004. Plan...

Helena's heart hammered against her ribs as she stood there, arm linked with Alexander Grant's, facing a ballroom full of shocked guests. Their eyes locked, and she saw the confusion flickering in those grey-blue depths.

‘Please,’ she thought desperately. ‘Please just go along with this.’

She hadn't told him anything when he'd saved her from that car. Their brief conversation had been nothing more than pleasantries and a thank you. 

But Helena remembered clearly from her past life that Alexander had attended this engagement party. He'd been standing in the corner, watching everything unfold before leaving early. She'd banked everything on that memory, on him showing up again.

And he had.

The murmurs around them grew louder.

"Helena!" Her father's voice cut through the noise. He stormed toward them, her mother close behind. "What is the meaning of this? Who is this man?"

"I already told you," Helena said, keeping her voice steady. "This is Alexander Grant. My future husband."

"Alexander?" Her father squinted at Alexander like he was trying to place the name. "I've never heard of you. What do you do?"

"Father, please…"

"No, I want to know who this nobody is that you're throwing away your engagement for!" Richard Reynolds' face was turning an alarming shade of purple. "Helena, return to your senses this instant and apologise to Michael. We can still fix this."

"Fix this?" Helena's voice rose. "You want me to fix this? To marry a man who…"

"Wait." Victoria's voice cut through the commotion. She'd pushed her way to the front, her eyes wide as she stared at Alexander. "Alexander Grant... as in Grant Industries? The Grant Industries?"

Alexander raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Oh my God," Victoria breathed, her hand flying to her mouth. "You're... you're the Alexander Grant? The billionaire? The richest man in the country?"

The ballroom fell silent.

Helena blinked, turning to look at Alexander. The wealthiest man in the country? She'd known from her past life that he was wealthy, influential even, but the richest?

"That's impossible," her mother stammered. "That Alexander Grant is supposed to be... I mean, we've never..."

"Never seen him in person?" Alexander's voice was smooth, almost amused. "I prefer to keep a low profile. But yes, I am that Alexander Grant."

Chaos erupted. The whispers turned to excited chatter. Cameras flashed even more frantically. Reporters shouted questions over each other.

"Miss Reynolds! How did you meet Mr Grant?"

"Mr. Grant! Is it true you're engaged to Helena Reynolds?"

"When's the wedding?"

Helena felt dizzy from the onslaught, but then she felt Alexander's arm sliding around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. His touch was warm, solid, and grounding.

"I believe my fiancée has already answered your questions," Alexander said calmly, his voice carrying authority that made even the reporters hesitate. "We'll be getting married soon."

Helena's eyes widened. He was... he was actually going along with it?

Michael shoved his way through the crowd, his face twisted with rage. "You can't be serious." He jabbed a finger at Helena. "You were cheating on me? You're leaving me because he's richer than me?"

Helena felt a rush of anger surge through her. "Cheating? You have the audacity to accuse me of cheating?"

"What else would you call this?" Michael snarled. "Running off with another man the moment something better comes along? I should've known you were just like every other gold-digger."

Helena's hand twitched with the urge to slap him again, but Alexander's grip on her waist tightened slightly, steadying her.

"I think you should watch your tone," Alexander said quietly, but there was steel beneath the calm. "You're speaking to my fiancée."

"Your fiancée?" Michael laughed bitterly. "She was mine first. She agreed to marry me. Those shares should be…" He stopped abruptly, realising what he'd almost admitted.

But Helena had heard enough. 

She stepped forward, addressing the crowd one final time. "The new engagement party will be announced soon. Thank you all for coming tonight. I'm sure this has been... enlightening for everyone."

Then she turned to Alexander. "Shall we go?"

He nodded, and together they walked toward the exit. Helena kept her head high, refusing to look back at her parents' shocked faces, Victoria's jealous glare, or Michael's impotent rage.

The moment they stepped outside into the cool night air, Helena felt her knees nearly buckle. She'd done it; she'd actually done it.

