Chapter 1 The invitation

Carter Hayes had spent the last three years perfecting the art of being unnoticed.

As a concierge at the prestigious Rosewood Manhattan, she dealt with the city's wealthiest and most powerful figures daily-billionaires, celebrities, foreign dignitaries-each one more demanding than the last. She had learned to smile, to nod, to cater to their every need while remaining invisible.

But Adrian Blackwood saw her.

From the moment he strode into the hotel, he disrupted her perfectly controlled world.

The air seemed heavier when he entered the lobby-or maybe that was just her pulse quickening. Dressed in a tailored black suit, Adrian exuded the kind of effortless power that made people straighten their posture in his presence.

And when he approached the concierge desk, Carter felt the full force of his attention settle on her.

"Good evening."

His voice was deep, smooth, sending a shiver down her spine.

Carter lifted her chin, keeping her tone professional. "Good evening, Mr. Blackwood. How may I assist you?"

For a moment, he didn't speak. He just watched her, his piercing blue eyes studying her like she was some kind of puzzle.

Then, his lips curved into the faintest smirk. "Have a drink with me."

Carter blinked. Did she hear that right?

She was used to high-profile guests making absurd requests-but this was something else entirely.

"I don't think that would be appropriate, sir," she said carefully.

Adrian leaned slightly over the counter, lowering his voice just enough to send warmth curling down her spine. "And yet, I'm still asking."

Carter exhaled sharply, her professional mask cracking for just a second.

This was dangerous. A man like Adrian Blackwood-the Adrian Blackwood-was the kind of man who played by his own rules. The kind of man who could consume her whole if she let him.

But against her better judgment, against every rule she had set for herself, she found herself saying:

"One drink."

His smirk deepened, like he had just won something.

"I'll hold you to that."

And just like that, Carter Hayes's carefully structured world began to unravel.