"That’s enough!"
Old Master Blackwood’s voice cracked through the hallway like thunder. My entire body jolted, and even Maya froze mid-expression, her smirk vanishing.
Alia, however, stumbled backward as if physically struck by the cold authority radiating from the old man.
"I’ll have you know," Elias Blackwood said, his words sharp and controlled, "that only my grandson can choose who he wishes to spend his life with."
His cold eyes locked onto Alia. "And tell Grace... to stop ddling in her son’s life."
He didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. His quiet fury was far more terrifying.
He lifted his hand, and gestured to the bodyguards behind.
"Take her away."
"No—no—!" Alia shrieked as the guards gripped her by both arms. "Let go! Alexander, I love you! You can’t do this to ! I am your fiancée!"
The whole hallway went silent.
Alexander turned his face away from her — not in guilt, not in hesitation, but in disgust. As if looking at her any longer might stain him.
My teeth caught my bottom lip. Alia’s cries echoed painfully, but pity wasn’t what tightened my chest. It was the shock of seeing soone unravel so publicly... and partly, the shock of what Alexander’s coldness looked like up close.
"Don’t tell you’re feeling bad for her," Maya whispered into my ear.
I shook my head imdiately.
"Good," she huffed. "Won like her don’t deserve pity."
Alia’s screams faded down the hall as she was dragged away, echoing once... twice... then disappearing entirely. One by one, employees hurried back to their desks, buzzing with gossip already.
Maya and I had just turned to leave when—
"You two. Wait."
Old Master Blackwood’s voice made stop in my tracks.
I turned, trying to keep my face composed. My eyes almost drifted to Alexander, but I forced them back to Elias.
"Child," he said as he approached, his attendant hovering beside him, "you have a very good friend."
My fingers tightened around Maya’s. He was right. Maya was one of the few people who never doubted , never hesitated to defend —even at the risk of getting fired.
Elias’s gaze softened slightly.
"Girls, if you don’t mind," he continued, "would the two of you join for coffee? I haven’t been surrounded by pure souls in a while."
Maya nodded before I could even think.
But I hesitated. Because technically... Alexander was still my boss.
So my eyes finally moved to him.
And the mont they t his... the air shifted.
Sothing electric passed through . His expression was unreadable, but his gaze was not.
He nodded once, giving his approval. "You can go."
Elias tapped his cane lightly. "Perfect!"
He then looked at Alexander and added, "Brat, you’ll drive us. I’ve taken quite a liking to Miss..."
"Serena," Alexander said quietly. "Her na is Serena."
He didn’t look away from when he said it.
Maya excitedly squeezed my hand and I sighed.
--------------------------
The rest of the day blurred past .
Coffee with Elias Blackwood turned out strangely pleasant — the old man was sharp-tongued but disarmingly warm when he wanted to be.
Before we left the shop, he insisted that Alexander give both Maya and an official day off.
I tried refusing.
But Elias simply narrowed his eyes and said, "Child, when an old man gives you rest, you take it."
So... I accepted.
Which left only one problem:
Alexander insisted on dropping ho.
Maya vanished into a rideshare with a grin, leaving alone with him... in the backseat... in a silence that felt heavier than anything that happened today.
The air was heady, electric, loaded with sothing I couldn’t place my finger on.
And I had absolutely no idea what he was thinking.
His gaze t mine through the rearview mirror and my heart skipped a bit. The way he stared at , gazed at was filled with utmost desire.
My thighs clenched in anticipation. I couldn’t deny the growing attraction — the pull we felt towards one another.
Soon, the car pulled up in front of my residence. After he parked properly, I instantly shot out of the car, almost running to my apartnt block.
"Wait!" Alexander’s voice stopped in my tracks. I heard the sound of the car door opening and closing. Slowly, footsteps sounded behind , but I didn’t turn back.
"Won’t you invite in?" Alexander’s voice was low, husky and filled with raw desire that I dared not ignore.
"Mr. Blackwood," I started, trying to steady my voice. "Don’t you have sothing to do at the office? Why don’t you return? I’ll invite you another ti."
Although these were my words, internally, I knew there won’t be a next ti.
It felt like Alexander knew what I was thinking. His hot breath fell against my skin causing to feel goosebumps.
"Are you sure you don’t want to invite in?" His hands glided against my bare skin, and heat shot up to my head instantly.
This was broad daylight! Anybody could walk in or out, and would catch us in such a compromising posture.
I weighed the pros and cons. If I rejected him, Alexander might continue with his attacks. People might see and I’d be embarrassed, unable to raise my head in public again.
The thought terrified . Without thinking, I held him by his hands, and dragged him to my apartnt.
The door clicked softly behind us.
For a mont, neither of us moved.
Alexander stood there, tall and impossibly composed, but his eyes.
His eyes were anything but calm. They were dark, intent, and fixed entirely on —as if he’d been holding himself back for years and had finally reached the edge.
The air felt charged and warm.
"Mr. Blackwood..." My voice cracked, embarrassingly soft.
He took one step toward .
It was just a single step, but it changed the entire atmosphere.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
His answer was imdiate, unguarded, dangerously honest. "Committing your face to mory."
My breath hitched.
No witty reply. No coy smile. Just the raw and unfiltered truth v
Alexander lifted his hand, slowly, giving every second to pull away. But... I didn’t.
His fingers brushed my jaw, and the mild graze sent a tremor rushing through .
"You act like you don’t want this," he murmured, eyes lowering to my lips for a fraction of a second, "but you’re shaking."
"I’m— I’m not," I lied through my teeth. My entire body was trembling.
His thumb stroked lightly along my chin.
"Serena." The way he said my na—low, rich, almost reverent—set my pulse racing. "I can feel your heartbeat from here."
He wasn’t lying. My chest was practically hamring against my ribs.
I stepped back instinctively.
He followed, just as slowly, as if we were moving in a synchronized dance.
Step by step, I found myself retreating until my back brushed the edge of the wall.
My breath caught in my throat.
His hand lowered, not touching now, rely hovering near my waist—as though asking without words.
"I don’t want to scare you," Alexander said quietly. "Tell to stop, and I will."
The man who terrified the entire company even though he just took over a few days ago.
The man who watched Alia dragged away without blinking... he was looking at like my word was law.
That alone nearly broke .
"I..." The word trembled out of . "I don’t know what this is."
His lips curved into a slow, dangerous half-smile.
"That makes two of us."
Before I could respond, he leaned in. He didn’t touch , but it was close enough for his breath to brush my cheek.
My knees nearly buckled.
"Serena," he whispered, "...do I frighten you?"
His question wasn’t mocking. It wasn’t arrogant. It was vulnerable.
"A little," I breathed.
He nodded once, accepting it, not offended by my honest reply.
"Good," " he murmured. "You should be a little scared."
A shiver ran down my spine.
"But not of ," he added.
My eyes darted to his.
He lifted a hand again, this ti tracing my lower lip with his thumb.
"Be scared of what I might do," he continued softly, "if you keep looking at like that."
His words hit harder than a kiss.
My fingers curled against the wall behind , gripping for balance.
Every nerve in my body felt alive, alert, begging for sothing I didn’t even know how to ask for.
I knew I should push him away, but I couldn’t. Not when he stared at with those dark, deep eyes.
He leaned closer—
—and then paused.
His forehead hovered just an inch from mine.
"Serena..." His voice was ragged now. His breathing ca out in pants. "Tell to stop."
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