Chapter Ten

Maya’s POV

The evening had already taken an overwhelming turn, but as I stood beside Alexander, the real weight of my position started sinking in. His mother held the mic, her eyes alight with pride, her voice carrying that warm tone that usually makes people feel like family. We were talking before she had excused herself and walked to the middle of the room. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, Alexander has something special he’d like to share with you all.” Her words rippled through the crowd, and suddenly, every face turned toward us. 

Alexander stepped forward, his hand resting firmly on my back, and I felt an odd mix of pride and nervousness as I realized what he was about to do. “Tonight,” he announced, his voice carrying an authority that made the room fall silent, “I want to introduce you to my fiancée, my future wife, and our Mafia Queen-to-be, Maya.” 

As he took my hand and guided me to stand beside him, my pulse raced. Applause erupted around us, and I forced a polite smile, knowing that all eyes were on me. I could practically feel the judgment, the questions, and the assessments. I felt so out of place yet anchored by his presence. He let go of my hand, dropping the mic as the crowd settled back into their conversations. 

A man approached us, his eyes flicking between me and Alexander. “Ah, so you’re the one who managed to snag Alexander’s heart. Never thought I’d see the day,” he chuckled, nodding approvingly. But as he caught Alexander’s cold, warning stare, he cleared his throat, a touch of uncertainty creeping into his expression.

“I didn’t think you were capable of falling in love,” he said, his tone now more cautious. “I’m happy for you, man.”

“This is Roger,” Alexander introduced him with a short nod. “We grew up together.”

They slipped into an easy conversation, reminiscing about things I didn’t quite follow. I kept my expression neutral, feigning understanding, though I could hardly process a word. As they talked, I lost focus but I couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching me. I looked around the room to see if anyone was, but my eyes didn’t met anyone’s nor did I see anyone watching me. Maybe it was just the heightened paranoia that came with standing in front of a crowd, especially a crowd full of dangerous people.

Finally, Roger took his leave, and Alexander gestured to a few people nearby. “That’s Detective Johnson. He’s a useful ally when we need certain… matters kept quiet.” He nodded toward a young man across the room, dressed in a suit that seemed a bit too crisp. “And that’s Luca, our tech expert. Built an empire hacking for the government. Now, he works for me.”

As he pointed out more associates, I tried to keep up, but everything started to blur together. The intricate world Alexander navigated with ease felt surreal to me.

Eventually, Detective Johnson approached us, and I took the opportunity to excuse myself. “I’ll grab a drink,” I murmured, slipping away before Alexander could object.

I made my way to the bar, the coolness of a champagne glass in my hand providing a brief respite. As I drank from the cup, I felt eyes on me and I turned around once again but this time, someone was staring at me and walking towards me. He was tall, dark and looked sexy, he had gray that was soft yet captivating and would pull you into them if you weren’t careful enough. 

“Hi,” he said in a small yet loud voice. “My name is Adrian Blackwell and I’m a friend of your fiancé Alexander.”

I hesitated, glancing back to where Alexander was still talking. Not wanting to seem rude to one of his supposed friends, I forced a smile. “Nice to meet you, Adrian.”

For a moment, we made small talk, his gaze never leaving mine. There was something in his stare that felt… invasive, as though he saw more than I intended to reveal. I shifted uncomfortably but maintained polite conversation, hoping Alexander would finish up soon.

Before I knew it, Alexander appeared beside me, his presence somehow both relieving and intimidating. His eyes narrowed at Adrian, and he spoke in a cold, cutting tone. “Back off, Adrian. Stay away from Maya.”

Adrian smirked, casting a mocking glance my way. “Didn’t realize your leash was so short, Alexander,” he said with a dark laugh. He shot me a wink, then walked away, his laughter fading as he disappeared into the crowd.

As soon as he was gone, I turned to Alexander, confused. “Why did you speak to him like that? I thought he was your friend.”

Alexander’s lips twisted into a dangerous, humorless smile. “Adrian isn’t my friend. He’s my rival.”

His words were enough to send a chill down my spine and I finally realized what the look and smile Adrian had been giving me meant. 

Without another word, Alexander took my arm, his grip just a bit too firm, and led me toward a secluded room. Once inside, he closed the door behind us, his expression hardening as he faced me. The familiar coldness in his eyes felt sharper now, more intense.

“I don’t want you associating or flirting with my enemies so don’t you dare try what you just did ever again,” he said to me in a low yet dangerous voice. 

“What do you mean by ‘flirting’?” I whispered yelled at him, he was accusing me of something I didn’t do. “I wasn’t flirting, Alexander! I didn’t even know he was your rival. He said he was your friend, and I was just trying to be polite.”

His laugh was cold, dismissive. “Polite?” he scoffed, stepping closer, his gaze darkening. “You are going to be my wife soon, you should know better and you’re supposed to act like it.”

“So I’m supposed to know everyone and who to stay away from just because I’m your ‘wife to be’? You’re spilling trash,” I said to him through gritted teeth. “I was only talking to him because he claimed to be your friend!”

He walked closer to me and I looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to but there were too engrossed in their conversations to pay is any mind. “You’re mine, Maya. I won’t tolerate any behavior that makes you look like anything less.”

My heart hammered as I glared back at him, my hands balled into fists. “I’m not a doll you can control. I was just trying to play my role as your perfect fiancée, the one you keep parading around.”

A dangerous look appeared in his eyes and he opened his mouth to say something but shut it back as he moved back and stalked away from me, leaving me stunned and angry.