``Sarah stood in the center of the quiet living room, her heart pounding like a drum.She had barely made it back inside the hall, her thoughts a whirlwind of anxiety and dread.She clasped her trembling hands together, trying to steady her breathing.The events of the day had drained her, and now she was faced with the most daunting task yet, explaining her disappearance.What could she say?The truth was out of the question.Admitting she had gone to see Margaret Windsor would raise too many questions, questions she wasn’t ready to answer.And claiming she had been at the mall would crumble under the slightest scrutiny, especially since William had no doubt already reported the situation to Alexander.Her thoughts raced, trying to piece together a plausible story, but before she could settle on anything, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.Alexander.He emerged from the hallway, his face a storm of emotions, relief, anger, worry, all colliding at once.His usually
William looked at the case and the keys, his throat working as he struggled to find the right words. "Thank you," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know what to say.""You don’t have to say anything," Alexander said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Just keep being the dependable man I’ve always trusted. And... take a vacation, William. You’ve earned it."William nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing as he reached for the keys and the file.He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Sir, I only have one request.""What is it?" Alexander asked."Take care of Mrs. Blake," William said earnestly. "She’s... she’s a special woman. Don’t let anything happen to her."Alexander’s expression softened, and he nodded. "I will. You have my word."As William left the basement, the weight of guilt began to lift from Alexander’s chest.He watched his assistant go, a sense of satisfaction settling over him.He turned to the guard. "Dismiss every
Alexander lingered by the doorway after their brief conversation, his hand resting on the polished wood of the frame.His sharp gaze lingered on Sarah for a moment longer than usual, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features before he cleared his throat.“I’ll be in the study,” he said finally, his voice steady, though tinged with an undercurrent she couldn’t quite place. “There’s a lot to prepare if the jewelry division is going to make an impression at Paris Fashion Week.”Sarah stiffened at the mention of Paris Fashion Week, the weight of her secret bearing down on her again.She forced a smile, nodding as she wrapped her towel more securely around herself.“That’s exciting,” she said lightly, though her tone betrayed the anxiety bubbling under the surface. “You’ll do great, I’m sure.”Alexander quirked an eyebrow, as if he could sense the forced enthusiasm in her voice, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he nodded.“You should rest,” he added, his tone softening slightl
Inside the jewelry division, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the tension between them.Designers bustled about with sketches and prototypes, their excitement for the Paris Fashion Week project evident.Alexander greeted a few key figures with a nod but didn’t linger for small talk, his focus laser sharp.Sarah tried to engage with the team, her natural curiosity drawing her to the intricate designs on display. But she couldn’t shake the feeling of Alexander’s eyes on her, watching her with an intensity that felt more like scrutiny than admiration.As the morning stretched on, his clipped tone and cold demeanor became harder to ignore.Every time she tried to speak with him, his responses were curt, his body language rigid.By lunchtime, Sarah couldn’t take it any longer.She found Alexander in his office, sitting behind his desk with his wheelchair parked neatly beneath it. He looked up when she entered, his gaze guarded.“We need to talk,” she said firmly, closing the door beh
The Paris Fashion Week loomed on the horizon, and the tension at the Blake Group was palpable.Elise, the lead designer with an icy demeanor and an obvious disdain for Sarah, had her designs chosen as the company’s submission.It was a major milestone for the jewelry division, one that carried the weight of Alexander’s ambitions to reclaim his CEO title.The entire office buzzed with preparations, and Sarah, despite her lower position, found herself drawn into the flurry of activity.As the day ended, Sarah wrapped up her tasks, her mind preoccupied with the secret she had been guarding so carefully.The pieces for her Mountain Rose collection were ready, and Margaret had assured her that the Paris Fashion Week stage would give her brand the visibility it needed. Yet, guilt pressed heavily on her chest.She hadn’t told Alexander about her designs, or her mentor. As much as she wanted to trust him, the fear of jeopardizing his plans for the Blake Group held her back.That evening, as t
The morning began with the usual organized chaos of a high profile trip.The Blake household bustled as staff members darted through the halls, coordinating final details for Alexander and Sarah’s departure to Paris.Suitcases were stacked near the door, and the assistants were double checking itineraries and travel arrangements.Sarah, dressed in a sleek but understated outfit, exuded an effortless charm, though her mind swirled with conflicting emotions.She stood by the window, gazing out at the driveway as the car was prepared.The Paris Fashion Week was days away, and the pressure within the Blake Group had reached its peak.Elise’s designs were finalized and being polished for the showcase, but Sarah’s own designs, hidden under her Mountain Rose alias were also making their way to Paris.The collision of these two worlds was inevitable, and the weight of her secret felt heavier than ever.Alexander wheeled into the room, his movements fluid and practiced, but his eyes carried a
