The gala was exactly what Amara expected.
Too much glass. Too many smiles. A room full of people pretending they weren't watching one another closely.
She arrived alone.
Not because she lacked company—but because walking in alone sent a message. Confidence without explanation always did.
The dress she chose wasn't dramatic. It didn't need to be. Simple lines. Sharp tailoring. The kind of elegance that didn't beg for attention but collected it anyway.
She felt eyes on her the moment she stepped inside.
Alexander noticed first.
He paused mid-conversation, surprise flickering across his face before he masked it with a practiced smile. Selene followed his gaze, her expression tightening just enough to be satisfying.
So, Amara thought calmly, you didn't expect me to come.
Alexander approached her with a glass already in hand.
"You look well," he said. Too smoothly.
"So do you," Amara replied. Polite. Neutral. "Congratulations on the event."
Selene joined them seconds later, her smile sharp enough to cut.
"I didn't think you'd still be attending company functions," she said sweetly. "Since you're… transitioning."
Amara tilted her head. "Resignations don't erase history."
Alexander laughed lightly, as if this were all friendly. "Stay as long as you like. Tonight's about goodwill."
Amara smiled. "Of course it is."
She excused herself before either of them could say more.
Not because she was intimidated—but because she didn't need to stand near people who thought they were still in control.
That was when she felt it.
The sensation of being watched—not with hunger or calculation, but with curiosity.
She turned.
Across the room stood a man she recognized instantly, though they'd never formally met.
Adrian Vale.
CEO. Industry rival. Quietly devastating reputation. The man Alexander pretended not to measure himself against—and failed at convincingly.
Adrian wasn't smiling.
He was simply observing.
Their eyes met.
Something unreadable passed between them. Not attraction. Not hostility.
Recognition.
Amara broke eye contact first, moving toward the bar.
Moments later, he was there.
"You left your glass untouched," Adrian said, nodding toward the drink she'd abandoned earlier.
She glanced at him. "I wasn't thirsty."
"Smart," he replied. "Tonight's wine is mostly for show."
That made her laugh—soft, genuine.
"So are most people here," she said.
A corner of his mouth lifted. "You don't include yourself in that group."
"No," Amara said easily. "I've never been good at pretending."
Adrian studied her now, more directly. "That explains a few things."
They talked.
Not about business. Not about rivals. Not about Alexander.
They spoke about cities. Travel. Small annoyances. The absurdity of networking events.
It was… easy.
Amara didn't realize how tense she'd been until she felt her shoulders relax.
Across the room, Alexander watched.
Selene whispered something sharp in his ear.
Adrian noticed the shift in Alexander's posture and followed his gaze.
"So," Adrian said casually, "he finally noticed what he lost."
Amara raised an eyebrow. "That assumes he ever understood what he had."
Adrian's gaze sharpened—not unkindly. "You're sharper than people give you credit for."
She smiled. "That's usually when they make mistakes."
As the evening wound down, Adrian offered his card.
"Not for business," he added calmly. "For options."
Amara accepted it without hesitation.
"Options are useful," she said.
"Yes," Adrian agreed. "Especially when people underestimate you."
They parted without promises. Without drama.
But as Amara left the gala, she felt it—the shift.
Alexander's world no longer felt closed around her.
For the first time since waking up reborn, she felt something unexpected.
Not safety.
Possibility.