The knock came just after sunrise. It was firm and unmistakable.
Elena blinked against the pale light slipping through her curtains, her heart leaping into her throat. Sophie stirred on the couch across the room, half-asleep, until Elena placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"I'll get it," she whispered.
When she opened the door, Alexander King filled the frame. No suit today, just a dark shirt and tailored trousers that made him look more like a man than the legend everyone whispered about. But his presence still felt commanding, almost too large for the tiny apartment.
"Elena," he said softly, eyes scanning her face as if to reassure himself she was really there. "Can I come in?"
She hesitated, part of her still not used to him showing up at her door. But she stepped aside.
As he entered, Elena noticed the black velvet box in his hand. Her stomach tightened.
"Alexander—"
"Before you say anything," he cut in gently, "just hear me out."
He set the box on her small kitchen table and flipped it open. Inside lay a necklace of delicate diamonds, arranged in a pattern that caught even the weak morning light. Not gaudy. Not overwhelming. Just breathtaking.
Elena's breath caught. Sophie, now fully awake, sat up straight with wide eyes.
Alexander's gaze didn't leave Elena. Elena's throat tightened. "Alexander… I can't accept this."
"You can," he said quietly, "because you need to. And because I need you to."
The room went silent, save for the ticking clock on the wall. Sophie watched them both, her gaze flickering between them as if she could feel the weight of the choice pressing down.
Finally, Alexander straightened, slipping his hands into his pockets. His voice turned firm. "It's not safe here anymore. Sophie has already been threatened. You both need to come with me. To the penthouse."
Elena shook her head instantly. "No. I can't just uproot my life. I have a job, responsibilities—"
"I'll take care of it," Alexander interrupted. "I'll cover your salary every month. You won't lose a thing."
She stared at him, anger and disbelief flaring. "That's not the point! I don't want to be bought, Alexander. I don't want to be some… some doll in a glass case..."
His jaw tightened, but his voice remained calm, steady. "This isn't about control. It's about survival. If you stay here, you're exposed. They know where to find you. They've already made their move on Sophie. What happens next could be worse."
Elena swallowed hard. Her pulse thundered in her ears. She wanted to argue, wanted to cling to the life she knew, but Sophie rose quietly from the couch, her voice trembling.
"Elena… maybe he's right."
Elena spun toward her. "Sophie—"
Her friend's eyes shimmered with fear, but also resolve. "I don't care about diamonds or penthouses. But I do care about staying alive. And if Adrian or Vivian are as dangerous as he says… I'd rather be behind his walls than out here waiting for the next threat."
Elena's heart twisted. The logic was cruel and reasonable.
She turned back to Alexander, meeting his eyes. For the first time, she saw not just the billionaire, not just the man with power and wealth, but someone carrying the weight of responsibility he couldn't set down.
Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded. "Fine. We'll come. But don't think for a second this means you own me."
Something flickered in his gaze, relief, maybe, or something softer he quickly hid. He inclined his head. "Mmm." He hummed in agreement.
But just as the tension in the room began to ease, a sharp sound echoed from the hallway outside: a soft thud against the door.
Elena frowned, stepping closer. When she opened it, no one was there. Only a small, plain envelope on the floor.
Her hands shook as she picked it up and tore it open.
Inside was a single Polaroid photo. It was grainy, but clear enough. It showed her and Sophie leaving the café the previous morning.
Scrawled across the bottom in thick black ink were two words:
"Too late."
Elena's stomach dropped. Sophie gasped.
And Alexander's expression turned to stone.