No Turning Back

As the work day drew to a close, the office floor became eerily silent. There were only a few other employees on this floor, mostly those who worked closely with Alexander. Now at 5 PM, the occasional soft chuckle or hushed conversation between employees had died down.

Gabriella sat at her desk, staring blankly at the computer as the cursor blinked repeatedly. Her belongings were packed, and she was ready to move in with Alexander. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. Then she heard slow, confident strides approach her. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“Gabriella,” Alexander said calmly.

She looked up at him as he leaned casually against her desk, one hand tucked into the pocket of his tailored suit.

“We should get going. I’m assuming you have all your things ready,” he said as he checked the time on his watch.

“Yes, sir.”

Gabriella hurriedly picked up her purse and threw it over her shoulder. Then she got up and began walking towards the elevator when she heard Alexander call behind her.

“Gabriella, we’re leaving together. Where are you hurrying off to?” he asked, amused.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face him.

“We’re leaving together?” She asked

“Well, if we are both going to your house, I don’t see why not. Come on, we’ll take my private elevator.” He said and walked to his office.

Gabriella swallowed hard and hurried to catch up with him.

“After you,” he said as the elevator doors opened and Gabriella tentatively stepped inside, followed closely by Alexander.

Inside the elevator, the silence grew thick, and Gabriella clutched her purse in a death grip, making her knuckles turn white. She was acutely aware of every sound. The hum of the elevator, her own breath, and Alexander standing beside her. Just the two of them in this tiny enclosed space.

“ Did you say goodbye to everyone you need to?” Alexander asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Yes. Just my friend Khloe. She helped me pack. I don’t really have anyone else.”

“I see,” Alexander replied, mulling over what she said.

“You didn’t tell her anything about the contract, did you?”

“No, of course not.” Gabriella swiftly replied in defense. She didn’t want him to think she was already going against the terms of their contract.

“Good. It’s better this way.” Alexander replied, satisfied.

“I’ve informed my driver to bring the car up front. We’ll leave through the lobby.”

“Just play along,” Alexander said as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened to the foyer.

“Play along to what?”

Gabriella didn’t have time to think before he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the lobby, where a few employees were gathering their things as they got ready to leave.

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and watched them with wide eyes. Alexander never came or left through the front doors, and the employees on the ground floor hardly ever saw him.

A few gasps were heard as he gently pulled Gabriella along while they crossed the foyer and made their way towards the front doors.

“Isn’t that the new secretary?” Gabriella heard someone whisper.

“Are they together?” She heard another employee ask.

Gabriella’s heart was racing, and she tried her best not to trip on her own feet. Her face felt hot, and she held her breath and clutched her purse even tighter, painfully aware of the feeling of Alexander’s strong hand holding hers.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the doors, and Gabriella finally let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

Waiting for them outside, a man in formal attire stood next to a sleek Mercedes-Maybach that glistened in the sunlight. Holding the door open, he greeted them with a little bow, and Alexander guided Gabriella in before settling into the vehicle himself. 

The driver got in and started the engine, and Alexander put up the privacy screen between.

“What was that?” Gabriella turned to Alexander and asked.

“What was what?” he replied teasingly with a smirk.

Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him.

“You know what I’m talking about. You grabbed my hand out of nowhere.”

Alexander laughed, unbuttoning his jacket to get more comfortable. She couldn’t understand why he always found her frustration amusing.

“That, my dear, was our first act. You should get used to it, you’re blushing so hard.” He said casually.

She turned away, feeling embarrassed as she tried to hide her red cheeks.

‘Get used to it.’ Gabriella thought.

How could she ever get used to that uncomfortable feeling she felt just now, she wondered.

“Could you at least give me a heads up next time?”

“Get used to it, Gabriella,” he said again.

She eyed him suspiciously before finally leaning back into the car. She didn’t have the energy to argue and decided to give up. She could never win when it came to him.

As they sat in silence, she texted Khloe to let her know she would be moving into Alexander’s home soon. As much as she tried to convince herself everything would be okay, she still couldn’t get used to the idea of marrying the man sitting next to her. They were two people from opposite worlds.

After a few minutes, they began to approach Gabriella’s neighborhood. The streets became narrow, lined with graffiti-tagged buildings and trash cans that overflowed onto sidewalks. A group of kids in hoodies eyed the sleek vehicle as it came to a stop in front of her apartment building.

“Wait, how did you get my address?” Gabriella asked in shock.

“You filled it out on your application. Remember?”

“Oh, right.”

“Shall we?” Alexander asked.

Gabriella nodded and got out of the car hurriedly, trying to avoid the curious stares from everyone around. She climbed the stairs and went up to her apartment with Alexander and the driver following closely behind.

Reaching the door, she took out her keys and opened it to reveal her now empty apartment, save for the boxes stacked neatly at a corner.

“Lawrence, you can start loading these into the car,” Alexander instructed the driver.

“Yes, sir,” the driver replied curtly and began picking up the boxes and carrying them down the stairs. 

Each box felt symbolic, her life being lifted and loaded into Alexander’s car, one after the other, until it was just one suitcase left. The weight of leaving this world behind finally settled deep within her.

Gabriella grabbed the last suitcase and rolled it out into the hallway. She took one final glance around the apartment, then sighing deeply, she shut the door and said goodbye to her old life.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she walked to the front desk to return her keys.

“Gabriella, you’re moving out without telling your favorite neighbor?” She turned around to find Mr. Austin. He 

sounded genuinely hurt.

“I’m so sorry, Sir. It came as a surprise, honestly. I hope you understand?” Gabriella replied, hoping that he would forgive her for leaving so suddenly.

A knowing smile slowly appeared on his face. 

“It’s alright, dear. Seems like you’ve got yourself quite the catch.” He said and winked, pointing discreetly at Alexander, who was watching them impatiently from outside the building.

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

“Go on then, you don’t want to keep him waiting,” he urged.

“Goodbye Mr Austin,” Gabriella said, squeezing his hands before she left.

“Ready?” Alexander asked.

“Yeah.”

The driver took her suitcase and put it in the trunk. Gabriella stepped into the car, and Alexander settled in beside her.

Once again, the vehicle came to life, and Gabriella watched as the streets of her neighborhood disappeared behind her through the tinted windows. Every block they passed brought her closer to Alexander’s world, a world of wealth and power.

Meanwhile, Alexander sat calmly beside her, his demeanor stiff and unreadable.

“So… We’re really doing this,” she said almost to herself.

He finally looked at her, his eyes dark with a dangerous intensity.

“Yes. This is happening Gabriella, and once we get to my home, everything will be different.”

Gabriella frowned. “Different how?”

His gaze hardened, making her pulse race.

“Once we arrive and I brief you on the rules, you will follow them thoroughly. No exceptions, no excuses, no mistakes. This is very serious. Gabriella, a lot is riding on the success of this plan.”

Gabriella’s breath hitched, and she swallowed hard. Alexander calmly leaned back in his seat, the weight of his words sending waves of fear through her body.

The car continued moving through the streets as her mind raced with a million thoughts, the city lights rushing past them while his words rang like a church bell in her head. In that moment, she realized that this wasn’t just marrying her boss, this was stepping into a life that could demand more than she was capable of giving, a life she had never known before, and as Alexander’s intimidating presence filled the space between them, Gabriella understood one thing clearly: Nothing would ever be the same again.