Alex’s POV
Alex’s voice sliced through the thick tension in his penthouse office. “Kneel.” Just one word, cold as a blizzard and sharp as a blade. Isabella froze, her lawyer’s instincts urging her to fight back. But that instinct lost every time when she was alone with him.
Her gaze locked on his as she sank to her knees. The black marble floor was ice against her skin. His leather chair creaked as he leaned forward, fingers steepled, his dark eyes boring into hers. “You’ve been acting out, Isabella. Care to explain why?”
“Acting out?” She shot back, chin tilted defiantly. “Maybe because this isn’t a marriage-it’s a cage.”
Alex smirked, the kind that made her pulse race. “And yet, you still wear my collar.”
Her fingers brushed the velvet band around her neck, the symbol of their twisted contract. A contract she had signed with trembling hands and even shakier resolve. “You insisted on it, remember? Daddy,” she spat the last word, defiance flaring in her chest.
He rose from his seat, moving with a predator’s grace. Alex towered over her, his tailored suit immaculate, his presence suffocating. “Words like that, little one, have consequences.”
Before she could respond, his hand gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You want to fight me, but you know how this ends. You’ll submit, Isabella. You always do.”
Her breath hitched as his thumb brushed her lower lip. She hated how her body betrayed her, how his touch ignited something primal. She hated him-and herself more for wanting him despite the pain. “This isn’t submission,” she whispered, voice trembling. “This is survival.”
His laugh was low, dangerous. “Then survive me, baby girl.”
Alex pulled her to her feet in one swift motion, his strength effortlessly dominating her resistance. “You think you can play lawyer in my world?” His voice was laced with venom. “Then explain this.” He tossed a folder onto the desk, its contents spilling out-photos, documents, secrets she had tried to keep buried.
Her blood ran cold. “Where did you get those?”
His grin was pure menace. “You forget who I am, Isabella. I don’t ask. I take.”
Her heart pounded as she grabbed the papers. It was her exit strategy-proof she had been planning to leave him, to escape the iron grip of their contract. “You had no right-”
“I have every right,” he growled, slamming his palm on the desk. “You’re mine. You don’t get to leave.”
“Yours?” she shot back, her voice rising. “You’ve made it clear I’m just another pawn in your game.”
Alex’s expression darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might snap. Instead, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You think I don’t care about you, Isabella? Then why the hell do you think I’m still here? Why do you think I’ve let you stay?”
She blinked, caught off guard by the raw edge in his voice. “Because you need me to keep your empire clean.”
“No,” he said, his hand brushing her cheek. “Because without you, none of this matters.”
Before she could process his words, his phone buzzed on the desk. Alex snatched it up, his expression shifting from anger to something colder, more calculating. “It’s done?” he barked into the phone.
A pause. Then a dark smile curled his lips. “Good. Bring her to me.”
Her stomach twisted. “What are you doing, Alex?”
He ended the call and turned to her, his smile gone. “Teaching you a lesson, little girl.”
“Alex-”
“You’ll see,” he interrupted, his tone final. “But for now, go to the bedroom and wait. Naked.”
Isabella’s defiance flared again. “You can’t just-”
“I can,” he cut her off, his voice a command. “And you will.”
She turned to leave, her mind racing, her heart hammering. Who was “her”? What had he planned? And why did she feel like the ground beneath her was about to collapse?
As the door closed behind her, Alex picked up the phone again, his jaw tight. “No mistakes this time. Make sure she knows who’s in charge.”
In the darkness of the bedroom, Isabella sat on the edge of the bed, her body tense and her mind reeling. She barely heard the door open behind her, but when she turned, it wasn’t Alex standing there.
It was someone she hadn’t seen in years.
“You?” Her voice trembled.
“Miss me, Bella?”
Isabella’s POV
“You’re late.” Alex’s voice was as sharp as glass. He leaned back in his leather chair, his dark eyes cutting through me like a blade.
I dropped my bag onto the edge of his desk, my heartbeat spiking at his cold demeanor. “And you’re predictable. Sitting here like you own the world.”
He smirked, his gaze dropping to the thin strap of my blouse slipping off my shoulder. “I do own it. Including you.”
I rolled my eyes, forcing confidence into my voice. “You don’t own me. Not tonight.”
His eyebrow arched. “Oh, sweetheart. I own every inch of you, whether you like it or not. Now, sit.”
I hesitated, knowing exactly what he wanted. The memory of last night’s punishment still burned on my skin. But defiance danced in my veins tonight.
“You think you can control me forever?” I challenged, folding my arms.
He stood abruptly, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. “Not forever. Just long enough to make you remember who you belong to.”
“I don’t belong to anyone.” My voice wavered, and his smirk deepened.
Alex reached for my collar-the one I was supposed to wear but had conveniently “forgotten.” His fingers grazed my neck, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
“No collar?” he asked mockingly. “Rebellious. Cute. But you know what happens to naughty girls, don’t you?”
I swallowed hard, hating how my body betrayed me. “Maybe I wanted to see if you’d notice.”
He chuckled darkly, pulling me closer. “Oh, I notice everything, Isabella. Don’t test me.”
His hand moved to my waist, gripping it firmly, possessively. “You think these little games of yours faze me? You’ve got no idea what you’re dealing with.”
“And you think intimidating me will make me stay?” I shot back, ignoring the heat rising between us.
“I don’t need to make you stay. You’ll stay because you want to.”
Before I could respond, Alex’s lips crushed mine, all fire and fury. His hands slid to my hips, pinning me against his desk. The kiss wasn’t tender-it was a battle, a declaration of war.
I pushed against him, my palms flat on his chest, but he didn’t budge. “Alex,” I gasped when he finally let me breathe.
“What?” His voice was low, dangerous.
“This isn’t… fair.”
He laughed, his breath hot against my ear. “Life’s not fair, sweetheart. And neither am I.”
I hated him. I wanted him. The war inside me raged on, but I couldn’t deny the pull. His power was intoxicating, suffocating.
“Tell me, Bella,” he whispered, his tone softening just enough to make me question everything. “Why do you keep running? What are you so afraid of?”
“I’m not afraid of anything.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Liar,” he murmured, tracing a finger down my arm. “You’re afraid of me. Afraid of what I make you feel. Afraid of losing control.”
“Maybe I am,” I admitted, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “But you’re afraid too.”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I saw the cracks in his armor. “Afraid of what?”
“Afraid of loving me.”
Silence hung between us like a loaded gun. His eyes darkened, and I knew I’d hit a nerve.
Before he could respond, his phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen, his expression turning to stone.
“Who is it?” I asked, hating the sudden distance in his eyes.
“None of your concern,” he said, stepping away.
I grabbed his arm, refusing to let him shut me out. “Don’t do this. Not now.”
He yanked his arm free, his voice ice-cold. “Stay out of it, Isabella. This doesn’t involve you.”
As he stormed out of the room, I was left with a sinking feeling. The walls I’d spent months trying to break down had slammed back into place.
And I knew-whatever that phone call was about-it was only the beginning of something darker. Something that could destroy us both.
What is Alex hiding?