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Chapter twelve:the warehouse at midnight
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2025-12-08 16:00:00Vanessa didn’t move.
Her phone felt heavy in her hand, the message searing itself into her mind like a brand. The faint glow of the screen illuminated her face, her eyes wide, her breath trembling between her parted lips.
Alexander stood in front of her tall, powerful, suddenly dangerous in a way she had only glimpsed before. The air between them changed.
Thickened.Darkened.“Vanessa,” he said again, voice low, command brewing under the surface. “Show me the message.”
She closed the phone slowly.
“No.”
The word slipped out before she fully understood it.
Alexander froze.
His jaw ticked, and for a moment she saw a flash of something fierce, something territorial. Not rage, fear. A deeper kind of fear. One that came from losing control of things he was used to owning.
“Why not?” he asked quietly.
“Because I don’t know what this is yet.&rdqu
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The contracted heart Chapter twenty three : The velvet snare
The invitation arrived the next morning.Vanessa stared at the embossed card resting on the marble kitchen counter, its edges sharp enough to feel like a warning.The Harrington Foundation Spring BenefitBlack tie. Press in attendance.Her stomach tightened.Alexander stood behind her, coffee untouched in his hand. He didn’t need to read it to know.“They’re moving faster than I expected,” he said quietly.Vanessa exhaled. “This isn’t just a charity dinner.”“No,” he agreed. “It’s a trap dressed in silk.”She turned to face him. “Then why does it feel like they’re inviting me specifically?”Because they are, he thought but didn’t say.“They want to see you crack,” he said instead. “To watch you misstep. To prove you don’t belong.”Her jaw set. “And if I decline?”“They’ll spin it,” he said. “Fear. Weakness. Something to dissect.”She folded her arms. “So I go.”Alexander studied her carefully. “Only if you want to.”“I do,” she said, surprising even herself. “I won’t keep shrinking to
The contracted heart Chapter twenty two : Public appearances
The city didn’t wait for wounds to heal.By noon, Vanessa understood that clearly.She stood in front of the bedroom mirror, fingers smoothing down the soft fabric of the dress Alexander’s stylist had laid out for her elegant, understated, deceptively simple. Navy blue. Long sleeves. High neckline. The kind of dress that whispered refinement while hiding every vulnerability beneath it.A shield.Her reflection stared back, composed on the surface, but her eyes gave her away. Too thoughtful. Too aware.A knock sounded.“Come in,” she said softly.Alexander stepped inside, already dressed in a tailored charcoal suit. He looked every inch the man the world feared controlled, powerful, unreadable. But when his gaze landed on her, something warm flickered through the steel.“You look beautiful,” he said.She exhaled. “I feel like I’m walking into a battlefield without armor.&rdq
The contracted heart Chapter twenty one : After the fire
Dawn arrived quietly.No sirens. No gunfire. No urgent voices crackling through earpieces.Just pale light slipping through the tall windows of the penthouse, touching the city Alexander Cole ruled with a softness that felt almost unreal after the night they’d survived.Vanessa woke slowly, her body heavy, sore in places she didn’t remember hurting. For a moment, confusion wrapped around her then warmth.Solid. Steady. Alive.Alexander.She lay against his chest, his arm draped over her waist with unconscious possession, his breathing deep and even. He hadn’t let go of her since they’d returned hours ago not when Collins’ team debriefed, not when doctors checked them both, not even when exhaustion finally dragged them under.Her fingers curled slightly against his shirt, feeling the rise and fall beneath her palm.We’re alive.The thought came with a rush of emotion so strong her throat tightened.She lifted her head carefully, studying him.In sleep, Alexander looked younger. Less
The contracted heart Chapter twenty : Fire and desire
The city slept, but Vanessa didn’t. Her body was a taut wire of adrenaline, her senses sharpened to every whisper of movement, every distant siren. Even the wind through the penthouse windows seemed too loud. She couldn’t shake the memory of the warehouse the gun, Elise’s rage, the flash of Alexander’s hand shielding her, the chaos, the near death. Her chest still ached where his body pressed against hers, a lingering reminder of how fragile, how human they were beneath the power, the contracts, the lies.Alexander sat beside her on the leather sofa, the city lights slicing across his sharp features, casting long shadows that made his gaze look even darker. His hand held hers, thumb brushing circles over her palm a steadying rhythm that anchored her, yet sent heat spiraling through her veins.“I hate that they’re still out there,” he said, voice low and rough, almost a growl. “I hate that they’re thinking about you the way they did tonight. That someone could hurt you just because of
The contracted heart Chapter nineteen : The order strikes
The city’s night skyline glittered like distant stars, but Vanessa barely noticed. Her gaze was fixed on the penthouse windows across the street, the same ones they had barely secured hours ago. The adrenaline from the warehouse ambush had barely faded, and yet her heart refused to settle. Every shadow seemed alive, every sound amplified, every breath a reminder that danger still lurked close.Alexander stood beside her, tall, dark, and lethal. His hand enveloped hers, fingers entwined, thumbs brushing in a constant, grounding rhythm. She had wanted to stay brave. She had wanted to hold herself together. But tonight, the weight of their enemies pressed down like a vice.“They’re not going to stop,” Alexander murmured, his voice low, almost a growl. “The Order doesn’t forgive. They escalate. Always.”Vanessa swallowed, her pulse spiking. “We’ve faced them before. We survived. Tonight... ” Her voice faltered, the words stuck in her throat.“Tonight is different,” he said, eyes scanning
The contracted heart Chapter nineteen : The order strikes
The city’s night skyline glittered like distant stars, but Vanessa barely noticed. Her gaze was fixed on the penthouse windows across the street, the same ones they had barely secured hours ago. The adrenaline from the warehouse ambush had barely faded, and yet her heart refused to settle. Every shadow seemed alive, every sound amplified, every breath a reminder that danger still lurked close.Alexander stood beside her, tall, dark, and lethal. His hand enveloped hers, fingers entwined, thumbs brushing in a constant, grounding rhythm. She had wanted to stay brave. She had wanted to hold herself together. But tonight, the weight of their enemies pressed down like a vice.“They’re not going to stop,” Alexander murmured, his voice low, almost a growl. “The Order doesn’t forgive. They escalate. Always.”Vanessa swallowed, her pulse spiking. “We’ve faced them before. We survived. Tonight... ” Her voice faltered, the words stuck in her throat.“Tonight is different,” he said, eyes scanning
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