Romane von Alice Alice

ALEXANDER’S POV “You look like a man who needs company.” A soft voice pulled me from my thoughts.I lifted my gaze from the half-empty tumbler of Macallan and my eyes fall on a lady. She was stunning, dark waves cascading over her bare shoulders, a dress that left little to the imagination and eyes filled with promise.She was probably sent by Salvado to help me with my stress. He chose the perfect one. Exactly the kind of distraction I had come here to bury myself in. I tilted my head, the barest acknowledgment, and flicked two fingers toward the empty space beside me on the sectional.She didn’t hesitate. She slid in close and her bare thigh pressed against the seam of my trousers. Her perfume hit me and it irritated me immediately but I ignored it as her fingers brushed the inside of my wrist, light as a tease.“I was hoping I’d run into you tonight,” she murmured, lips so near my ear I felt the warmth of every word.I hummed, noncommittal, and set the glass down with disinterest

ALEXANDER’S POV"Fuck!"My palm slammed down on the mahogany desk with enough force to rattle the crystal decanter and send a stack of contracts sliding sideways. The sharp sting in my hand did nothing to dull the inferno raging inside my chest. I shoved the papers aside, deals worth millions, alliances that could topple empires and they scattered like they meant nothing. Right now, they didn't.All I could see was her. Emma Isabelle. My new fucking stepsister.The word stepsister tasted like poison on my tongue because all I wanted to do was to kill her.I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze until that defiant spark in her eyes finally went out. No one had ever spoken to me like that in my own house. Not employees, not rivals, not even my father when he was still breathing down my neck. Disrespect like hers demanded blood. One pull of the trigger, one clean shot, and the problem would be gone.But I couldn't. Not yet.Because of him. My father. Jason Smith. The old

After walking out of Alexander's office, I was so angry and the only thing I wanted was to talk to my mother.My hands curled into fists at my sides as I yanked my phone out of my pocket and dialed. The call barely rang twice before my mother answered. "How are you my lovely daughter?, Are you gettimg well with your stepbrother." Her voice was maddeningly calm."You knew," I spat, my grip tightening around the phone. "You knew that he was cold, controlling and heartless and still let me stay with him", I hissed out.vThere was a pause, just long enough to make my skin crawl."It was necessary," she finally said."Necessary?" I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "How?", I asked. "He will help you change your behavior, your friends were spoiling you, partying every night, drinking too much, wasting your potential. Alexander will put you back on the right path. He’s strict, yes, but he’s fair. He’ll give you structure.” She spoke and I snorted loudly."Are you fucking serious mom?""Yes a

The knock at my door came earlier than expected. I barely had time to pull myself from the haze of restless sleep before it sounded again, sharp and impatient.I forced myself up, even though my body ached, not just from lack of sleep but from the sheer emotional toll of everything.“Come in,” I called, my voice rough from exhaustion.The door opened, and a man I didn’t recognize stepped inside, carrying a tray of food. He was dressed in a crisp black suit, his expression carefully blank.“Breakfast,” he announced, setting the tray on a small table near the window. The scent of eggs, toast, and freshly brewed coffee drifted toward me, but I barely had the appetite for it.I glanced at the tray, then at him. “Did Alexander send you?”The man gave a slight nod. “Mr Smith instructed that you eat before your meeting.”I clenched my jaw. Of course, he did. He probably thought I was some fragile thing that needed to be managed. I didn’t respond him, I just dragged myself out of bed, moving

“I had a separate room prepared for you,” Alexander finally spoke when we entered in the house."You are allowed wherever you please in this house, and you can use whatever you want. You can take your time in exploring if you would like." He explained but my mind was so far away.I didn't respond to him but l followed him when he opened the door. The moment I stepped in it, my mouth fell open in surprise. The room was huge, bigger than my previous one. The bed was a king size with an ornate, dark wooden frame, draped in the finest pink silk sheets. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling, its dim light casting delicate shadows across the room. The walls were a soft cream, but the decor was luxurious, yet devoid of warmth.I didn’t know what I had expected. Perhaps something more suffocating, something that screamed prison, cold as him."This is my room?", I asked totally bewildered."I don’t enjoy repeating myself, next time pay attention when I am speaking to you", He retorted coldly

“Your home?” I gasped, literally shocked.Alexander’s smirk deepened just slightly but enough to make my stomach twist. He didn’t respond to me. He instead leaned back in his chair, one long finger tapping idly against the stem of his water glass. "Mom, please tell me that he is lying", I turned to my mom.Mom laughed, light and oblivious. “Oh, Emma, don’t look so shocked! We’ve been talking about this for weeks.” She spoke.“Weeks?”, I asked things getting more complicated. Jason cleared his throat, suddenly looking a little sheepish under his expensive tan. “Well… yes. We wanted to surprise you both with how smoothly everything’s coming together.” Jason spoke and I glared at my mom in disbelief.How could she really do this to me?.Mom reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “Sweetheart, I am really sorry but Jason has to fly out to Singapore next week for a major acquisition, three weeks minimum. And I’m going with him. It’s a working trip of sorts.” She explained but it d