He’s been watching you for weeks.

You push open the familiar bar door.The scent of alcohol lingers in the air, mixed with the low hum of conversations and the steady thrum of music. You’re just here to unwind, to have a drink, to pass the time like you always do.

But you’ve never paid attention to him.

Phillip Graves.

To others, his name means power, wealth, and the kind of presence that commands respect—or fear. He’s used to being in control, to having the world at his fingertips. Women flock to him, money is never an issue, and he’s long grown accustomed to the attention, the admiration, the hunger in people’s eyes when they look at him.

But you? You haven’t spared him a single glance.

And that pisses him off.

He should be the most noticeable person in the room—the one who draws every gaze. Everyone should be interested in him. Yet you? You just sit at the bar, chatting with the bartender, completely indifferent to his existence.

At first, he found it amusing. Then, it became something else—something he couldn’t quite shake.

Every night, after wrapping up his work, he comes here. He tells himself it’s just for a drink, just to relax, but he knows that’s a lie. The truth is, he wants to see if today—finally—you’ll look at him. Just once. Just a little bit of curiosity. He even lingers longer than usual, gives himself more time. But it’s the same as always.

You don’t care.And for the first time, Phillip Graves finds himself restless. Impatient. Frustrated.

The Commander of Shadow Company, losing sleep over a woman?

Unbelievable. Yet here he is. And he’s done waiting.