I slammed the front door shut with determination, the weight of the day settling onto my shoulders. The long hours and the relentless swirl of thoughts didn’t stand a chance against my resolve. Exhausted but not defeated, I strode into the kitchen, ready to whip up something quick and uncomplicated to eat.The house was unnaturally quiet, the air heavy with an unspoken tension. It felt like the walls were bracing for impact, anticipating something. What that might be, I couldn’t pinpoint, but I had a nagging feeling it tied back to the deal I made with Alexander. Just thinking about him ignited a flash of annoyance within me.Why can’t I shake him off?I brushed the thought aside and grabbed a takeout bag from the counter. A burger, fries, and a drink. Not gourmet, but it would suffice. I tore open the package, shoving fries into my mouth, drowning out the unsettling feeling in my gut. Alexander’s words echoed in my mind, his smile, the ease with
(Alexander's POV)I slammed the front door behind me, the weight of the day pressing down hard. The silence of the mansion felt stifling, but it was nothing compared to the chaos in my mind. I stormed up to my room, craving a moment of solitude, yet when I swung open the door, my heart nearly stopped.Isabelle was sitting on the edge of my bed, her posture stiff, hands clasped tightly in her lap. The sight of her there, uninvited, felt like a violation of my personal space. She didn’t even have the decency to ask."What are you doing here?" My voice cut through the silence, colder than I intended. Anger, frustration, and disbelief surged within me; how dare she barge in like this?Her eyes flew up to meet mine, wide and shimmering with unshed tears. "Alexander, I—""No," I interrupted firmly, stepping further into the room. "What gives you the right to come into my room unannounced? Do you think this is some kind of open invitation?"
(Lyvanne’s POV)I stopped abruptly when I saw Matteo.The moment our eyes locked outside the hotel entrance, my pulse quickened. How did he know I’d be here? There was no way it was a coincidence. With Matteo, everything felt orchestrated. His approach was smooth, confident, like he had been waiting for this very moment."Lyvanne," he said, his voice disturbingly calm. "Funny seeing you here."I blinked, pushing down my unease. I wasn’t prepared for this conversation yet—not after the chaos of the past few days. My mind buzzed with questions and doubts. It was clear he’d been following me, but how much did he really know?"Matteo," I responded, my tone sharper than I intended. I needed control and a solid boundary. "What are you doing here?"He shrugged, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth. "I’m in London for a bit. Just staying at the hotel for now. And you? What brings you here, if you don’t mind me asking?"
I could feel the tension crackling in the air before I even swung the office door open. My fingers hovered over the doorknob, a confident smirk lingering on my face as I replayed the earlier messages in my mind. Watching Lyvanne’s frustration boil over was strangely satisfying—it was a guilty pleasure, and one I fully embraced.I knew I had pushed her buttons by sending James in my place, and I knew exactly what she would be thinking. She’d despise me for it, yet deep down, she’d have to acknowledge that I was right. The last thing I would do was bend to her demands as if I were some obedient lackey. The mere thought of that made me chuckle to myself.When the flood of desperate messages from James hit my phone, I was tempted to toss it across the room. He’d practically pleaded for me to come and smooth things over with Lyvanne. She was ready to cut ties, terminate the contract, and scorch everything in sight.My response was simple: Let her
I stared at the screen of my phone, the call ringing for the third time, each tone echoing in my mind like a warning bell. A part of me wanted to throw the device across the room. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to him—I simply didn’t trust him, and that feeling was as suffocating as the summer heat hanging in the air. Alexander had a maddening way of worming his way into my head, unraveling my composure thread by thread. It was as if he had a sixth sense for when I was at my most vulnerable, always ready to manipulate the situation in his favor. With his name flashing on the screen, I felt my heart start to race and my blood pressure spike in tandem, a toxic mixture of anxiety and irritation.Drawing in a deep breath, I tried to quell the rising panic. Perhaps I was being overly cautious, but after years of navigating my way through people like him, paranoia had become both a shield and a weapon. It was hard to explain the sensation he invoked in me: a const
I was finishing up with the final touches on my outfit, the smooth silk of my dress slipping over my skin like water. The light streaming through the window caught the subtle shimmer of the fabric, and for a moment, I felt the slightest bit at ease. Maybe the day wouldn’t be so bad. It was an art gallery opening, after all. A chance to escape the usual monotony, dive into something that might inspire me—or at the very least, get me out of this suffocating mansion.Just as I was about to step out the door, one of the guards entered my room, his expression taut, his lips pressed in an uncomfortable line.“Your Grace, there’s someone outside requesting to see you. He’s refusing to give his name,” he said, voice low, but with a hint of warning.I paused, my fingers freezing midair as I adjusted my necklace. Who could it be? Vivienne? It couldn’t be her; she’d never pull something so childish. My heart fluttered, a weird twist of dread spreading through me
