The day slipped into motion like any other, though Elena felt the shift beneath the surface. She had gone to check on Sophie, who was lounging in one of the guest rooms, her laptop perched on her knees. Sophie looked up, smiling, trying to mask the worry etched behind her eyes.
"You barely slept," Sophie said softly.
Elena shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. "Neither did you."
"Of course I didn't. Someone's after my friend and I." Sophie shut her laptop with a frustrated snap. "El, this is insane. We're in some billionaire's penthouse because his crazy ex can't let go? This isn't our life. It's not supposed to be."
Elena crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I know. But for now, it's the safest place. Just… trust me."
Sophie studied her carefully. "And you trust him? Alexander?"
Elena opened her mouth, closed it, then exhaled. "I don't know what I feel, Soph. But when he says we're safe, I almost believe it."
"Almost isn't enough." Sophie's voice was quiet, cutting.
Before Elena could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and froze.
It was a news alert. The headline was splashed across every notification:
"Mystery Woman Identified: Alexander Knight's New Mistress?"
The article contained grainy, long-lens photos of her and Alexander together. One outside her workplace. Another from the night his driver had dropped her off. A third, from the gala weeks ago where she had first crossed his path. Her face wasn't blurred.
Her stomach dropped.
Sophie leaned over, catching sight of it. "Oh my God. El…"
Elena's hands shook as she scrolled through the article. The narrative was cruel and deliberate. She was painted as a young, ambitious woman who had caught Alexander's eye, someone he was "keeping" while moving her and her friend into his penthouse. The tabloids used the words kept woman and mistress liberally, already attaching scandal to her name.
Elena's throat tightened, her vision blurring. "This isn't happening…"
But it was. She had seen this play out in tabloids before, just never with her at the center. And she knew exactly whose fingerprints were all over it.
Sophie reached for her hand. "You can't let this get to you—"
"It already has." Elena's voice cracked, the weight of humiliation pressing on her chest. Her job, her reputation, what would people think? Her boss, her colleagues, her family… The thought of her parents reading those words made her stomach churn.
The sound of firm footsteps echoed through the penthouse. Alexander. He entered the room moments later, phone in hand, his expression thunderous.
"You've seen it," he said, his voice low, restrained.
Elena stood, clutching her phone. "They're calling me your mistress. Alex, this isn't just gossip, it's my life in a scandal. My job. My family—"
"I know," he cut in, sharper than he intended. Then softer: "I know, Elena. And I will fix it."
Her eyes burned. "How? How do you fix something like this when it's already out there?"
Alexander's jaw flexed. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "By making sure no one believes it. By turning this back on them before it spreads further."
Sophie stood, her arms crossed. "And how do you plan to do that? Buy the media? Threaten them?"
Alexander's eyes flicked to her, then back to Elena. "If I have to."
Elena shook her head, her pulse racing. "This is exactly what they want, Vivian and Adrian. They want me painted as a scandal. They want me gone."
"And do you want to give them that satisfaction?" His gaze pinned her, burning with defiance. The question cut deep.
"I don't want to be part of any of this game you're playing." Elena whispered.
The silence between them stretched, charged, until Sophie cleared her throat. "Well, whatever happens, I'm not going down as collateral damage. If we're staying here, I need to know I'm not waking up tomorrow with my face on the front page too."
Alexander's expression hardened slightly. "You won't. This is about Elena, and me. Not you."
Sophie glanced at her friend, her eyes filled with worry. "Then you'd better decide if you're ready to fight back, El."
When Sophie left the room, Alexander stepped closer again, lowering his voice so only Elena could hear. "I told you I'd protect you. That hasn't changed. But I need you to trust me. Can you?"
His hand hovered just shy of hers, as if he wanted to take it but held himself back.
Elena's breath caught. She didn't answer, not with words. But she didn't pull away either.
And Alexander knew, Vivian might have lit the fire, but he wasn't about to let Elena burn.