The message from Catherine haunted me, its implications sinking in like a weight I couldn’t shake off. You think you’re ready? The words lingered, and despite everything we had fought for, despite the bond that had grown between Alexander and me, I could still feel the storm closing in.
“Are you ready for this?” Alexander asked, his voice low but steady. He was standing beside me, looking out the window of our private office, his eyes scanning the city below. I couldn’t tell if he was asking about the company’s next move or something deeper—something personal between us.
I looked at him, really looked at him—at the man who had become my partner, my equal, the one who had shared every victory and every loss. The man who had stood by me when the world seemed to crumble. The man who had made me believe in more than just survival.
“I don’t know if we’re ever truly ready for what’s coming,” I said, stepping toward him. “But I do know that I’m ready to face it with you. Whatever it is. Toge
