega's attempt was an attack on my political future. I defended my property, not your virtue."
Lila felt a chilling wave of disappointment mixed with utter self-loathing. Foolish female. Romantic salvation. He had dissected her entire emotional crisis in one sentence.
"You are a monster," she whispered, the tears returning to her eyes, but this time they were fueled by genuine hatred.
Adrian simply smiled—a cold, terrifying flash of teeth in the dim light. "Perhaps. But I am your monster. Now, go to my study. We have data to discuss. And I require a detailed report of the Omega's attack—a report that should, of course, include the current, highly elevated state of your heart rate."
As Lila turned and stalked down the hallway, the awkward waddle returning with a vengeance, she felt a profound, burning resentment. She had been saved by the devil, and then immediately chastised for thinking he was anything less than purely evil.
He is a devil. A scientific, toxically scented devil, she vowed internally. I will survive these Trials, and then I will find a way to make his 'data' so confusing, he'll regret ever looking at me with those silver eyes.