The moment she entered, the air thickened, and everything around me seemed to still.
I didn't need to see her face to know who she was. Her presence alone was enough to cut through the noise of the room. Seraphina.
Her body moved with a quiet grace—poised, deliberate, like a lioness prowling through a sea of unsuspecting prey. She wasn't just beautiful; she was mesmerizing. Dangerous. Her black dress clung to her frame in a way that made every curve of her body feel intentional, like a weapon honed to perfection. The slit that ran up her thigh gave just enough to tease, revealing the soft flash of her skin as she walked. But it was the subtle strength in her posture—the way she held herself like the world could bend to her will—that caught my attention.
Her eyes scanned the room, cold, calculating. She was here for something, I knew that much. But what drew my gaze wasn't just the way she moved through the crowd with the air of a woman who knew exactly how to command a room—it was the way she ignored the room, as though it didn't even matter. As though nothing mattered except the mission she was here to complete.
And me.
I had known of her, of course. The Veil had made sure I was aware of their little assassin. But now that I had her in my sights, the reality of her presence was far more… captivating than I had imagined. There was an intensity to her. A quiet storm hidden beneath that ice-cold exterior.
Our gazes locked across the room.
Her eyes—dark, intense—didn't flinch. They held mine, unyielding, like she was daring me to look away first. I could feel the sharp edge of her stare, as if she was trying to read me, to understand me. Her cool composure was a mask, but beneath it, I knew there was more. I could feel it, the subtle shifts in her posture, the way her pulse quickened when our eyes met. She was pretending to be unaffected, but I saw through the act.
I could see it in the way she clenched her jaw, the slight tremor in her fingers when she adjusted her dress. She was pretending to be calm, but I knew better. She was as aware of the tension between us as I was.
Ilya moved beside me, his presence suddenly irrelevant, but I let him speak, letting his words wash over me. My focus was entirely on her. Ilya was an insect in comparison to what I was looking at. He had no idea how to see the game for what it really was.
I could hear him speak, his voice a murmur in the background, "She's… dangerous."
Ilya was right, but not for the reasons he thought. It wasn't just her skill with a gun or the way she could cut a man down without hesitation. It was the way she held herself—so poised, so untouchable, and yet so… inviting.
A challenge.
I leaned back, watching as she walked towards me. The way she moved, her hips swaying ever so slightly, drew my attention like a magnet. She was aware of me—of my gaze on her. And that only made her more dangerous. She wasn't some naive woman who didn't know what power her beauty wielded. No, she used it. Carefully. Intentionally.
And that made me want her more.
When she reached me, her scent hit me first—subtle, like jasmine and leather, a sharp contrast to the sterile air of the gala. She was close now, too close, and yet I didn't want her to move away. Her presence filled the space between us, like we were locked in our own world, apart from the crowd.
Her voice was smooth, controlled, the slightest trace of challenge in her words. "Mr. Antonov," she said, and the way she said my name was like a caress—almost intimate, but cold. "A pleasure to finally meet you."
I smiled, letting the words roll off my tongue like silk. "The pleasure is mine, Seraphina. It's been… anticipated."
Her lips tightened, a subtle indication that she was more aware than she let on. Her body was relaxed, but I could see the tension in her eyes. The way she refused to blink as she held my gaze was both thrilling and maddening.
For a moment, I considered leaning in—just enough to make her feel my presence, to let her sense the heat between us. The tension was almost unbearable. But I didn't move. Not yet. I was in control. I always was.
"You've heard about me," she said, her voice low, but there was an edge to it. A challenge, like she was daring me to really know her.
I took a step closer, our bodies now just a breath apart. Her eyes flickered down to my lips before returning to meet mine, and for that brief moment, I saw something that felt almost… vulnerable.
I smirked, letting my voice drop into a soft, seductive tone. "I've heard many things, Seraphina. But I'm more interested in what you've heard about me."
She didn't flinch. Didn't even blink. Her eyes locked with mine, and I could feel the slight tremor in her breath, the subtle shift in her posture as if she were bracing herself. And that was when I knew. She wasn't unaffected by me. No, there was something there—something buried beneath that icy exterior. Something that made her react to me.
Her lips parted just slightly, and I couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to kiss her. The idea of taking her control, of breaking through that unshakable facade… it was a temptation I couldn't ignore.
But I wasn't going to take it from her—not yet.
Instead, I leaned in closer, just enough to let her feel my breath against her ear. "Careful, Seraphina. You might just get everything you think you want."
She didn't back away. She didn't even flinch. And that was when I realized—I wasn't the only one with control in this game.
Her lips curled into a smile, one that could've been a challenge or an invitation.
For now, I was content to play. But I knew it wouldn't be long before our games became something else entirely.