Chapter 110
The host finished the opening segment with a bright, practiced smile and stepped down from the stage. Soft music resumed, and the atmosphere loosened again. Guests returned to their conversations, the clinking of glasses and low laughter filling the
vast hall.
A staff member hurried up to the host and whispered something into her ear. She frowned slightly, then picked up her tablet and tapped on the screen a few times before walking back to the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she said, her voice clear and calm, “I’ve just received confirmation from the Cole Group. The earlier rumor that the Cole Group’s chairman would be attending tonight appears to be… misinformation. The Cole family has confirmed that the chairman will not be present.”
A small wave of disappointed murmurs swept through the hall.
The host smiled again, trying to smooth things over. “However, I’ve also been notified that a few very special guests and important social figures have arrived unexpectedly. So I’m sure tonight will still be full of pleasant surprises.”
With that, she stepped aside.
At Lucas’s table, Sophia clicked her tongue softly. “What a pity. I was hoping to see what the legendary chairman looks like.”
Margaret sighed. “Well, even without him, this is still a high–class banquet.”
Sophia glanced around, then said with a hint of mockery, “By the way, I don’t see my sister’s foolish ex–husband anywhere.”
Elena frowned slightly. “Sophia…”
Sophia waved her hand dismissively. “Come on, it’s the truth. This isn’t some back–alley duel or street gathering. Someone like him wouldn’t qualify to come here. And Manager Catherine Morritis couldn’t even buy her way in.”
She laughed lightly, her voice carrying a sharp edge. “Maybe he’s finally been exposed. That so–called supreme card of his was probably stolen, and now they’ve fallen out. He deserves whatever he gets.”
Just as the last word left her mouth-
The doors of the banquet hall opened again.
A quiet but strange ripple passed through the room, as if the air itself had shifted.
Two men walked in side by side.
The one on the left was tall and relaxed, with a sharp, confident bearing- Kai. But it was the man beside him who drew every eye in the hall.
Adrian
He was dressed in a simple but perfectly tailored dark suit. Nothing flashy, nothing exaggerated yet somehow he looked as if the entire hall had been designed around him. His posture was calm, his steps unhurried, his gaze steady and deep.
For a brief moment, the entire banquet hall seemed to fall silent.
Sophia’s smile froze.
Margaret’s eyes widened.
Elena’s heart skipped a beat.
Lucas stood up halfway from his chair, staring as if he had seen a ghost.
་་ “…Him?” Sophia whispered.
Chapter 110
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Adrian walked forward, Kai half a step behind him, scanning the room with casual interest.
Their eyes swept across the guests–and then Adrian’s gaze met Evan’s.
Evan, who had been in the middle of talking to someone, paused slightly. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The man walking in felt… familiar. Not in appearance–no, the face was unfamiliar–but in a vague, uncomfortable way, like a shadow from a memory he couldn’t quite catch.
Raymond also looked over, his expression calm but attentive.
Neither of them recognized Adrian.
How could they?
The last time they had seen him, he had been just a child.
Back then, his father had just died.
The house had been filled with black clothes, quiet sobbing, and the heavy smell of incense. Adrian had been too young to understand death fully–he only knew that his father would never come back. He had been crying in a comer, his small hands clutching his clothes, while his mother was overwhelmed with funeral arrangements and endless visitors.
That day, his uncle had come to him with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Ryan,” he had said gently, holding a piece of paper, “sign this and I’ll give you some candy.”
Adrian had looked at the paper, then at his uncle, and shaken his head. He didn’t like him. He didn’t know why–he just felt incomfortable.
His uncle’s smile had stiffened.
Later, when his uncle left, he had sent Evan instead.
Evan, who had been older, had pretended to play with him, to cheer him up.
Then, when no one was paying attention, he had locked himn inside a small room.
A room where the heat was unbearable.
The air had grown thinner and thinner. Adrian had cried and pounded on the door until his hands hurt, his throat burning, his head spinning. He remembered collapsing on the floor, thinking he might die there.