As evening fell, Alexander retreated to the study to finalize plans for the Blake Group’s presentation at Paris Fashion Week.Sarah lingered in the living room, her thoughts heavy.She wanted to go to him, to tell him the truth and bridge the growing gap between them. But every time she tried, the fear of losing his trust, and possibly his love, paralyzed her.In the study, Alexander sat in his wheelchair, his fingers steepled as he stared at the documents spread before him.His mind kept drifting to Sarah, to the phone call he’d overheard and the evasiveness in her eyes.He hated feeling this way, hated doubting her, but he couldn’t ignore the nagging sense that something was amiss.“I can’t let this distract me,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head.As the city lights of Paris twinkled outside, both Sarah and Alexander found themselves lost in their respective thoughts.She stood by the window, gazing out at the Eiffel Tower, her heart aching with the weight of her deception.H
The grand exhibition hall buzzed with excitement as the Paris Fashion Week runway show began to come to an end for the first day.The space shimmered with light reflecting off intricately crafted jewelry and lavish couture designs, casting an almost otherworldly glow over the audience.Sarah sat beside Alexander, her hands gripping her dress to keep them steady, her heart racing.She had played her part flawlessly thus far, ensuring her identity as Mountain Rose's designer remained under wraps. But as the show neared its pinnacle, her anticipation became nearly unbearable.Alexander, seated in his wheelchair, exuded quiet authority, though his eyes flicked to Sarah more often than she realized.Her glittering gaze and nervous demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed.What was it about this show that had her so captivated?The MC took to the stage, a poised woman with a voice that commanded the room's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, Paris Fashion Week has always been a stage for legacy and inn
Sarah stayed curled in Alexander’s arms for a long moment, breathing him in like he was the only tether keeping her from floating away.His hand cradled the back of her head, his chest rising and falling in unsteady waves as if he still couldn’t believe she was real, that she was here.But then her eyes drifted down.Her gaze locked on the white sheets, crumpled and slightly lifted around his lower half.Something tugged at her memory, the shot.The sharp crack of a bullet.The sight of him falling behind her as she ran, screaming his name. Her stomach twisted.She leaned back slightly, her hand moving instinctively to the edge of the blanket, brushing against the thick padding of a cast beneath.Her voice was soft. “You were shot… I remember… I...”Alexander caught her hand gently, pressing it to his lips. “It’s okay. I’m here.”But Sarah’s heart had already begun to race again. “You were limping… and I saw… but I didn’t know it was this bad.” Her eyes darted toward the crutches now
The first thing Sarah registered was the scent of antiseptic, clean, sharp, and nauseating.Then came the ache. Deep in her bones. In her chest. In the marrow of her soul.She stirred, her fingers twitching over crisp hospital sheets as her body shifted ever so slightly, and her mind scrambled to catch up.She wasn’t tied down. She wasn’t cold anymore. She wasn’t in that dark room. That house. That… nightmare.She was safe.Or… something like it.Her eyes fluttered open slowly, lashes damp from tears she hadn’t even known she’d been crying.The ceiling was a sterile white blur. The walls hummed faintly with distant activity, soft footfalls, medical monitors, the low murmur of conversation somewhere outside the door.But none of it mattered.Because he wasn’t there.And without him, none of this felt real.Her lips parted, cracked and dry, and she tried to speak. Tried to push out the name that had lived on the edge of every prayer she'd whispered during captivity.It came out broken a
Alexander turned his head, his eyes bloodshot and glistening. “I’ll be a burden now. She’ll never say it, but I’ll see it in her eyes. Pity. Guilt. I’d rather she hate me than pity me.”“She’s not that kind of woman,” Darius said firmly.A pause. Then Alexander swallowed hard and asked the question that had been clawing at him since the moment the doctor said the word paralysis.“What if she stays… just because she thinks she owes me?”Darius’s brow furrowed. “Then you remind her what you both have been through. Remind her who the hell you are. And what you mean to each other.”Silence again.Then Alexander leaned back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. “Gerald got away.”Darius’s expression hardened. “Barely. One of my men put a tracker on his vehicle before he escaped. Victoria got caught in the crossfire. Gerald used her,” Darius replied coldly. “He doesn’t care who dies as long as he gets what he wants.”Alexander’s jaw clenched. “Then we’ll burn every last shadow h
