The next morning was thick with silence.
Adrian had barely spoken since the gala. Nancy kept her distance, too. She didn't want to be the woman who played second to a memory.
Still, something between them had changed.
Not softened.
But shifted.
---
That Evening – Blackwood Private Estate
They had dinner at Adrian's grandmother's estate—an obligation neither of them could skip.
Grandmother Blackwood watched the two of them closely as they sat across the table, her silver cane tapping with rhythm.
"You're both acting," she said suddenly, without pretense. "But even bad actors reveal truths when they forget they're being watched."
Nancy's eyes met Adrian's, then quickly looked away.
"We're doing what you wanted," Adrian said, keeping his tone flat.
"No," she corrected. "I wanted you to feel something. Not perform."
Nancy stood abruptly, her appetite gone. "May I be excused?"
Adrian's jaw clenched, but he nodded.
Nancy stepped outside into the garden, the night breeze cooling the heat burning in her chest.
---
A Few Minutes Later – The Garden
She heard his footsteps before she saw him.
"You didn't have to follow me," she said.
"I didn't," he replied. "I just needed air."
Nancy rolled her eyes. "Of course. The garden of your multimillion-dollar estate is the only place you could breathe."
Adrian sighed. "Why do you always fight me?"
"Because I'm not going to beg for respect. Or love. Or even attention," she said sharply. "You already gave all of that to someone else."
A beat of silence passed between them.
Then Adrian stepped closer. Too close.
"She left me," he said quietly. "Without a word. Without a goodbye. Just a text saying she had to choose her career."
Nancy turned to face him. "So what? You punish the next woman who shows up in your life?"
"I didn't ask for this marriage—"
"Neither did I!" she snapped, eyes burning. "But I'm here. I'm standing in this twisted arrangement with you. And despite everything, I've tried to play my part."
Adrian's eyes darkened. "You've done more than that."
She looked at him, startled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means… I see you, Nancy." His voice was low, rough. "And it scares the hell out of me."
Her breath caught.
And before she could speak, before she could run or scream or even think—he stepped forward and kissed her.
Hard. Raw. Desperate.
Nancy froze—then melted. Her fingers tangled in his shirt, pulling him closer. For a moment, there was no contract, no past, no Lily.
Just them.
And it was real.
But then she pulled back—breathless, heart pounding.
"This… this changes things," she whispered.
Adrian looked down, conflicted, guarded. "It does."
Nancy stepped back. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not."
And with that, she walked away again—but this time, it wasn't out of anger.
It was because her heart was finally starting to care.
And that was the most dangerous thing of all.