22

Alexander stood frozen, his mind scrambling to process the lightning-fast, escalating chaos.

​Chloe's sudden, dramatic intrusion and the wildly inappropriate accusation of theft were shocking enough, but the sight of Adrian—his usually composed, timid secretary—losing his temper and flipping Chloe a double middle finger was utterly surreal.

​Then came the sharp, sickening sound of impact. Adrian's scream was cut short as he hit the floor. The sight of blood and the immediate, predatory move by Chloe—her heel poised for another strike—shattered the paralysis that held Alexander.

​Chloe had crossed a line. This wasn't professional sabotage or emotional drama; this was violence in his office.

​A deep, primal roar tore from Alexander's chest—a sound more animal than man.

​In a single, fluid motion, he moved.

​He didn't grab Chloe; he body-checked her. Alexander slammed into Chloe's side with enough force to send her staggering back against the wall, the impact rattling a framed certificate. His gaze, a terrifying blue storm, was fixed on her.

​"GET OUT!" Alexander bellowed, his voice echoing off the polished walls.

​"B-but, baby —"

​"GET OUT!" He glared at her. "If you ever step foot on this property again, I will have every asset you own seized and have a permanent restraining order filed that will prevent you from coming within five hundred feet of me, my family, or my staff. LEAVE! NOW!"

​Chloe, stunned and breathing hard, stared at him, her face twisting from rage to shock. She had never seen Alexander lose control like this, let alone defend anyone, much less his secretary, with such ferocity.

​Realizing the danger was absolute, she straightened her clothes, her face a mask of bitter resentment, and then bolted from the office.

​Silence descended, broken only by the rapid, shallow gasps of Adrian on the floor.

​Alexander dropped to his knees next to Adrian, ignoring the pristine quality of his suit. All his professional detachment, his fury at Adrienne, and his suspicion of Adrian vanished, replaced by a singular focus: the bleeding man on his floor.

​Adrian's glasses were knocked crooked, and his dark hair was matted slightly with blood from a cut just above his temple. His eyes, though slightly unfocused, were wide with disbelief as he stared up at Alexander hovering over him.

​"Adrian, look at me," Alexander commanded, his voice tight with an unfamiliar panic. He gently tilted Adrian's chin up, assessing the damage. "You're bleeding. Where else does it hurt?" He frowned as he stared at Adrian's shoulder where three dots of blood had stained his blue shirt.

​Adrian's trembling hands clutched his stomach, and he inhaled a shaky breath. "M-my head... and my wrist."

​The shock of Alexander's sudden, aggressive protection was almost as intense as the pain. 'He protected me. He didn't just stand there.'

​'I'm overthinking his actions again,'

​Alexander immediately reached for his phone. "I'm calling the paramedics. You need a hospital —"

​"No!" Adrian winced, pushing weakly at Alexander's arm. "No hospital. Please, Boss. I just... I need to clean up. I'm fine."

​He didn't need a trip to the hospital; he didn't want to stay longer with Alexander. Chloe's intrusion had somehow saved him from Alexander's critical evaluation. He needed to make himself escape from his boss.

​He underestimated Alexander; he believed his disguise was so strong that no one could see through him, but Alexander proved not to be an ordinary person. More than three times, Alexander has connected the dots. Adrian can't let it continue; he needs to stay away from Alexander as often as possible.

​Even though Alexander might not think Adrienne and Adrian were the same person, it was still risky for him to think that Adrienne was his twin sister.

​Alexander hesitated, his knuckles white as he held the phone. He was furious at Adrian's ridiculous refusal, but the terror in his secretary's eyes was clear.

​His gaze dropped to the exposed wrist where Chloe had scratched him yesterday, now aggravated by Adrian's fall. He saw the scratch turning into a faint scar and his anger returned, but this time, it was directed solely at himself.

​He might not be friendly with his secretary, but that doesn't mean it was right for his employee to sustain so many injuries at his workplace. As the boss, he was at fault for letting such a thing happen and in his presence, too.

​"Fine. We are not going to a hospital, but don't think you're slacking off work because you're bleeding," Alexander decided, the urgency of the moment overriding protocol. He stood up, pulling Adrian's arm as he did. "My private room, now," he said without looking at Adrian, but he was already pulling him toward the oak door.

​Adrian's eyes widened as he realized where Alexander was leading him. "Sir, no, I don't want to go in there —"

​"Don't fuss!" Alexander suddenly growled, snapping his angry eyes at Adrian behind him.

​Adrian startled, biting his lip anxiously as he darted his eyes to the floor.

