SHADOWS UNVEILED

Adrian's POV In the ballroom, the suspense was intense. Victor's arrogant demeanor and the barely hidden hate in his comments brought back to me just how much authority he thought he possessed over me. And, for once, I had to admit he carried more cards than I would have preferred. Samantha at my side with the stakes so great drove my thoughts. Victor controlling my family was the last thing I needed. I inhaled, straightening myself. I quit allowing Victor to write the story. I will get back under control tonight. "Victor," I answered, mirroring his haughtiness with a chilly certainty. You live a long way from home. You had any interest in tonight's gala? I had no idea. I let the taunting hang, trying to chip at his conceit. "Oh, Adrian, I always have stakes where you're concerned," he said, glancing quickly at Samantha. "Though, I think tonight may be one of the most... interesting events I've attended in quite some time." Samantha's hand slid out of mine, then. She straightened herself, her chin held high, uncompromising. I respected her strength on these kinds of occasions. She resisted although knowing the waves of worry she must be experiencing. "Elena," Samantha murmured, her voice cool but not forceful. "Why have you brought him here? Of course, there were better choices than sacrificing a night free from concern. Elena just grinned, albeit it lacked warmth. "Ah, Samantha, one could argue about the value of learning from the competition. Think about tonight as an education. Her eyes flickered between us with measured attention, making my skin crawl. I resolved to straightforwardly cut to the point. " Victor, what do you want for? We have a lot going on. Victor's eyes sparkled, his pleasure obvious. "Simple, Adrian," says I am seated at the table here. Not only a sliver as well. I am referring to a quite important part. And if you object as well? He leaned forward and spoke softly. "I'll make sure everyone here knows exactly what Samantha is, and exactly what you've been hiding." I tightened my jaw, every thread in me stifling the need to fly at him. His comments were meant to drive me into a corner and were shockingly exact. I refused to let him realize the extent he had rumbled me. "Don't you dare," I shouted, inches toward him. If you so much as speak about Samantha or Leo— Victor snipped me off with a grin. Adrian, "Or what?" You would challenge me? Laughing, he waved a contemptuous hand. "You forget; I have exactly the same dirt on you as you do on me. Maybe more. Though I could sense Samantha's anxiety next to me, I knew she was observing, waiting for the perfect opportunity. "Victor, we both know the kind of man you are," she remarked coldly. "You have never been able to win without acting dirty." Laughing, obviously delighted by her disobedience. "The Dawson spirit," Thus both admirable and so silly. He came up to me closely, his voice low and poisonous. "I am aware of your modest setup, Adrian. And I know the folks you so want to wow would not be very happy to learn. I inhaled deeply and battled the need to snap. Victor's warnings tightened around us with every word, like poison permeating all our interactions. But the last thing I could afford was caving in under pressure. "We'll talk about this later," I responded, sounding icy. "Beyond the throng." Victor smiled. Oh, but right now seems to be ideal. The world enjoys a scandal after all. Samantha turned to face me and asked the question in her eyes. If that's what I required, she was ready to go toe-to--toe with him; but, I couldn't let her slide any farther into this mess. I nodded to her, trying to say I had it under control—at least temporarily. Everyone turned to find a loud voice from the other side of the room calling attention. Presumably bored with the murmurs and sidelong glances, one of my investors raised his glass and demanded a toast. I grabbed hold of the opportunity. I remarked, "Let's step outside," to Victor, my voice devoid of any space for debate. He stared at me for a long time then nodded, obviously savoring the opportunity to exercise his power over me. Samantha stroked my arm, anxiety flaring in her eyes. " Adrian, be careful." Brushing my thumb over her hand, I smiled reassuringly at her. My voice low, I said, "I'll be right back." "Stay here and watch Leo closely. None of them really inspire me. Walking Victor out onto the balcony, the cold night air stood in sharp contrast to the tension boiling inside me. I lost no time as soon as we were by ourselves. " Victor, you are overstepping here. Long enough I have participated in your games, but threatening my family crosses a boundary. He wrinkled his eyebrows, obviously unconcerned. "Your family?"? He laughed, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "Don't let this center sentimentality, Adrian. This is a commercial. Samantha married you to close a deal; now, since it would be handy for you, she has become your "family". I tightened my hands; my control slipped. Once more, let me say this. I will make sure you regret it if you ever consider approaching Samantha or Leo. Victor's face clouded, his smile gone. "Adrian, you are not understanding it. You cannot shield her from everything. And you most definitely cannot defend yourself should I choose to tug the ropes. Perhaps it would be time to start working together if you care about her. The wise thing, Adrian is. His comments rang true, but I forced myself to remain cool. " Victor, this is my firm. For this I have worked my entire life. And I refuse to let someone like you walk in and ruin everything. To me, your threats are nothing. That is so? He slanted back and laughed gently. "then you probably will have to learn the hard way." Both of us turned as the door opened. Samantha had followed us over the balcony, staring fiercely. She strolled straight up to Victor without any hint of anxiety, so she must have heard part of our chat. "Victor, let's make something clear," she continued, her voice low but steady. You have undervalued both of us; you think you can frighten Adrian and drive him into a corner. Victor looked between us and his smile came back. "Oh, Samantha, if only you knew the number of others attempting to be heroes against me. It never finishes satisfactorily. Unfazed, Samantha moved forward a step. "You promised you would never cross me if you went near my son." Intrigued, as though weighing her up, he stared at her. Amused, he said, "Feisty." Unfortunately, dear, you are out of your league. I could no longer stand it. Pushing Victor against the railing, I grabbed him by the collar. You listen to me, I said with tight teeth. "You might think you're untouchable, but if you look at Samantha or Leo again you could lose everything." Victor smiled, wicked pleasure lighting in his eyes. "Oh, Adrian. Only if you knew what was ahead. He then slipped out of my reach and seemed to have nothing happening by smoothing his jacket. He added, grinning as he turned back into the ballroom, "I think this conversation is over." My blood boiling, I watched him depart. But when I went back to Samantha, she seemed worried. She said, "Adrian," lightly caressing my arm. "What are we going to do? He is not backtracking. I inhaled deeply, trying to pay attention. We will work things out. He is not going to prevail. Still, I understood we were treading carefully even as I said it. Every instinct informed me Victor had something scheduled and we were running out of time; he was not bluffing. Returning to the ballroom, the evening carried on without awareness of the storm building between us. But as I observed Victor mixing with guests and flaunting arrogant looks our way, I realized our lives were about to be ripped apart in ways we never could have predicted. This went beyond mere reputation or corporate concern now. It has to do with survival. And as I hugged Samantha tight, a single thought ate me: I had to be ready whatever was coming. Because this struggle was far from finished.