CHAPTER FOUR One Night Under His Protection

Elena stared at Alexander.

“Your security credentials?”

“Yes.”

“I'm sorry, but I need you to explain something to me. How does a person get access to your security credentials? Is it a password? A card? A secret handshake for rich people?”

Alexander gave her a long look.

“It's a restricted access system. Authorized personnel can use designated credentials to enter certain areas.”

“And someone used yours to enter the mechanical level?”

“That is what the preliminary report indicates.”

Elena slowly sank into the chair.

“Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I work in a building where the cameras can conveniently stop working, metal structures can fall out of nowhere, and someone can borrow the boss's credentials to commit a crime. I should have asked for a hazard allowance when I accepted this job.”

“You didn't accept a job in a dangerous environment.”

“Neither did you, apparently.”

He had no immediate answer to that.

Alexander returned to his desk and opened a file on his computer.

“I need to know whether anyone approached you before the accident. Anyone asking questions about my schedule, the building, or the security arrangements?”

“No.”

“Think carefully.”

“I am thinking carefully. Nobody approached me. Nobody asked me about your schedule. Most people in this building barely look at me unless I've forgotten to empty a bin.”

Something flickered across his face.

“People should have treated you with more respect.”

Elena blinked.

It was such an unexpected statement that she almost asked him to repeat it.

Instead, she said, “You should tell that to the people who leave half-eaten food in meeting rooms and expect me to discover it the next morning.”

“I'll consider it.”

“Please do. Some of those people eat like they're preparing for winter.”

His expression softened for a second before he returned to the computer.

Elena watched him work. His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, opening files and checking reports. She could see why people took him seriously. Even after someone had apparently tried to kill him, he was already organizing the response.

But being efficient didn't make him invincible.

And it certainly didn't make her safe.

“Mr. Blackwood?”

He looked up.

“What happens to me now?”

“Tonight, you won't return home alone.”

“That's not an answer.”

“It's the beginning of one.”

She crossed her arms.

“I have a home, a sister, and a job I need to keep. I can't simply disappear because something happened in this building.”

“You won't disappear. We'll arrange transportation and security. You'll be able to contact your sister, and your employer will be informed that you need temporary leave.”

“My employer?”

“I own the company that employs you.”

“Yes, I gathered that from the giant BLACKWOOD name on the building.”

He ignored the comment.

“I can ensure you aren't penalized for tonight's incident.”

Elena considered that. Losing her income was one of the few outcomes she couldn't afford.

“Fine. But I need to speak to my sister before anyone takes me anywhere.”

“You can.”

“And I need to know where I'm going.”

“A hotel.”

She stared at him.

“A hotel?”

“Yes.”

“Are you planning to put me in one of those places where the towels are folded into swans and a glass of water costs more than my lunch?”

“I'll arrange a comfortable room.”

“That's billionaire language for expensive, isn't it?”

“Usually.”

Despite herself, Elena almost smiled.

Then she remembered the camera footage.

“Wait. If somebody inside your company is involved, how do I know the people you send to protect me can be trusted?”

Alexander became still.

It was the first time she had seen him genuinely pause before answering her.

“You don't,” he admitted. “Not yet.”

His honesty unsettled her more than a reassuring lie would have.

“That's not comforting.”

“I won't insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise. I'll personally approve the security team assigned to you, and the investigation will continue.”

“And my sister?”

“Does she live with you?”

“Yes.”

“Then we can arrange a room for her as well, if you want her somewhere safe.”

Elena's expression changed.

“You'd do that?”

“If someone intends to use you to get to me, your family could also be at risk. I'd rather take precautions than wait for another incident.”

For a moment, Elena couldn't find anything sarcastic to say.

Sarah had enough to worry about already. School fees, examinations, and the ordinary difficulties of growing up without their mother were more than enough. The thought of dragging her into something dangerous made Elena's chest tighten.

But moving Sarah into a hotel paid for by Alexander Blackwood would raise questions Elena couldn't easily answer.

“Just one night,” she said finally. “I'll bring her somewhere safe for tonight, and we'll discuss everything else tomorrow.”

Alexander nodded.

“One night to start with.”

“And the hotel bill?”

“Covered.”

“Transport?”

“Covered.”

“Food?”

He stared at her.

“Miss Hayes, are you negotiating a hotel stay or acquiring a second residence?”

“I'm making sure we agree on the terms. I've learned that people can be very generous until the bill arrives.”

Something in his expression changed. The amusement faded, replaced by a quiet seriousness.

“You won't owe me money for any of this.”

Elena held his gaze.

“Good. Because I have enough bills without adding billionaire debt to the collection.”

He picked up his phone and made the arrangements.

While he spoke, Elena called Sarah again and explained that she would be staying somewhere else for the night. She didn't mention the suspected murder attempt. There was no point frightening her sister before she knew what was happening.

Sarah wasn't entirely convinced.

“Are you sure this isn't going to get you into trouble?”

Elena glanced at Alexander.

“I think the trouble has already found me.”

“That's not funny.”

“I know. I'll explain everything tomorrow, I promise.”

After the call, Alexander handed her a bottle of water.

“Your transport will be ready shortly.”

Elena accepted it.

“Thank you.”

He studied her for a moment.

“You're taking this remarkably well.”

“Would you prefer screaming? I can try, but I don't think it'll improve the situation.”

“I meant that most people would be frightened.”

“I am frightened.”

The admission surprised them both.

Elena looked down at the bottle in her hands.

“I just can't afford to fall apart every time something goes wrong. There are people depending on me.”

Alexander didn't ask her to explain. Perhaps he understood that some burdens weren't invitations for questions.

Instead, he said, “You shouldn't have to face this alone.”

Elena looked up.

For one brief moment, the distance between them seemed smaller. He wasn't simply the man whose name covered the building or the billionaire whose security system had apparently been compromised.

He was a man who had nearly died tonight.

And she was the woman who had pulled him out of danger without stopping to consider what it might cost her.

Then the office door opened, and the security officer returned.

“Mr. Blackwood, we've received an update. The team is still reviewing the access logs. We haven't identified who used the credentials, but we're narrowing down the possibilities.”

“Keep me informed,” Alexander ordered. “And make sure Miss Hayes reaches her destination safely.”

“Yes, sir.”

The officer left.

Alexander turned back to Elena.

“I'll have someone contact you tomorrow with an update. Until then, don't discuss the incident with anyone outside the investigation.”

“Not even my sister?”

“You can tell her what she needs to know to stay safe. But don't share unverified details with anyone else.”

Elena nodded slowly.

She had come to work expecting another ordinary night of cleaning floors and emptying bins.

Instead, she was leaving under the protection of a billionaire who might have enemies inside his own company.

She stood and adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

“One more thing, Mr. Blackwood.”

“What is it?”

“When you find the person responsible, I hope you remember that I saved your life before I knew how much trouble you were going to bring into mine.”

He looked at her steadily.

“I won't forget.”

For some reason, she believed him.

That was perhaps the most dangerous part of all.

Because as Elena followed him toward the elevator, she had no idea that the arrangement meant to protect her would soon change her life in ways neither of them could predict.