My posture was composed. My expression remained calm.
Power didn’t need to announce itself.
It simply arrived.
Applause erupted—loud and overwhelming. Billionaires, politicians, and celebrities rose to their feet, clapping, some even bowing their heads slightly as I passed.
But I wasn’t looking at them.
My gaze was fixed on one person.
Adrian.
And the moment he saw me—
his glass slipped from his hand.
CRASH.
The sharp sound cut through the applause.
His face drained of color. His lips parted, but no words came. His entire body froze, as if reality itself had just shattered in front of him.
Vanessa stood beside him, equally stunned, her fingers slowly slipping from his grasp.
“C-Clara…?” Adrian whispered, his voice barely audible. “That’s not possible…”
I walked toward him, the crowd instinctively stepping aside to clear a path. Each step was steady and controlled—no rush, no hesitation.
When I stopped in front of him, I let my eyes travel over him slowly.
The same way he had once looked at me.
Only now, there was no admiration in my gaze.
Only quiet judgment.
