Chapter 6: Playing With Fire

Lily should have walked away.

She should have left Adrian Blackwood standing there, his voice laced with quiet menace, his presence wrapping around her like a vice.

But she didn’t.

She held his gaze, her heart hammering as his words settled between them.

"I do ruin people. Are you afraid yet?"

She swallowed, pushing down the tightness in her chest.

“No,” she said.

A flicker of something crossed his face—surprise, intrigue, something darker.

Then, he smirked.

“You should be,” he murmured.

Lily clenched her fists. “Maybe you should stop trying to intimidate me and start acting like a professional.”

Adrian chuckled—low, amused, and entirely too confident.

“Miss Hart, I think you’re confused.” He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. “This isn’t intimidation. It’s a warning.”

Lily lifted her chin. “And yet, you’re the one who keeps pulling me closer.”

There was a beat of tense silence.

Then Adrian’s smirk faded.

His gaze dipped to her lips for just a fraction of a second before he stepped back.

“Get back to work,” he said, voice clipped.

Lily exhaled.

This wasn’t a game anymore.

It was a battle.

And she had no idea how to win.

By the time Lily returned to her desk, the office was buzzing.

Whispers followed her—curious glances, hushed voices.

She barely sat down before Veronica strolled up, arms crossed.

“So… the boss has never pulled someone into his office this much before,” she mused.

Lily rolled her eyes. “He’s my boss. We discuss work.”

Veronica arched her brow. “Right. And I’m secretly the Queen of England.”

Lily sighed, rubbing her temples. “Look, I’m just trying to survive this job.”

Veronica smirked. “Honey, if Adrian Blackwood is looking at you like that, survival might not be an option.”

Lily shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

But the heat in her cheeks told a different story.

And deep down, she knew—this wasn’t nothing.

By 9 PM, most of the office had cleared out.

Lily should have left, too.

But she was still drowning in paperwork, trying to fix a last-minute issue with the financial reports.

The elevator doors chimed.

She glanced up—and froze.

Adrian.

His jacket was gone, his sleeves rolled up, his tie slightly loosened.

He looked like power and sin wrapped in a perfectly tailored package.

And he was looking right at her.

“You’re still here.”

Lily cleared her throat. “Yes there is a lot of work to do.”

He walked over, glancing at her screen. “You’re fixing the revenue projections.”

She frowned. “How did you—”

“I know everything that happens in this company,” he murmured.

Lily swallowed. “Right.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then Adrian spoke again

“You shouldn’t be here alone this late,” he said.

Lily lifted a brow. “Are you worried about me, Mr. Blackwood?”

His jaw tightened. “No.”

But the look in his eyes said otherwise.

“Go home,” he ordered.

Lily tilted her head. “What about you?”

“I don’t go home.”

Her stomach twisted. “Ever?”

A muscle in his jaw flexed. “Not anymore.”

Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down her spine.

Lily hesitated. She knew she shouldn’t ask.

But before she could stop herself—

“What happened?” she asked softly.

Adrian’s expression shuttered.

A long pause.

Then, voice low, he said, “Goodnight, Miss Hart.”

And just like that, he walked away.

Lily let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She had pushed too far.

And for the first time—she saw something in Adrian Blackwood that scared her.

Not his power. Not his control.

But his pain.

The next morning, Lily arrived at work early, hoping for a quiet start.

But of course, fate had other plans.

Because the moment she stepped into the office, Cassandra Sterling was waiting for her.

“Good morning, darling,” Cassandra said, smiling like a viper.

Lily exhaled slowly. “What do you want, Cassandra?”

Cassandra twirled a lock of perfectly styled hair. “To help you.”

Lily folded her arms. “I highly doubt that.”

Cassandra’s smile sharpened.

“Adrian doesn’t do relationships,” she said. “He doesn’t do love. He doesn’t do it ever.”

Lily’s stomach twisted.

Cassandra leaned in. “Whatever you think is happening between you two—it won’t end well for you.”

Lily refused to flinch. “And yet, you’re the one standing here, trying to convince me.”

Cassandra’s eyes darkened. “You think you’re different. That he’ll change for you. But trust me—he won’t.”

Lily exhaled. “Is that all?”

Cassandra tilted her head. “One last thing.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“Do you know what happened to the last woman he got too close to?”

Lily’s breath hitched.

Cassandra smirked. “Didn’t think so.”

Then, with a satisfied smile, she turned and walked away.

Leaving ice-cold dread coiling in Lily’s chest.

Lily stormed into Adrian’s office.

He looked up, brows lifting. “Miss Hart.”

She slammed the door behind her.

“What happened to the last woman you got close to?” she demanded.

Adrian stilled.

Then slowly he stood.

“Who told you that?”

“Cassandra.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

Lily crossed her arms. “Is she lying?”

Adrian’s eyes darkened.

“I told you to be careful,” he said softly.

Lily’s stomach twisted.

She took a step closer. “What happened, Adrian?”

A long silence.

“You’re playing with fire, Miss Hart,” he murmured.

Lily swallowed. Her voice soft “Maybe I want to get burned.”

Adrian’s gaze dropped to her lips.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said—

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

And just like that, he closed the distance.