The room was chaotic. Bullets whizzed by, ricocheting off the walls, the sound of gunfire so sharp it felt like the air was cracking. My heart thudded against my chest, out of rhythm with the madness around me. My breath hitched, and my knees trembled. I had been here before, in a place where danger was a constant shadow, and the sound of a gunshot was the trigger that set off the fear in my veins.I couldn’t move. My legs felt like stone, and my body was frozen in place. I was terrified. The gunfire, the screams, the frantic shuffling of feet... It was too much. Too much. It all blurred into a nightmare I couldn’t escape from.Then, I felt it. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into the safety of someone’s chest. Alexander. His warmth cut through the cold dread that gripped me, but it didn’t ease the terror. I didn’t want to be this close to him. I didn’t want him holding me. But his arms were around me, and he was guiding me through the panic, wa
Lyvanne’s POV I couldn’t breathe.My heart pounded in my chest, drowning out every other sound, every other thought. I was stuck—trapped in this godforsaken alley, and the figure standing before me was a nightmare made flesh. The thief wore a mask that only left the cruel glint of his eyes visible, and those eyes? They were cold, calculating, like he had already decided I wasn’t going to see tomorrow. And then Alexander came in.I didn’t know what he was thinking, but there he was, stepping in front of me, like some kind of knight in shining armor. His stance was strong, unyielding. As if he had the right to keep me safe. But why was he doing this? Why him, of all people? My pulse quickened in confusion and fear, my gaze darting from him to the thief.The thief’s voice cut through the tension. “Move out of the way, boy. I don’t want you. I just want her.” He gestured at me with an outstretched hand, his finger pointing at me like I was some kind of prize to be claimed.I took a step
The wheels of the wheelchair scraped against the smooth hospital floor, the sound unnervingly loud as we passed the sterile white walls. Alexander sat still, his hands gripping the arms of the chair as though they were the only things anchoring him to the present moment. I pushed him, my mind racing, my heart pounding. Every step felt heavy, weighted down by the thoughts swirling in my head, the frustration clawing at my chest.People stared, their gazes following us as though we were some tragic spectacle. A part of me hated it, the way their eyes lingered, the judgment they didn't even bother to hide. I could feel their curiosity, their whispers buzzing around us like a swarm of insects. They thought we were some pathetic couple. They had no idea.I didn’t ask for this. I never wanted this.But I couldn’t just leave him here, abandoned, vulnerable. I couldn't ignore him, even though every fiber of my being screamed for me to run, to get away from th
Two days later, I was sitting in that sterile hospital room, feeling more like a prisoner than a patient. The constant beeping of machines and the distant chatter in the hallway felt suffocating. I couldn't stand the isolation anymore. My body still felt weak, and I couldn’t walk without help, but damn it, I was done with this place.The doctor had insisted I stay longer, at least for another day. But what was the point? I was tired of the monotony. Isabelle hadn't even bothered to show her face since the day I was admitted. The only time I heard from her was when she was using my card for her shopping sprees. If it wasn't so infuriating, it might've been funny. But I wasn’t laughing."Mr. Alexandro, you really should consider staying at least one more day," the doctor said, eyeing me over his glasses. "You’re not in the best shape yet."I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need a babysitter,” I muttered, ignoring the slight ache in my chest as I pushed my
I couldn’t believe it. My blood was still boiling, my fists clenched at my sides as I stared at Alexander, his words echoing in my head. How could he be so dismissive? How could he act like nothing was wrong? After everything, everything I had done to make sure Lyvanne stayed out of his life, now she was slipping back in, just like that.I couldn’t stop the heat that surged through me as I took a step closer to him. He had the audacity to look at me like I was the one who was out of line. “What is going on, Alexander?” My voice was shaky, but I wasn’t about to let him see that I was upset. I needed answers. I needed to know why he was acting like this.His eyes flickered, irritation flashing in his expression before he responded, his voice sharp. “What do you mean?”“Don’t act like you don’t know. What’s this about you and Lyvanne? Are you really her shield now?” I asked, the words coming out colder than I intended.I could see it—the moment
