The city lights blurred past as Alexander's black car sped through the streets, silent except for the hum of the engine. Elena sat stiffly, arms folded across her chest, refusing to look at him. She could still see Vivian's mischievous look from moments earlier and her words echoing in her ears.
You'll regret ever stepping into his life.
Elena bit down on her lip, fighting the knot in her stomach. She had walked into something far more dangerous than she imagined. And Alexander hadn't said a word since pulling her away from Vivian's presence moments earlier.
Finally, she snapped.
"Enough."
Alexander's eyes flicked from the road to her, unreadable. "What?"
"Stop pretending nothing happened back there. Vivian spit poison at me like I was dirt under her shoes. And you just… pulled me away like I was a child. What exactly do you want from me?"
His jaw tightened, but he didn't answer right away. His silence was worse than Vivian's threats.
Elena leaned forward, her voice low and sharp. "I deserve to know. I didn't ask for this, your protection, your… whatever this is. I don't want to be dragged into your mess."
For a moment, the mask slipped, and she saw it, the weight he carried, the storm he kept hidden behind those dark eyes. But then it was gone, replaced with the cool, unreadable billionaire everyone else saw.
"You think you're in danger because of me?" he finally said, voice quiet, almost too quiet.
"I know I am," Elena shot back. "That woman wanted to tear me apart just for being next to you. And you expect me to stay silent? To play along like some… some pawn in whatever game you're playing?"
Alexander looked at her "Elena." His voice carried a warning, but also a plea. "There are things about my world you don't understand. Things I can't explain, not yet."
Her chest rose and fell, fury mixing with fear. "Then explain why you want me. What is this about? A cover? A distraction? Or do you just enjoy pulling people into your orbit and watching them drown?"
For a long moment, they stared at each other in the dim glow of the streetlight. Elena's words hung between them like a blade, daring him to cut through the silence.
Finally, he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "I don't want you as a pawn, Elena. I want you as my wife."
Her breath caught. The air in the car turned heavy.
"You can't be serious," she whispered.
"I've never been more serious." His gaze didn't waver, as if he were staking everything on her believing him.
She shook her head, laughing bitterly. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough," he said firmly. "And the rest… I'll learn."
Her hands trembled against her lap. Vivian's words, Alexander's intensity, the weight of it all, it was too much. "I don't want any part in your games, Alexander. If this is about business, about proving something to Adrian, or shutting up your obsessive ex, leave me out of it. I can't fight battles that aren't mine."
For the first time, his voice softened, almost breaking through the ice. "You think this is just about business? Or Vivian? No. This is about survival. Mine. And maybe yours."
Her heart skipped. "What does that even mean?"
Alexander leaned back, eyes darkening as if he'd revealed too much. "It means, Elena… you're already part of it, whether you want to be or not."
The words crashed over her like a wave. She searched his face for an explanation, for anything to hold onto, but his walls were back up, stronger than before.
And in that moment, Elena realized something terrifying. She wasn't standing at the edge of his world anymore.
She was already inside it.