Elena stood in the vast living room with its floor-to-ceiling windows and impossible skyline, she felt small and out of place. The city looked free out there. Inside, she felt like the glass walls were pressing in on her.
"You can't be serious," Elena said, folding her arms tightly.
Alexander stood across from her, still in his tailored suit, his presence so steady it made her feel even more restless. "I am. This place is safe. No one gets in or out without my permission."
"That's not the point." She shook her head. "You're asking me to quit my job, Alex. To stop living my life. I've worked too hard to just give it up. You can't decide that for me because you've got money and power."
He moved closer, his tone calm but edged with steel. "I'm not deciding for you, Elena. I'm asking you to see reason. Vivian already found Sophie. Next time, it could be you. Do you really want to risk it just so you can clock in for a paycheck?"
Her eyes flared. "That paycheck is my independence. My dignity."
Sophie, who had been sitting nervously on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest, finally spoke. "Elena, maybe he's right. Vivian, she seems very dangerous."
Alexander's gaze lingered on Elena, sharp and unreadable. "This about protection. And I won't apologize for protecting what matters."
"What matters?" Elena repeated, the words trembling out of her.
His jaw ticked, but his voice was lower when he answered. "You."
The word landed like a stone in her stomach, rippling through her body until she didn't know whether to scream or run or… step closer.
She tore her eyes away. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough," he said simply.
The silence that followed was thick. Sophie looked between them, wide-eyed, as if afraid the room might ignite.
Finally, Alexander sighed and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small velvet box and held it out to her.
Elena froze. Her heart began to race.
"Alex, I—"
"It's not what you think," he said, flipping open the lid.
Nestled inside was a diamond bracelet, the stones arranged in delicate arcs that caught the light like frost on glass.
Elena's breath hitched. She had never worn anything so extravagant. Never even wanted to.
"It's beautiful," Sophie whispered, leaning forward unconsciously.
Elena shook her head, taking a step back. "I can't accept that."
Alexander stepped closer, his voice softer now. "It's not a token to buy you. It's a promise. A reminder that I won't let Vivian or Adrian touch you."
He took her wrist gently, not forcing, but firm enough that her heart stumbled in her chest. When he slipped the bracelet onto her, it felt cold, heavy. Beautiful and suffocating.
"I can't—" she whispered.
"You already have," he said, letting the box click shut.
The air crackled between them. Elena could feel Sophie watching and holding her breath.
"Alex…" She pulled her wrist back slowly, staring at the glittering stones. "This isn't protection. It's a cage. A very shiny cage."
His lips twitched, but it was gone too quickly to read.
Before Elena could say more, Daniel appeared at the doorway. His usually calm face was grim. "Sir, you'll want to see this."
Alexander turned, his shoulders tensing. "What is it?"
Daniel's eyes flicked to Elena, then Sophie, before he answered. "The press. They have a story. It's everywhere."
Alexander's tone sharpened. "What story?"
Daniel hesitated. "That you've moved a woman into your penthouse."
Elena's stomach dropped. Sophie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Alexander swore under his breath, eyes narrowing into a storm. "Vivian."
Elena felt her world tilt. She had barely agreed to stay here, barely convinced herself this wasn't madness and now, the whole city thought she was living with him.
Her privacy, her independence, her normal life, it was already unraveling.
Elena's pulse roared in her ears. She looked at Alexander as if he had dragged her into a nightmare she hadn't signed up for.
"They know," she whispered. Her voice was barely audible, but the weight of the words pressed down like thunder. "The press knows."
Sophie shifted uncomfortably, hugging her knees to her chest. "Elena… maybe it won't be that bad. Maybe it's just a rumor."
Alexander's phone was already in his hand, his jaw clenched as he barked into it. "Shut it down. Every outlet, every feed. I don't care what it costs, make it disappear."
Elena blinked at him. His tone was so cold, so sharp, she barely recognized him.
"You can't just erase things from the world, Alex."
He ended the call and looked at her, his expression hard. "Watch me."
"No," Elena snapped, surprising herself. "You don't get it. This isn't just about you. My job, my friends, my life, if they plaster my face next to yours, everything changes for me. Forever."
"I know." His voice softened, but his eyes didn't. "That's why you need to stay here, Elena. With me. Where I can protect you."
Sophie looked between them, gnawing her lip. "Elena, maybe he's right. The woman I saw… Vivian, she was, she wasn't normal. She could come after you when you least expect it."
"This isn't home, Sophie!" Elena cut her off, her voice breaking. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to be locked away in some glass box with bodyguards watching me like a criminal."
Alexander's hand twitched at his side, as if he wanted to reach for her but stopped himself. "You think this is about control? About ownership?"
"Isn't it?" she shot back, lifting her wrist with the bracelet. The diamonds glimmered mockingly in the light. "This is a cage, Alexander. A pretty one, but a cage all the same."
His eyes flickered—hurt, anger, she couldn't tell—but his tone was calm when he finally spoke. Too calm. "Would you rather I left you exposed? Do you want Vivian knocking on your door again, Sophie crying in your arms, while Adrian watches from the shadows waiting for the right time? Because that's what happens if you walk out of here."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Sophie's eyes brimmed with tears, her voice small when she finally whispered, "I don't want her to be right, Elena… but he's not wrong."
Elena sank onto the arm of the couch, pressing her hands over her face. "This isn't my life," she mumbled. "This isn't who I am."
Alexander moved closer, kneeling slightly so he could see her face. His voice was softer now, stripped of its usual sharpness. "Then let me help you keep it, Elena. Let me take the blows so you don't have to. That's all I'm asking."
She looked up, meeting his eyes for a long, heavy moment. Something in his gaze pulled at her, something raw and unguarded.
And it scared her more than anything.
"Why me?" she whispered.
For the first time, Alexander didn't answer right away. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and his hand flexed as though fighting himself.
"Because," he said finally, his voice almost breaking, "you're the one thing I can't afford to lose. After I saw you that night, I just couldn't get you out of my mind. And that, Elena, has never happened before. Not even with Vivian."
Her breath hitched.
The bracelet felt heavier than ever on Elena's wrist.
Before she could respond, Daniel reappeared, holding out a tablet. "Sir, it's spreading faster than we can contain. They've already pulled photos from earlier, the car driving into the building. They're saying she's your mistress."
Elena's heart dropped into her stomach. "Mistress?"
Alexander took the tablet, his face turning into stone as he scanned the headlines. King's Mystery Woman Spotted Entering Penthouse. Mistress or Bride?
He lowered the screen slowly, his eyes locking with hers. "This isn't a rumor anymore. It's war."
Elena's chest rose and fell quickly, her mind spinning. Mistress. Bride. War. None of it belonged to her life yesterday. But now, it was swallowing her whole.
Sophie reached for her hand, her voice trembling. "Elena, calm down, okay?"
Elena opened her mouth, but no sound came out.