Chapter 4 — Clashing Wills

Adrian

Dinner had always been a ritual of control in Adrian’s world. The table, long and heavy with its dark mahogany sheen, symbolized stability, power, and the unspoken hierarchy of their lives. Tonight, however, it felt like a battlefield.

Valentina sat across from him, her posture deceptively relaxed, one hand loosely cradling the stem of her wineglass. Her hazel eyes, sharp and defiant, flickered with the glow of the chandelier above. She hadn’t touched her food—not the roasted lamb, not the saffron-infused risotto, not even the delicate caprese salad meticulously plated by the estate’s chef. Her rejection of the meal was deliberate, a silent message: *I won’t be tamed*.