​Alexander strode to Adrian, tilting his chin, his icy eyes boring into his secretary's nervous gray ones. "You will do well to obey every single word I say. I have not forgotten your involvement with Sebastian, or the fact that you were sleeping on duty. Those two crimes are enough to keep your remaining salary to myself; do not push me." His voice was dangerously low as he spoke to Adrian, his eyes never for once blinking away from Adrian's.

​He could feel how erratically Adrian's pulse was racing as he held his chin; he couldn't understand why his secretary was always so anxious around him.

​Did he hate his presence that much?

​Adrian gulped, licking his dry lips. "Yes, boss," he whispered shakily.

​Alexander didn't speak again; he turned and resumed pulling Adrian into his private room.

​Everything was still the same from the last time Adrian entered it, except for his shirt which had been discarded from the trash bin.

​"Take your shirt off, sit on the sofa." Alexander released Adrian's hand and went over to his bedside drawer to retrieve a first aid box.

​Adrian wanted to refuse, to run out of this intimate cage. But he didn't; he had just been warned to obey every single word, and refusing meant he was openly asking for trouble.

​He looked around the dimly lit room and sighed. 'This is exactly what I should avoid: a private space with my boss.'

​He slowly dragged his legs over to the sofa and pulled his shirt off, holding it against his chest.

​"Trash it," Alexander commanded as he returned to Adrian, his eyes staring at Adrian's shirt with disdain.

​Adrian felt exposed; he never understood how Alexander could keep a straight face while asking his employee to undress in front of him. Adrian couldn't keep calm; his cheeks, neck, and ears were already feeling hot and obviously flushed.

​He couldn't stay indifferent in such a situation.

​Slowly, he stretched his hand and dropped his shirt into the bin, quickly hugging his arms around his chest to gain some semblance of privacy.

​Alexander saw what Adrian was doing and scoffed. "What are you trying to hide?" he asked, lowering himself to a squat in front of Adrian.

​Adrian blushed harder as he saw Alexander's eyes slowly moving from his covered chest to his eyes; his cheeks were hot enough to fry an egg from the heat he felt.

​"N-nothing... I'm just not used to getting..." he paused and gasped softly as Alexander gently parted his knees to get between his legs; he panicked and got excited at the same time.

​'Calm down, Adrian, your boss is just trying to clean up your wound,' he chanted inwardly.

​"Getting what?" Alexander asked as he took a cotton swab in his hand to wipe off excess blood from the side of Adrian's face.

​Adrian gulped. "Uhm... getting, getting naked in front of someone else," he completed, biting the side of his lower lip as he stared at Alexander's unreadable face, which was staring at his face as if he were some difficult design.

​Alexander furrowed his brows, his eyes taking in Adrian's flushed skin. He was getting concerned by the way Adrian turned red; he wasn't sure it was still healthy.

​"How about your girlfriend? Don't you get naked with her?" Alexander questioned calmly, raising his hand to Adrian's cheek and gently wiping the drying blood.

​Adrian parted his lips to answer such a personal question from his boss, but he stiffened as he felt Alexander's hand moving closer to the cut.

​"Relax, Adrian. I'm not touching you there yet," Alexander's voice was low as he concentrated on Adrian's face.

​Adrian immediately curled his toes; his brain had twisted Alexander's words in a dirty way. 'I need a holy cleansing.' "Answer my question, Adrian. Don't you get naked with your girlfriend? Or is your boss the only one who gets you this flushed?" Alexander's eyes fell to Adrian's neck, his ears, his cheeks, and finally, his eyes.

​He held Adrian's wide gaze as he threw the cotton swab into the bin and retrieved a clean one to wipe Adrian's shoulder.

​Nothing prepared Adrian for Alexander's indirect flirt or whatever this was.

​Alexander was a rollercoaster of emotions, and Adrian was a forced rider.

​He cleared his throat and shuddered away as Alexander's knuckles grazed softly over the sensitive skin of his neck.

​"Be steady, Adrian," Alexander's hand found Adrian's slim waist and held him steady.

​He once again marveled at how silky smooth and slim Adrian's waist was, an attribute that was hard to achieve even for models.

​Adrian couldn't breathe, not with Alexander's long fingers pressing gently on the side of his waist, not with his boss kneeling between his legs, not with Alexander's gentle touch on the sensitive skin of his neck.

​It was too much, and the air was suddenly charged between them as their eyes locked together with an unrecognized tension.

​"You're stalling my question, Mr. Cole. Don't you get naked with your girlfriend? Or am I the only one who makes you blush this hard?" Alexander's voice turned low with a husky edge that grated right through Adrian's spine.