The grand hall of the Royal Zenith Auction was a sea of glittering jewels and whispered boasts. Ms. Evelyn stood beside Ethan, her expression unreadable.
“Mr. Vance,” she murmured, her voice low. “The Vance dynasty’s fortune could acquire every item here ten times over. Forgive me for asking, but why are we gracing these minor billionaires with your time?”
Ethan’s gaze swept across the room, as cold and sharp as shattered glass. “Observing.” The single word was an order to cease questioning. His eyes passed over preening tycoons and ambitious heirs without a flicker of interest. Then, they stopped. His breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
It was her.
The face from his darkest memories, the one beacon of light. Elena Hayes. The girl who, five years ago, had given a starving street orphan a piece of bread and a kind smile. She was the one act of grace in his brutal past. She was even more beautiful now, but a storm of fear was gathering in her eyes. His frozen heart, forged in the fires of revenge, felt a sudden, painful thaw.
He saw the source of her fear instantly. A man had her cornered by a secluded marble pillar, his smile a predator’s leer. Derek Wang. A notorious playboy whose name was synonymous with scandal.
“Don’t be shy, Elena,” Derek purred, pushing a glass of wine towards her. “A toast to our families. Don’t you want our fathers to be happy?”
“Please, Derek, I’ve had enough,” Elena pleaded, her voice trembling as she tried to back away. He blocked her path, his hand gripping her arm.
“Nonsense,” he sneered, his eyes glinting with a sickening promise. “This is a special vintage. It will help you… relax.” He forced the rim of the glass against her lips. A tear traced a path down her cheek.
Elena is being drugged and forced to drink by the notorious tycoon's son Derek in a dark corner. Ethan strides over and snatches the wine glass from her lips.