Chapter 7 - Venom in Silk
Before Mara could process the revelation, the private elevator chime echoed through the penthouse.
The doors slid open, revealing Brielle Cartwright flanked by two of Adrian's personal security guards who looked deeply uncomfortable. Brielle was breathless, her sparkling silver gown catching the ambient light, her diamond earrings swaying with every furious step she took into the foyer.
"Adrian!" Brielle’s voice sliced through the heavy room. "What is the meaning of this? You left me sitting alone at Le Cirque for forty-five minutes while the mayor was three tables away!"
She stopped dead in her tracks as her designer heels clicked against the hardwood floor.
Her eyes swept over the room: the four sleeping boys on the velvet sofa wrapped in expensive cashmere, the worn canvas duffel bags near the door, and Mara Bennett standing in her stained server uniform.
Brielle’s eyes narrowed into sharp, cruel slits. She recognized Mara instantly.
"You," Brielle hissed, her sophisticated composure slipping. "What is she doing here, Adrian? I thought your father dealt with this trash years ago."
Mara recoiled as if slapped, stepping back toward her sons.
Adrian didn't raise his voice. He took three slow steps toward Brielle, placing his towering frame between the wealthy socialite and Mara. The air around him turned sub-zero.
"Watch your tongue in my home, Brielle," Adrian warned softly.
Brielle let out a high-pitched, incredulous laugh. "Your home? Adrian, our families are signing the merger agreement tomorrow morning! The press is waiting for the announcement! And you drag your old mistress and her bastards into your penthouse?"
Milo, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, squeezed his eyes shut at the harsh tone of Brielle's voice.
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Adrian’s arm moved with blind speed. He grabbed Brielle by the upper arm—not enough to leave a mark, but with enough iron force to stop her in her tracks.
"They are my sons," Adrian said, his gray-blue eyes gleaming with a lethal, unyielding light. "And this engagement is over."
