The charity gala was exactly the kind of event Jayden hated and loved in equal measure—expensive, exclusive, filled with people who mattered. He'd come with Sonya, but he was bored. The speeches were long, the food was cold, and Sonya had disappeared to talk with colleagues.
He was standing at the bar when he saw her.
Angel Swan, in a burgundy dress that made her look like something from a fever dream. She was talking with a group of investors, her voice calm and confident. Jayden couldn't look away.
"She's something else, isn't she?" a man next to him said. He looked vaguely familiar—maybe someone Jayden had met at a party.
"Who is she?" Jayden asked.
"Angel Swan," the man said. "CEO of Swan Corporation. One of the smartest businesspeople in the city. Also completely unavailable."
"Why?" Jayden asked.
"Because she's smart," the man said. "She doesn't waste time on guys who aren't her equal."
Jayden smiled slightly. A challenge, then. He liked challenges.
He made his way over to her, excused her from her conversation with practiced ease, and found himself standing beside her at the bar.
"I've heard a lot about you," he said.
Angel turned to look at him, and Jayden felt something shift. She was evaluating him, assessing whether he was worth her time.
"Have you?" she said. "I can't imagine who's been talking about me to you."
"The entire business community seems to know who you are," Jayden said. "But they talk about your business acumen. They don't talk about why someone like you is alone at a gala."
"I'm not alone," Angel said. "I'm independent. There's a difference."
"Is there someone?" Jayden asked.
Angel paused. "There might be. It's complicated."
"Most interesting things are," Jayden said.