12: The Price of the Throne

Hannah's POV.

I leaned my head back against the leather headrest, the cool air from the vents hitting my face. The world outside the tinted windows of the SUV was moving too fast. People were walking their dogs, grabbing coffee, and heading to work like it was just another Tuesday. They didn't know that three blocks back, I had just finished killing the woman I used to be.

The silence inside the car was heavy, but it didn't feel bad. It smelled like Alexander...something deep and expensive, like wood and spice.

I looked down at my lap. Now that the adrenaline was draining away, my fingers were starting to jump. I tried to lace them together, but the shaking was deep in my bones. I felt like a glass that had been cracked and was just waiting for someone to tap it so I could finally fall apart.

"You're shaking, Hannah."

Alexander’s voice was low. He didn't sound worried, exactly. He sounded observant. He didn't take his eyes off the road, but I saw his hand move on the steering wheel, his knuckles large and tanned.

"I'm fine," I said. My voice sounded thin, like it was coming from a long way away. "I just... I've never talked to them like that. I've never talked to anyone like that."

"You did exactly what you needed to do," he said. He slowed the car as we hit a red light and finally turned his head to look at me.

His eyes didn't just look at me; they stayed on mine. It wasn't a quick glance. It was the kind of look that felt like he was reading the fine print of my soul. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. The way he looked at me was so different from the way Daniel did. Daniel looked at me to see if I was behaving. Alexander looked at me to see if I was still there.

He reached over. For a second, I thought he was going to take my hand, and my heart gave a violent thud against my ribs. But he didn't. He just adjusted the heat, turning it up a notch.

"You're cold," he said. "The shock is setting in. Drink the water in the console."

I did what I was told. The water was cold and helped clear the fog in my brain. I watched his profile as he drove. He was so calm. It was almost scary how calm he was after seeing my husband scream at me in the street.

He pulled the car over into a quiet side street a few blocks from the Mercer Global building. He put the car in park and turned fully toward me. The space inside the SUV suddenly felt much smaller.

"The plan hasn't changed," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "My parents land this weekend. They’re expecting me to show up with some empty-headed socialite they can control. Instead, I’m bringing them the woman who is currently dismantling my best Senior Manager."

I looked at him, the reality of our deal settling into my chest. We had talked about this, but now that the moment was here, it felt different. He needed a shield against his legacy, and I needed a sword to cut my way out of mine.

"You're sure about this?" I asked. "The moment we walk in there, there’s no going back. You're tying your name to a woman Daniel has spent years calling unstable."

Alexander leaned in closer. He wasn't touching me, but I could feel the heat from his body. It was everywhere. It made my skin prickle. He reached out and his thumb brushed against my jawline, just a tiny, light touch, but it sent a jolt through me that made my toes curl. He stayed there, his thumb resting near the corner of my mouth. His eyes were dark, intense, and they were lingering on mine with a hunger that made my head spin.

"Let them talk," he whispered. "By the time I'm done, they won't be calling you unstable. They'll be calling you 'Ma'am.' I'm giving you the Director’s seat, the legal team, and a name that makes Daniel and Grace look like ants. But I need the world to think you’re mine. I need them to see a man who is obsessed. A man who would ruin anyone who looks at you the wrong way."

"I know the part, Alexander," I said, my voice growing stronger. I looked at his lips, then back up to his eyes, and for a heartbeat, the air in the car felt like it was about to catch fire. "I play the doting, powerful partner. You play the protector. We use each other until the forest is burned and the new empire is built."

Alexander’s eyes flashed. He looked impressed. He pulled his hand back, but he didn't move away. "Exactly. Can you handle it? Can you look at me like I'm the only person in the room while your husband watches us from the hallway?"

I thought about Daniel’s face this morning. I thought about the "herbal tea" and the empty crib in my heart.

"I can do it," I said.

Alexander nodded. He put the car back in gear and pulled back out into the street. We were only a minute away from the office now. The giant glass tower was looming over us, reflecting the morning light.

He stopped the car in his reserved spot and turned to me one last time. He reached over and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered against my skin for a second too long to be just "business." The look in his eyes wasn't about his parents anymore. It was something much more dangerous. Something real.

"Don't forget that we're supposed to be in love," he said, his voice a low growl that made my stomach flip. "If you feel like you're going to break, you look at me. If you see Daniel and you feel small, you look at me. I’ll do the rest."

He got out of the car and walked around to my side. He opened the door and offered me his hand.

I took it. His grip was firm and warm. Alexander didn't let go of my hand. He tucked it into the crook of his arm, pulling me close to his side. We walked toward the private elevator that led straight to the top floor.

"From the moment we step out of this car, you aren't Daniel's ex-wife," Alexander said, his mouth close to my ear. "You're my priority. Can you handle being the most envied woman in this building?"

I looked at our reflection in the polished steel of the elevator doors. We looked powerful. We looked like a storm that was about to hit.

"I've spent three years being invisible," I said, looking him right in the eye. "I think it’s time everyone started looking at me."