"Are you alright?" Alexander's deep voice brought her back to reality.

Helena looked up at him, really looked at him. He was watching her with those intense grey-blue eyes, and suddenly she felt hot despite the evening breeze. There was something in his gaze that made her stomach flutter, something that made it hard to think clearly.

"I..." She swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry for putting you on the spot like that without any warning. I didn't mean to drag you into this mess, I just... I panicked, and you were there and…"

"Breathe," Alexander said, the corner of his mouth quirking up slightly.

Helena took a shaky breath, trying to organise her thoughts. How was she supposed to convince him to go through with this? 

She couldn't exactly tell him the truth, that she'd been murdered by her sister and fiancé and had been reborn to get revenge. He'd think she was insane.

"Look, I know this is completely crazy," she began, fidgeting with her clutch. "And I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me after tonight. But I really need to get married to claim my inheritance, and Michael... he's not who everyone thinks he is. He's dangerous, and Victoria, my sister, she's…"

"Yes."

Helena stopped mid-sentence. "What?"

"Yes," Alexander repeated, his gaze never leaving her face. "I'll marry you."

"You... you will?" Helena stared at him in disbelief. "But I haven't even explained everything. Don't you want to know why I need this? What's in it for you? The terms of the arrangement?"

Alexander's lips curved into a slight smirk, and Helena felt her heart skip a beat. "You can explain all of that later. For now, my answer is yes."

"I don't... I don't understand." Helena felt like the ground had shifted beneath her feet. "Why would you agree so easily? You don't even know me."

"Don't I?" His voice was low and intimate in a way that made her pulse quicken.

The way he was looking at her… intense, knowing, almost possessive, left Helena stumbling for words. "I... you... that is..."

Alexander seemed to be enjoying her flustered state, that smirk deepening. "Is this the same woman who just slapped her ex-fiancé in front of half of New York's elite?"

"That was different," Helena managed, feeling heat creep up her neck. "I was prepared for that."

"Were you?" He stepped slightly closer, and Helena had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. "Because from where I was standing, you looked like you were making it up as you went along."

"I had a plan," she protested weakly.

"A plan that involved announcing me as your fiancé without asking me first?"

"I... okay, that part wasn't in the plan." Helena took a breath, trying to regain her composure. "But you showed up anyway. Why did you come tonight?"

Something flickered in Alexander's eyes, something that looked almost like sadness. But it was gone before Helena could be sure. "Let's just say I had my reasons."

They stood in silence for a moment, the chaos inside the hotel muffled by its thick walls. Helena knew she should say something, anything, but his presence was overwhelming in ways she couldn't explain.

"I need your number," she finally said, forcing herself back into practical mode. "So I can relay all the details of our... arrangement. The contract terms, the timeline, everything."

"Of course." Alexander pulled out his phone, and they exchanged numbers. His fingers brushed against hers as he handed back her phone, and Helena tried to ignore the spark that shot through her at the contact.

"Thank you," she said softly, looking up at him. "Really. I know I don't deserve your help, but... thank you."

"You're welcome, Helena." The way he said her name made something warm unfurl in her chest.

"I should go," she said reluctantly. "Before my parents come out here and cause another scene."

"Probably wise." But Alexander didn't move, didn't stop watching her with that intense gaze.

Helena forced herself to step back, to turn away. "I'll call you tomorrow. We have a lot to discuss."

"I'll be waiting."

As Helena walked toward the parking lot, she could feel his eyes on her back. She didn't dare look back, afraid of what she might see or what he might see in her expression.

—

Alexander watched Helena, her emerald dress catching the streetlights one last time before he turned around and walked.

Beautiful. That was his first thought when she'd walked into the ballroom earlier. 

But beautiful didn't quite capture it. The way her auburn hair caught the light, the fire in her green eyes when she'd slapped that bastard Michael, the strength in her voice when she'd announced their engagement… she was magnificent.

"I won't let you go this time," Alexander murmured to himself, his hand unconsciously moving to his chest where an old ache had started to pulse again.