Chapter Four: Shadows of the Past

“I don’t trust her,” Mia’s voice buzzed through my phone like an alarm bell as I sat in the back seat of Alexander’s sleek black car. I had called her while waiting for him to finish his last meeting of the day, my nerves coiled tight after last night’s gala.

“Mia, I told you, she’s just someone from his past,” I said, staring out the tinted window as skyscrapers blurred past. My voice sounded steady, but the knot in my stomach betrayed me.

“Just someone from his past?” Mia repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief. “Elena, come on. A woman like that doesn’t show up uninvited unless she’s looking for trouble.”

“She wasn’t uninvited,” I murmured.

“Exactly,” Mia shot back. “And that’s what worries me. Why is Alexander still entertaining someone like her? I mean, I wasn’t there, but from what you’ve told me, she’s got bad news written all over her. What did she even say to you?”

I hesitated, recalling the venom in Victoria’s smile and the cryptic edge to her words. “She said I don’t really know him. That there’s more to Alexander than he’s letting on.”

Mia let out a long sigh. “And you’re not worried about that?”

Of course, I was. But admitting it out loud felt like giving it power. “She’s just trying to stir the pot,” I said weakly.

“Elena.” Mia’s voice softened. “I’m not saying she’s right, but… don’t just brush this off. You deserve to know what’s real and what’s not. And if Alexander can’t give you that, then you need to figure it out for yourself.”

Her words lingered long after the call ended, echoing in my mind as the car pulled up to Alexander’s estate.

The gates opened silently, and the driver escorted me inside, leaving me alone in the cavernous foyer. The butler appeared briefly to inform me that Alexander would join me shortly, then disappeared down one of the many expansive hallways.

I wandered into the grand living room, where the silence felt heavier than usual. The air carried the faint scent of leather and wood polish, mingling with Alexander’s signature cologne. My gaze landed on a collection of framed photographs arranged on a side table.

Most of the images were of Alexander—polished, formal portraits that seemed to belong in a corporate magazine rather than a home. But one caught my attention: a younger Alexander, standing beside a man who looked eerily similar. His brother? I didn’t know much about his family, but something about the photo tugged at my curiosity.

Before I could dwell on it, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. I turned to see Alexander entering the room, his suit as sharp and immaculate as always. But his expression… it wasn’t quite as composed. There was a tension in his jaw, a heaviness in his gaze that immediately set me on edge.

“Busy day?” I asked, attempting to sound casual as he poured himself a glass of scotch from the bar.

“Always,” he replied curtly, not offering me one.

I crossed my arms, deciding to abandon small talk. “We need to talk about last night.”

His movements stilled for a fraction of a second before he took a measured sip. “What about it?”

“You know what about,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Victoria. Who is she, really? And what did she mean when she said I don’t know you?”

Alexander set the glass down with a deliberate clink, his gaze meeting mine with an unsettling calm. “Victoria is irrelevant. Her only purpose is to stir trouble where it doesn’t belong.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only answer you need,” he replied smoothly.

The calmness in his voice made my anger rise. “You’re asking me to trust you, to marry you, and you won’t even tell me the truth about the people in your life?”

His expression shifted, the mask of charm slipping for a moment to reveal something colder, harder. “I told you from the beginning, Elena. This isn’t a love story. You agreed to this arrangement knowing full well what it is.”

His words hit me like a blow. “So that’s all I am to you? Part of some… business transaction?”

“You’re much more than that,” he said quietly, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a crack in his armor. Vulnerability, maybe. Regret. But then it was gone, replaced by the calculating man I had met that night at the gallery.

“Don’t dig where you don’t belong,” he warned, his voice dropping low. “Victoria thrives on chaos. Don’t give her the satisfaction of dragging you into it.”

Every instinct told me to push further, to demand the truth, but something about his tone stopped me cold. He wasn’t just asking me to drop it—he was warning me.

Before I could decide whether to press him or let it go, the doorbell rang, echoing through the house like a gunshot.

Alexander’s jaw tightened. “Wait here,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I watched him disappear down the hallway, but my curiosity got the better of me. I followed quietly, stopping just before the entrance to the foyer.

The butler opened the door, and my breath caught when I saw who stepped inside.

Victor. Alexander’s lawyer and confidant.

Their voices were low, but the tension between them was impossible to miss.

“Alex, this is spiraling out of control,” Victor said, his tone urgent.

“I don’t need your opinion,” Alexander snapped.

Victor’s voice dropped even lower. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Alex. If you’re not careful, you’re going to lose everything. Including her.”

The weight of Victor’s words sent a chill down my spine. My heart pounded as I strained to hear more, but the next moment, Alexander’s sharp gaze cut through the space.

“Elena,” he said, his voice flat and cold. “Were you listening?”

I froze, caught in the act. Panic surged as his piercing eyes locked onto mine, his expression unreadable.

Before I could answer, Victor stepped forward, his smile calm but clearly forced. “We were just discussing logistics for the wedding. Nothing to worry about.”

But the look Alexander gave Victor said otherwise, and I suddenly felt like I had stumbled into something I wasn’t meant to see.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Alexander said firmly, his tone sending a shiver through me.

“Why?” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible.

He stepped closer, his towering presence overwhelming. “Because some questions don’t have answers you want to hear.”

The weight of his words—and the cold finality in his tone—left me breathless.

I could feel my pulse quicken, panic rising.

Before I could reply, Victor was there, stepping closer with a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing to worry about," he said smoothly. "We were just discussing plans for the wedding."

Wedding. The word echoed in my mind, and my throat went dry. My eyes darted between the two men, but all I could feel was a rush of confusion and disbelief. The wedding? So soon?

"The wedding? But.. I didn't-"

"It's happening sooner than you might think," Victor interrupted, his smile still in place, but his eyes gave nothing away.

The shock hit me like a physical blow. So fast. Too fast.

Alexander said nothing, his gaze unreadable as he waited for my reaction.

And in that moment, I realized how much was slipping out of my control.

Behind him, Victor’s expression flickered with something I couldn’t quite place. Guilt, maybe? Or fear?

My heart raced as Alexander turned, dismissing Victor with a sharp nod.