ormance. The roar of the crowd lingered in his ears, but something felt different tonight. He didn't feel the usual adr

nd an excited grin. "That was incredible! You cr

ng swig of water. "Thanks, Jax. But I don't kn

across his face. "What do you mean? You're

don't know. It's like... I'm performing, but I'm not li

mbers poked their head in. "There's a group wa

rficial meet-and-greets, but he forced anothe

-

ng the crowd. He had taken Aiden's advice and attended Atticus Monroe's concert, but not because h

, and this concert was an opportunity to mingle with the power players i

"See? I told you this would be fun. You

d around. "If by talent, you mean knowing how to

. Anyway, we're on the VIP list to meet him

events, but Aiden had dragged him into this on

-

nt. He plastered on his charming pop star smile, the one that everyone expected of him, but his mind wandered as he greete

up entered, something

cably dressed in a tailored suit, his dark hair perfectly styled, and his sharp, calculating eyes scanned t

him toward the man. He had no idea who this person was, but something

aurent. Billionaire tech mogul. The guy's worth

the name before, but he never paid much attention

But he doesn't exactly l

proached, and for the first time that night, At

hand. "Atticus Monroe, right? Hug

dying Atticus like he was analyzing a business deal. "Yo

to gauge Ivan's mood. "

smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It seems

ay. It was challenging, almost as if Ivan wasn't impressed by the fame or the perf

what do you say, Atticus? Why don't you join us fo

ent but watchful, and for some reason, he

-

r downtown. The dim lighting and low music provided a more i

ng back to Ivan. There was something about him-something guarded and cold, but also magnetic. He c

to one of my shows?" Atticus asked

skey in his glass. "Business, mostly. But Aiden

cus challenged, his

g in them-something that made Atticus's heart beat a little faster. But then

ntertainment," Ivan replied smoothly.

ch his eyes. "You know, you could try h

boldness of Atticus's comment. "Fun? And

gaze never leaving Ivan's. "

ith tension, before Ivan s

-

of something-something complicated, something intense. He had no idea where it would

. He had spent years building walls around himself, but for the first

worlds were about to collide in ways th