تسجيل الدخولThe scorching heat of our kiss lingered on my lips. Alexander’s fingers tightened around the back of my neck, his grip firm and unyielding.
Just then, my phone began to vibrate sharply in my pocket.Buzz… Buzz…It pulsed insistently between our pressed bodies, a persistent and unrelenting hum.I freed one hand and fumbled blindly into my pocket.My thumb slid across the screen, flipping it to silent and turning off the vibration entirely.TheGerald's fingers stilled.The lid of his teacup clinked softly against the rim.He looked up, gaze heavy as it settled on Linda."Speak."The music in the ballroom had stopped.No one knew when.Every eye was fixed on the head table.Linda drew a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something monumental.She rose to face the room.The polite smile stayed on her lips, but her eyes held pain."Tonight was supposed to be a happy occasion. Another union between the Voss family and the Knights. I know this isn't the right time to speak.""But for the sake of both their futures, I have to."She turned to Gerald, her voice trembling slightly."Gerald. I've watched Alexander grow up. I've always believed in his character, his abilities.""For Elena to be matched with him... it's an honor for our family. A blessing."Then her tone shifted.Heavy with sorrow."Lately, though, I've heard things. Rumors I di
Luke's breath caught in his throat.It hit him like a live ember, searing his chest.He stared at Elena's closed eyelids.Her long lashes trembling slightly.Her cheeks flushed like a ripe peach.She was setting his heart on fire.Twenty-nine years he'd lived.Reckless.Unattached.A man who played by his own rules.He'd heard every line—flattery, seduction, persuasion.But none of it had ever hit him like this.Just a few words from her, and his whole world tilted.The last two weeks, he'd been the one dragging her into chaos, showing her how to be wild.On the surface, he was in control.But only he knew the truth.This little innocent had quietly pulled him into a different kind of life.And now, what he was about to do to her went against everything she wanted.His chest tightened.A strange ache twisted in it, unfamiliar and sharp.For the first time, he didn't want her to
I stepped back into the main ballroom.Lights blazed.Voices hummed.Clara was tucked beside the dessert table, shoving macarons in her mouth.She spotted me at once and darted over."Enchantress. What took you so long?""My brother disappeared too. Did you two…"She froze.Her eyes went wide."No way. Tonight's his engagement party. You two really snuck off?""That's reckless."I calmly pulled my hand away, picked a small cake off a waiter's tray, and stuffed it into her mouth."Don't be ridiculous."Clara chewed, cheeks puffed, and mumbled in protest."Mmph…Don't think you can bribe me with sugar!""My brother vanished right before you did. Not even a dog would buy that coincidence!"I gently squeezed her cheeks."Is that all you ever think about?"Clara giggled.She suddenly remembered something and slapped my arm."Seriously! My brother's getting engaged tonight. Wha
Ethan lifted his chin and stared at his adoptive father standing against the light. He was looking up at a mountain he'd never climb. Two paths. One was a life of humiliation. The other was complete ruin. He finally understood. From the very beginning, he never stood a chance. He didn't just lose Lisa. He lost the faith and security he'd leaned on for twelve years. For twelve years, Alexander had been both father and teacher. He'd given him a life of luxury. Everything others envied. He'd never once used his identity as Michael Hart's son to pressure him. This was the first time. Using the birth father he respected most to whip him for his most shameful present. Shame crashed down harder than any punch. He thought of the words carved on his birth father's tombstone. Eternal Hero. He thought of the yellowed photograph of comrades in Alexander's study. Two proud men. One died on the battlefield.
Alexander's gaze shifted. Barely.Like a stone dropped into a frozen lake.Ripples spread.Then sank.Dim light carved across his jaw, splitting shadow from bone.He looked like he was listening.He looked like he wasn't listening at all.The silence stretched.So long that Ethan started to believe he might be wavering.Then Alexander slowly removed his gold-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.When his eyes lifted again, they were bottomless.Calm.Absolute."Are you done?"Ethan froze."What was her ending?"Alexander's voice didn't waver.Not once.Ethan's lips trembled.He could barely force the words out."Horrible."His throat closed.The words came broken, strangled."She was framed.""Everyone abandoned her.""They sent her to prison. She gave birth there.""After she got out... they sold her to the back alleys.""She was nothin
After Lisa left, Alexander closed the door again.Click.The lock slid into place, sealing the dead silence inside the room.The lounge was dimly lit. The air hung heavy, suffocating.Alexander turned around.He stood tall and rigid like a pine tree, his shadow swallowing Ethan whole where he knelt on the floor.Ethan still knelt there, staring up, his eyes bloodshot."Stand up. Kneeling looks pathetic."Alexander spoke. His voice was flat, unwavering, but carried an overwhelming weight.Ethan's back stiffened. He did not move."Do you need me to help you?"Alexander looked down at him. His gaze was calm as still water, but icy to the bone.Ethan's fingers dug into the carpet. His knuckles turned white.He struggled, but finally crumpled under that look.He staggered to his feet."Dad. You and Lisa. Is it really true?"Even after Lisa's brutal words and undeniable proof, a shred of absurd hope still clun
I stared at the identical keycard. My mind buzzed.Of course.Clara, the ever-dutiful little matchmaker, was at it again."Guess my luck’s just that good—I got randomly assigned to the boss’s suite."Alexander Knight's gaze swept over my half-exposed shoulder
I steadied my nerves, a practiced smile playing on my lips.I looked up, the obedient, placating sweetness gone from my almond eyes."You have eyes and ears everywhere, Mr. Knight," I said, my voice clear and bright, acknowledging it openly."Word gets to you quickly."Alexand
I wiped my hands slowly with a napkin, not even bothering to lift my eyes."Does the young master rule the heavens and earth, or does he rule where people throw their trash?""Besides, digging through the trash is a habit for dogs."My fingers went slack, and the napkin fluttered d
The white yacht sliced through the azure sea, its engines humming a steady, low purr. A briny wind, sharp with the tang of the open sea, swept into the cabin.I leaned against the porthole, watching the pier shrink into a cluster of colorful blocks in the distance.Alexander sat opposit







