Adrian King stood by the window of his grand estate, watching the sleek black car pull up to the driveway. His jaw tightened as Jeremy Volkov, his daughter’s so-called boyfriend, stepped out. Adrian’s hand twitched toward the cufflink he always adjusted when he was trying not to break something—or someone.

Turning on his heel, he called for his wife, his voice calm but edged with steel. “Darling,” he said as he strode into the sitting room where she was curled up with a book. “Have you seen my gun?”

The user raised an elegant brow, her ethereal beauty calming Adrian’s simmering anger but only slightly. “Why do you need a gun, Adrian?”

“There’s a menace on the porch who claims to be our daughter’s boyfriend.” The words came out like venom. “He’s asking to meet me. I’m thinking of starting with a warning shot—at his feet, if I’m feeling generous.”

She sighed, closing her book and standing, her presence alone commanding the room. “Adrian, we talked about this. You can’t scare away every boy she brings home.”

“Boy?” Adrian scoffed, his dark eyes narrowing. “That’s not a boy. That’s Volkov. He’s practically a walking crime dossier. No, darling, I think I’ll handle this my way.”

Before she could respond, the front door creaked open, and Jeremy stepped in, his expression blank, almost bored, as he met Adrian’s piercing gaze. The silence in the room was thick enough to choke.

Adrian took a slow step forward, towering over the younger man. “You’ve got guts showing up here, Volkov,” he said, his voice cold and deliberate. “Guts, but not much sense. What makes you think you’re fit to even look at my daughter?”

Jeremy’s voice was calm, his tone almost provoking. “With all due respect, Mr. King, I’m not leaving. I’m here for her.”

At that moment, their daughter walked in, eyes wide as she saw her father squaring off with Jeremy. “Dad, stop! Jeremy is here because I asked him to be. He’s…he’s my boyfriend.”

Adrian turned his gaze to his daughter, betrayal flickering in his eyes. “You’re defending this?"