Chapter 1

Her lungs were on fire.

Her legs moved, desperate, wild.

The sound of gravel against her foot resounded in her ears as she ran for her life.

The world blurred into streaks of streetlights and shadows as they sprinted through the deserted highway, the echo of Marcus’s body hitting the wall still pounding through her skull.

She still felt the heat of Alex’s hands pulling her away from that alley, from the blood, from the truth that had completed changed their lives in a single, violent instant.

Marcus, the kingpin’s son. The one man no one in this city was allowed to touch.

And Alex had killed him for her.

Sirens screeched somewhere behind them, slicing the night open. The cops and goons were gaining in on them.

“Alicia!” Alex shouted, his voice desperate as they veered off the road and got deeper into the forest.

Roots snagged at their feet. Branches slammed into their faces. But they kept running.

Alicia’s eyes locked on Alex’s outstretched hands. Only few feet apart.

She wanted to hold his hand. If she could just reach him. If she could just…just hold him. If she could…

The night exploded.

A gunshot tore the air open. Alex jerked as the bullet hit him. His hand slipped from hers, and for a horrifying second he swayed, eyes wide, still desperately trying to reach her.

Alicia’s eyes widened in horror as she watched the love of her life fall to the ground.

“Alex!!!”

——

Seven Years Ago

The day it all began was a Monday.

Alicia Dickson had immediately shot out of bed, rushing towards the shower, almost slipping and falling from her rush.

Rrrrrrrrrng!!

The loud alarm clock kept blaring but she didn’t even have time to turn it off.

“Oh shut up!”

She had a very important appointment today and she had woken up late! An appointment she’d waited a whole year for!

“Oh my...oh my. How could I sleep this late?." she mumbled to herself as she stood in the shower bathing.

A beep on her phone. She tapped the receiver's end.

"Madam, calls are coming in. Detol would like us to be at the mall in ten minutes, ma." was the message on her screen.

“Shit! Can I really make it in ten minutes?”

She looked at herself in the mirror after dressing up, satisfied with her look.

A white tailored shirt, black pan trousers, and a well cut black blazer to match, Alicia smiled. She was good to go.

"Let them know I will be with them shortly. I might be a little late. Let the team be there before me. No excuses this time.” She replied to the message.

Alicia almost flew downstairs. She saw her parents eating breakfast together.

“Hey, Mom. Hey Dad,” she said, running past them.

“Aren’t you gonna take breakfast, honey?” Her mom said.

“No Mom, I’m running late!” she said.

“Not even a goodbye kiss?”

That won her over. She stopped just right at the door and returned. Her mom smiled mischievously as she kissed both Dad and Mom goodbye before running out.

“Good luck in your meeting!” Her dad’s voice reached her ears from inside.

“Thanks, Dad!” She shouted back.

She got into the car where her driver was waiting and said;

"Get me to the Kinder Mall in at least 5 minutes. Please."

She got to the mall a little after five minutes and flew out of the car like she was being chased. Checked her time. Three minutes late! Fuck!

Just as she was about to get into the elevator she bumped into someone.

“Oh!” She exclaimed as she bumped into the solid hard chest of a man.

The sound of papers scattering filled the air as they exploded from her hands, fluttering loudly as they scattered across the mall like a deck of cards.

“I’m so sorr—“

She was about to apologize but on looking up, the words died in her throat.

She frowned.

The tall man she’d bumped into stood above her with an expressionless face and cold dead eyes.

‘Why is he looking at me like that? It’s not entirely my fault!’ She thought, getting annoyed.

“Are you blind? You just walked right into me,” she heard herself say, unable to hide her annoyance.

He raised a brow;

“I’m pretty sure you are the one who wasn’t looking where you were going. The mall’s big enough for both of us if you’d pay attention.”

Her phone buzzed. The Detol team. God, they were waiting.

She had waited all year for this and had even skipped breakfast to be here on time and this guy here was trying to make her late for such an important meeting! The biggest meeting of her career!

“I don’t have time for this.” She said, scrambling to pick up the papers, her hands shaking more than she wanted to admit.

 The man sighed and gestured to his bodyguards. She only just noticed he had two bodyguards with him. Must be some big shot.

The two bodyguards in expensive suits and black glasses came forward.

“Pick them up,” he ordered.

They both bent down to help but she grabbed the Documents from them and shot their boss a look that could’ve melted steel.

“You know what? Get your head checked. Seriously.”

She said and turned around, not waiting for his reaction.

“That prick,” she muttered as she walked, “What kind of arrogant bastard calls bodyguards to help pick up documents because they don’t want to? Does he think so little of me?!”

Just got up and walked as fast as her heels would let her, heart pounding so loud she could hear it in her ears. Behind her, she caught his voice.

“Hope I never see you again.”

Yeah. Same.

——-

The meeting lasted for three whole hours! Alicia smiled at the right moments, gave nods when she was supposed to, and delivered her presentation expertly.

The team loved it. They actually loved it. But she couldn’t stop thinking about that guy. Those cold eyes. That voice was like he owned the entire world and she was just some annoying obstacle in it.

——

Later

Alicia landed with a thud on the bed. She was glad that she made the meeting or else...she would find that guy and make him pay.

Zara, her best friend, walked in with a red flowery dress. She had just added finishing touches to it.

"Who did you make this for?” Alicia asked suspiciously.

"You of course. Did your dad not tell you that he would be throwing you a party?”

Alicia rolled her eyes.

“You’re going,” Zara said sternly.

“Not happening.” Alicia fell onto her bed face-first. “Work is my life. You know this.”

“Yeah, and if you keep going like this, you’ll be forty by next year. Come on, one night won’t kill you.”

“I heard you. Doesn’t mean I’m going.”

But two days later, there she was. Standing in Dickson Hall with champagne glasses clinking around her and chandeliers throwing light everywhere like the room was showing off. Everyone looked expensive. The kind of expense you can’t fake.

And then she saw him.

Mall guy. Right there, watching her and standing like he belonged here. Same sharp features, same attitude probably.

“That’s Alex,” Zara said. “Wait, do you know him?”

Alicia felt her chest get tight. “What’s he doing here?”

Alicia didn’t wait for an answer. She stormed up to him, her legs carrying across the room faster than her brain could catch up and tell her this was a terrible idea.

The man noticed her coming. Took a slow sip of his wine. “You stalking me now?”

Alicia scoffed.

“Stalking you? This is my father’s party. What are you doing here acting like you run the place?”

“I was invited. Which is more than I can say for your attitude.” He put his glass down. “Maybe stop jumping to conclusions about people.”

“Are you calling me stupid right now?”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.”

“You—“ she fumed.

“Get a life. Because you need it. Desperately.”

He turned and just walked away. Like she was nothing. Like this whole conversation was beneath him.

Alicia stepped closer, about to follow him and show him a piece of her mind but Zara grabbed her and pulled her back.

“Leave me. Let me teach him a lesson,” Alicia protested.

“Okay, timeout. You can’t be embarrassing yourself at your own party right?”

“But that prick!”

“Calm down. And what the hell happened between you two? And don’t say nothing because that was not nothing.”

“He called me stupid and dared to tell me to get a life!”

She was still talking when a waiter bumped into her again, causing her wine to fall.

Glass shattered.

Wine soaked through her dress, cold and shocking. The whole hall gasped.

Great. Just great.