The sterile beep of Alexander’s heart monitor filled the hospital room like a metronome, steady and soft. The worst had passed, so the doctors said. He had survived the bullets, the blood loss, the surgery. He had defied death.But outside the room, just as Darius turned to check on Sarah again, something in her expression shifted.Relief.That was the first thing he saw.A full bodied, all consuming relief that weakened her spine, dulled her eyes, and uncoiled every taut muscle that had kept her upright through pain, fear, and heartbreak.Then she crumpled.“Sarah...!” Darius lunged forward and caught her just before her knees slammed into the polished floor.Her body was limp in his arms, barely conscious, her breathing shallow and unsteady. Her bloodied hands slipped against his shirt as he pulled her close, his voice sharp and commanding as he yelled over his shoulder, “Get a doctor! Now!”Within seconds, nurses flooded the corridor. A gurney was wheeled over, and Darius laid her d
The woman he’d secretly crushed on since the first night he saved her bleeding and defiant.“Holy shit,” he muttered.But she was already in the driver’s seat.The moment her fingers wrapped around the wheel, she changed. Her spine straightened. Her breath slowed. The fear didn’t vanish, but it sharpened, fused into her bones like steel.And when her foot hit the gas, the tires screamed their fury into the night.The SUV became a blur under her hands.Trees melted past them. Headlights glared like ghosts. The world narrowed to instinct and motion.Sarah didn’t flinch when they nearly sideswiped a truck. She didn’t panic when the back tires fishtailed across loose gravel. She was in it.. back.Back to the part of herself she’d buried when she married into the Blake family.Back to Sparrow.“Hang on,” she said under her breath, glancing at Alexander in the mirror, his head resting in Darius’s lap as the man tried to stop the bleeding.“He’s fading,” Darius warned. “We’ve got fifteen min
The air turned electric as Darius’s boots pounded the forest floor, his rifle cradled tight against his shoulder. His men moved ahead of him like shadows, silent, fast, lethal.Their coordinated breaths were drowned out by the distant echoes of gunfire erupting from the estate.Alexander was still fighting.He was alive.But for how long?“Alpha to all units,” Darius growled into his earpiece, “entry on my mark. Hostile count is high. Primary objective, get Alexander out alive. Secondary level anyone who tries to stop us.”“Copy that,” came a chorus of calm, battle hardened voices.Behind him, the night swallowed his words.But not all of it.He turned briefly, his sharp gaze locking onto Sarah, who stood beside the black SUV Darius had arrived in. Her body trembled, her eyes red from tears, but she had not collapsed.She hadn’t fallen apart.And that, Darius admired deeply.“Can you drive?” he asked, voice hard but not unkind.Sarah blinked, startled. “What?”“If this goes south, we’
SarahShe sat on the floor, trembling hands curled around a piece of porcelain, a broken teacup she’d stashed away after a “servant” delivered tea hours ago.The sharp edge glittered in her shaking grip.She was pale.Her lips cracked from dehydration. Her dress hung off her like it didn’t belong to her anymore. Her eyes were void. Empty.As if she was no longer here.“Just one cut,” she whispered to herself. “Just one cut and I’ll see him again.”She looked up, eyes glassy, smile fragile, as if she could see someone standing in front of her already.“Alexander,” she breathed to the ghost in her mind. “I’m sorry I didn’t wait. I couldn’t. I’m just... so tired…”She raised the shard to her wrist.And a hand caught her.Real. Warm. Strong.Her eyes widened in horror and disbelief. “No…”She turned, and for a heartbeat, she didn’t believe it.But he was there.Kneeling before her.Alexander.His chest heaving from the run. Dirt on his clothes. Gun holstered at his side. Eyes red, wild, b
Alexander hadn’t slept.He couldn’t.His mind was a storm of fury, grief, and determination, all tightly leashed beneath the sharp cut of his suit and the red ring around his eyes that hadn’t dulled since Sarah was taken.The private jet cut across the clouds like a missile, Darius seated across from him, tablet in hand, phone to his ear, speaking in rapid fire to his tech team.“She’s still alive,” Alexander muttered under his breath. Not to Darius. Not even to himself. To the universe. As if daring it to prove him wrong. “She has to be.”Darius finally looked up. “We caught a break. One of Gerald’s men paid a contact to move a chopper from that warehouse. The payment route was unusual, and we traced it to a shell company under a different alias… all leading to one place.”He tapped on the screen and turned it to Alexander.An isolated property on the southern coast. Hills. Forest. A private airstrip nearby. No neighbors for miles.Gerald’s new hideout.“You think he’s keeping her th
Alexander pulled at the collar of his coat, suffocating from the weight of regret.When she had insisted he save Raven, he thought he was doing the right thing.He believed that was what Sarah would want. But now, the decision clawed at his chest like poison.He imagined her now, alone, terrified, thinking he was dead. Thinking he’d abandoned her.And that killed him.With trembling fingers, he grabbed his phone and called the only man he trusted in a crisis this dire.“Pick up,” he growled.The line clicked.“Darius,” Alexander said, his voice steely. “They took her. Gerald, he has her. He flew her out in a chopper. I need you to mobilize everything. I don’t care what you’re doing, who you’re with, drop it. Get me a flight path. Scramble every contact you have in surveillance, air traffic, satellites, everything.”Darius’s voice was sharp, ready. “On it.”“And send a second team. Heavy artillery. No questions. I want Gerald hunted down like the rat he is.”“Consider it done.”Alexand