The limo door shut, sealing them away from the echoes of the gala. But Lena still felt the eyes, the whispers, the cameras. Her chest ached as if every word had been carved into her skin.
She pressed her palms to her face. "Adrian… I can't… I can't face them again. Everyone knows. They'll never let me forget it."
Her voice cracked, the dam inside her breaking. She had held herself together for hours, but now the tears came fast, unstoppable.
Adrian reached for her hands, pulling them away from her face, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were darker than she'd ever seen—burning, furious, yet achingly gentle when they landed on her.
"Listen to me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What they said about your father doesn't define you. I won't let them destroy you over his sins."
She shook her head, tears blurring her vision. "But it's true, Adrian! He ruined people—he ruined lives. And I'm his daughter. That stain will never wash off."
For a moment, his expression softened, a flash of pain crossing his features, as though her words pierced deeper than she realized.
Then his tone hardened again. "Do you think I care? Do you think their judgments matter to me?" His jaw clenched. "I've crushed men far more powerful than Daniel Hart. If anyone dares come after you, they'll learn what it means to cross me."
Lena's breath hitched, torn between fear of his ruthlessness and the fierce safety he offered. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to lean into him and let the world burn outside.
But guilt coiled in her chest. "You don't understand… if you stay with me, they'll drag you down too."
Adrian's lips curved into a cold, dangerous smile. "Let them try." He brushed his thumb against her cheek, wiping away a tear. "I don't bend for them, Lena. I never have, and I never will."
For a heartbeat, the world shrank to the warmth of his touch, the steel in his promise.
But in the shadows of the gala, far from their sight, Clara Hayes lingered with her glass of champagne, her phone already buzzing with reporters eager for more. She smiled sweetly, her words venomous as she whispered into the receiver:
"Leak the rest of it. By tomorrow, Lena Hart's name won't just be scandal—it'll be poison."