If not for his mother, who had suddenly returned and heard something was wrong…
She had broken the door open.
She had held him, shaking, her eyes full of fear and fury.
From that day on, everything changed.
His mother set a clear boundary.
They were not allowed to come to the house anymore–unless it was strictly for company matters.
She stopped letting him appear in front of them. She stopped letting him attend any gatherings where they might be. She built walls around him, invisible but firm.
Later, when she began to suspect that his father’s death was not natural, those walls only grew higher.
She didn’t know who the real enemy was.
So she protected him from everyone.
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Through his entire childhood and youth, those people only heard of him as “Ryan,” the heir. They never truly saw him grow up.
The only time they had almost seen him was three years ago, the night before his accident.
Even then, he had been wearing a mask, he had removed it by mistake for just a second–and quickly put it back on.
That single glimpse had never been enough to carve his face into their memories.
And now, three years later, the man walking into the banquet hall was no longer that child.
He was Adrian.
And no one connected him to the name “Ryan Cole.”
Adrian’s gaze lingered for only a second longer before he looked away.
He and Kai were guided to a table not too far from the center–clearly not a minor seat, but not ostentatiously placed either.
They sat down.
Kai leaned slightly closer and murmured, “You just walked into a hornet’s nest.”
Adrian picked up the napkin calmly. “It’s only a nest if they know who I am.”
Kai smirked. “Fair point.”
Across the hall, Lucas was still staring.
Margaret’s face darkened. “How did he get in here?”
Elena’s heart was beating faster than she wanted to admit. She looked at Adrian’s back, at the calm way he sat, at the quiet confidence in his posture. He didn’t look like someone who had forced his way in.
Lucas’s jaw tightened.
“This is impossible,” he muttered. “This isn’t some cheap event. Invitations here aren’t something you can just buy.”
Sophia scoffed. “Maybe Catherine Morritis brought him in.
Margaret nodded. “That must be it. He’s just clinging to her.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
He watched Adrian for a few more seconds, then stood up.
“Let’s go see,” he said.
Sophia and Margaret followed immediately. Elena hesitated for a moment, then stood as well.
They walked across the ball, trying to keep their composure.
Adrian noticed them approaching but didn’t turn around. He continued speaking quietly to Kat about something trivial–the arrangement of the hall, the security, the atmosphere.
Lucas stopped beside their table and cleared his throat.
Adrian looked up slowly,
His eyes met Lucas’s.
For a moment, Lucas felt a strange pressure, like he was being examined from the inside out.
Then Adrian’s expression settled into something neutral, distant.
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“Can I help you?” Adrian asked calmly.
Sophia forced a laugh. “Adrian, what a coincidence. We didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Is that so?” Adrian replied lightly.
Margaret crossed her arms. “This isn’t a place you should be. Who brought you?”
Kai raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Adrian looked at them one by one, then said, “I was invited.”
Lucas laughed. “Invited? By who?”
Adrian’s lips curved slightly. “Does it matter?”
Lucas’s smile stiffened. “Of course it does. This is the National Bank banquet. You can’t just walk in here.”
“And yet,” Adrian said calmly, “here I am.”
“”
Sophia looked around, then lowered her voice. “Don’t tell me you’re still relying on Catherine Morritis.”
Adrian’s gaze cooled a little. “My relationships are none of your business.”
Elena finally spoke, her voice quieter. “Adrian… I thought you said you were busy.”
“I am,” he replied, not unkindly. “That’s why I only gave you five minutes.”
The words landed heavier than he probably intended.
Lucas clenched his fists. “You should leave before you embarrass yourself.’
Adrian looked at him steadily. “You’re not the host. You’re not the owner. You’re not even staff. Why would I listen to you?”
Kai chuckled softly.
Around them, a few nearby guests were starting to notice the tension.
Lucas’s face flushed. “Fine. Stay. But don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
He turned away sharply, dragging Margaret and Sophia with him. Elena looked back once, hesitated, then followed.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