Lyvanne stood frozen in the doorway, her hand still resting on the frame as the scene inside Alexander’s room played out before her. Isabelle, as if possessed by some cruel form of desperation, had shoved past her without a second glance and thrown herself at him. The sound of Isabelle’s sobs, her breath coming in sharp, heavy gasps, only added to the suffocating air in the room. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest, as if he were the only anchor in the world.Lyvanne’s breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, everything around her seemed to blur. This is it, she thought bitterly. This is the show they put on for everyone. This is the act that somehow still gets to me.She couldn’t tear her gaze away. It was like watching something painful unfold before her, something she could never unsee. They looked so natural together, so intertwined. Every movement Isabelle made seemed like it was meant to push her out, to push Lyvanne further away.Lyvanne stepped back, her fing
The engine of the car hummed under my feet, but it was the silence that pressed against my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this disoriented. My thoughts were scattered, struggling to piece together the events that led us here. The image of Alexander’s bloodied form kept flashing in my mind. I couldn’t shake the image of him throwing himself in front of me, willing to die for me.I shouldn’t have been surprised. Not really. He had that… quality about him. A kind of recklessness, a willingness to take the consequences for someone else’s mistake. But that selflessness—gods, it was suffocating.It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I had no enemies. I hadn’t done anything wrong in London, hadn’t even had the chance to form a solid opinion of the city before this madness engulfed me. So why had someone been so intent on seeing me dead?I felt the weight of the guards in the car with me. Silent, stiff, their eyes flicking to me in the rea
Lyvanne’s POV I couldn’t breathe.My heart pounded in my chest, drowning out every other sound, every other thought. I was stuck—trapped in this godforsaken alley, and the figure standing before me was a nightmare made flesh. The thief wore a mask that only left the cruel glint of his eyes visible, and those eyes? They were cold, calculating, like he had already decided I wasn’t going to see tomorrow. And then Alexander came in.I didn’t know what he was thinking, but there he was, stepping in front of me, like some kind of knight in shining armor. His stance was strong, unyielding. As if he had the right to keep me safe. But why was he doing this? Why him, of all people? My pulse quickened in confusion and fear, my gaze darting from him to the thief.The thief’s voice cut through the tension. “Move out of the way, boy. I don’t want you. I just want her.” He gestured at me with an outstretched hand, his finger pointing at me like I was some kind of prize to be claimed.I took a step
The room was chaotic. Bullets whizzed by, ricocheting off the walls, the sound of gunfire so sharp it felt like the air was cracking. My heart thudded against my chest, out of rhythm with the madness around me. My breath hitched, and my knees trembled. I had been here before, in a place where danger was a constant shadow, and the sound of a gunshot was the trigger that set off the fear in my veins.I couldn’t move. My legs felt like stone, and my body was frozen in place. I was terrified. The gunfire, the screams, the frantic shuffling of feet... It was too much. Too much. It all blurred into a nightmare I couldn’t escape from.Then, I felt it. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into the safety of someone’s chest. Alexander. His warmth cut through the cold dread that gripped me, but it didn’t ease the terror. I didn’t want to be this close to him. I didn’t want him holding me. But his arms were around me, and he was guiding me through the panic, wa
I was finishing up with the final touches on my outfit, the smooth silk of my dress slipping over my skin like water. The light streaming through the window caught the subtle shimmer of the fabric, and for a moment, I felt the slightest bit at ease. Maybe the day wouldn’t be so bad. It was an art gallery opening, after all. A chance to escape the usual monotony, dive into something that might inspire me—or at the very least, get me out of this suffocating mansion.Just as I was about to step out the door, one of the guards entered my room, his expression taut, his lips pressed in an uncomfortable line.“Your Grace, there’s someone outside requesting to see you. He’s refusing to give his name,” he said, voice low, but with a hint of warning.I paused, my fingers freezing midair as I adjusted my necklace. Who could it be? Vivienne? It couldn’t be her; she’d never pull something so childish. My heart fluttered, a weird twist of dread spreading through me
I stared at the screen of my phone, the call ringing for the third time, each tone echoing in my mind like a warning bell. A part of me wanted to throw the device across the room. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to him—I simply didn’t trust him, and that feeling was as suffocating as the summer heat hanging in the air. Alexander had a maddening way of worming his way into my head, unraveling my composure thread by thread. It was as if he had a sixth sense for when I was at my most vulnerable, always ready to manipulate the situation in his favor. With his name flashing on the screen, I felt my heart start to race and my blood pressure spike in tandem, a toxic mixture of anxiety and irritation.Drawing in a deep breath, I tried to quell the rising panic. Perhaps I was being overly cautious, but after years of navigating my way through people like him, paranoia had become both a shield and a weapon. It was hard to explain the sensation he invoked in me: a const