Alex POV
I stared at the cold, marble floor, the quiet hum of the city outside just a faint reminder of the world beyond these walls. My fingers gripped the edge of the desk in front of me, the sharp lines of the polished wood grounding me as my mind raced. The darkness between us was palpable now-thick, suffocating. Isabella’s absence had started to feel like an echo in this room, one that resonated in the silence of the night, in the space where we’d once shared everything, even the unspeakable.
She wasn’t here, and the hole in my chest felt bigger than I had anticipated. Her face haunted me in the quiet moments, those flashes of vulnerability that always came just before she slipped away from my grasp. And it pissed me off.
She thought she could run, that she could disappear like smoke in the night.
But not this time. Not with me.
I pushed the papers away from me, standing up and pacing the room. I could almost hear her voice in my head, that damn perfect lawyer’s tone, the one that always cut through my control. She’d played me, and now she thought she could escape the consequences.
The door clicked open, and I froze, expecting one of the usual workers or someone from the staff. But when I saw her-God, it was her-Isabella stood there in the doorway, looking more defiant than ever, her eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite read. The nerve of her, walking in like she still had a place here.
“Did you think you could just walk away?” I growled, the words slipping from my mouth like poison, my eyes narrowing as I took a step forward, my body a solid wall between her and any chance of escape.
She didn’t answer right away, her gaze meeting mine with that same defiant fire she always had. I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corners of my lips. This woman had a way of testing me, pushing every limit, like she wanted me to break her even further.
“I came back for one reason,” she finally spoke, her voice steady, controlled, but with that sharp edge beneath it I couldn’t ignore.
I raised an eyebrow, cocking my head slightly. “And what’s that?”
Isabella’s lips parted slightly, like she was about to say something that would cut me to the bone. But then she paused, her breath catching for a second before she shook her head.
“Nothing. Just wanted to see if you still cared.”
I didn’t hesitate. My hand shot out, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her into the room with a force that made her stumble. “You think I don’t care? You think I’d let you waltz back into my life and not have a say in it?”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t fight me-didn’t even try to pull away as I backed her against the wall, my body pressing in close. I was inches away from her, feeling the heat from her skin radiating, making my blood run hot. But I wasn’t done yet. Not even close.
“I’ve been patient with you, Isabella,” I hissed, my voice low and dangerous, my lips grazing her ear. “Too patient. You think you can make a fool of me, keep running, and I’ll just sit here? No. I won’t. Not this time.”
She shuddered against me, her breath quickening. Damn her. Every part of me wanted to kiss her, claim her, make her feel every ounce of the power I held over her. But I didn’t. Not yet. I wasn’t done.
“I don’t need your pity,” she finally said, her voice trembling. But her body… her body betrayed her, leaning into me ever so slightly, as if my proximity sent her into a whirlwind of emotions.
I could feel her pulse, hear the quickening of her breath, and damn it, she knew how to drive me insane. But this wasn’t about her needs anymore. It was about mine.
“You never needed my pity, Isabella,” I whispered, my fingers trailing along her jaw, making her shiver. “But I’m not going to let you walk away like nothing happened. Not now.”
Her lips parted slightly, her eyes flickering with something-maybe fear, maybe something deeper, something she wasn’t willing to admit even to herself. And that was it. The line had been crossed.
I pressed my lips to hers, just a brief brush at first, testing her, testing the waters. She didn’t push me away. She didn’t pull back. Instead, her hands gripped the edge of my shirt, tugging me closer, like she had been waiting for this moment as much as I had.
But just as quickly as it started, I pulled back. Her eyes, filled with confusion and something darker, followed me. She was so goddamn predictable, always second-guessing herself, thinking she could control this twisted dynamic between us.
“I should have known better,” I muttered, stepping away from her, the space between us growing, but the tension thickening. “You’re not here to fix things. You’re here to toy with me. Like always.”
Her voice was quiet but heavy, almost breaking. “And what if I’m here because I missed you?”
The words hit harder than I expected. Damn her. I should have walked away. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.
“Then show me,” I said, my voice a low growl as I stepped back toward her. “Show me you missed me. Prove it, Isabella. Or get the hell out.”
Her lips curled into a smile, almost like a challenge. But her eyes… there was something else in them now-vulnerability, fear, desire-something that told me she wasn’t as sure as she wanted to appear.
“I can’t stay,” she whispered, almost pleading. “Not like this.”
“You’re already here,” I said, my tone cold, unyielding. “You don’t get to walk away now.”
And with that, I slammed the door shut behind her, trapping her in my world once again. The game wasn’t over. Not yet.
But as I stood there, the last thing I saw was her face, that brief flash of uncertainty, before she looked away. She was mine again. Whether she liked it or not.
Will Isabella finally break under Alex’s control, or will her defiance push him to the edge? The chase is far from over…