For days, Elena couldn't shake the feeling that Alexander was watching her more closely than usual.
She found him waiting in the conference room before she arrived. She caught him lingering outside her studio space longer than necessary. And when she left the office one evening, his car was parked nearby.
It unsettled her—not because she felt unsafe, but because part of her wanted him there.
One evening, when a power outage struck the building, Elena found herself trapped in the dimly lit office with only Alexander for company.
She lit a candle she'd found in a drawer, the golden glow softening the harsh edges of the room. To her surprise, it softened him too.
For once, Alexander didn't look like the ruthless CEO who ruled empires. He looked… human.
"Why do you work so hard?" she asked softly, sketching by candlelight. "You already have more than anyone could want."
His jaw tightened, his eyes fixed on the flame. "Because everything can be taken away. Money. Power. Even people." His voice grew colder. "Especially people."
Elena studied him, her heart aching with questions she didn't dare ask. Who had hurt him so deeply?
When the lights flickered back on, Alexander's mask returned. He straightened, adjusting his cufflinks, his tone once again steel. "Get back to work, Miss Carter."
But Elena had seen it. The crack in his armor.
And she knew there was more to Alexander Knight than the world believed.