LOGINAlex’s POV I sat beside Anna’s bed and listened to the beeping machines attached to her body.And to her breathing.It was Slow.Steady.And alive.My fingers were wrapped around hers, careful not to disturb the IV taped to her skin. There was a bandage on her shoulder where the bullet had grazed through. The doctors had said it was a miracle. A few inches lower and…I shut my eyes.No.I wouldn’t finish that thought.“She’s stable,” the doctor had told me earlier. “The bullet passed clean through. She lost blood, but not enough to cause permanent damage. She should wake up any moment.”Any moment.I’d been holding onto those words like they were oxygen.The door clicked softly.I looked up.Matt stood there.For a second, neither of us spoke.Two years.Two years since we’d stood in the same room without tension choking the air between us. Two years since he’d made that mistake with Anna. Two years of pride. Of distance.He stepped inside quietly and shut the door behind him.“How i
Alex’s POVKristoff’s face froze for the briefest moment, eyes widening in disbelief. That shock… I let it hang there. I stepped forward slowly, deliberately, feeling Anna’s hand tightening in mine.“Surprised?” I asked, my voice low but cutting.He blinked, mouth opening, then closing, swallowing some of his own fury. His eyes darted around—at the police, at the church, at the chaos he had created.Good.I drew in a deep breath, letting the adrenaline calm my pulse just enough to focus. “Let me tell you something,” I said. “Let me tell you how I knew.”I let the memory take over.****FlashbackMy office was quiet, deceptively quiet. I was reviewing emails and contracts when the phone rang. Unknown number. I picked it up without hesitation.“Mr. Quinn?” The voice was sharp, professional. “It’s Fred, your PI. I have information regarding the surveillance footage.”I leaned back, eyebrow raised. “Go on.”“I’ve already traced the company that sold the hidden camera found in your office,
Alex’s POV The air inside the chapel felt impossibly thick. The scent of fresh roses and polished wood couldn’t mask the underlying tension in my chest. My hand tightened around Anna’s, feeling her tremble slightly against me, though she tried to steady herself.“Alex…” she whispered, her voice almost lost in the quiet hum of nervous guests. “Everything’s going to be fine, right?”I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, forcing a calm I didn’t feel. “It will be,” I murmured. “Trust me. Just… trust me.”Her eyes searched mine, wide and shimmering, and I hated that she had to see my own uncertainty. But we’d planned this carefully. Every angle covered, every detail accounted for. Kristoff had no idea. He couldn’t.The organ started, soft at first, carrying the familiar notes that always made my stomach twist with anticipation. My heart was thundering, but I held Anna’s hand tighter, willing myself to be calm.And then… applause.A slow, deliberate clap that made the hair on my neck stand on
Anna’s POV“Anna! Wake up!”I groaned, turning onto my side and burying my face deeper into the pillow.“Get up, bride!”My eyes flew open as the blanket was yanked off me and sunlight flooded my room. Rissa stood at the edge of the bed, grinning like she’d just won the lottery, her friends clustered behind her in matching silk robes.“What are you all doing here?” I croaked, pushing myself up on my elbows. My heart immediately skipped. “Where’s Alex?”Rissa gasped dramatically. “He left an hour ago!”“What?” I scrambled upright. “Why didn’t he wake me?”“Because,” she said, rolling her eyes playfully, “it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. He’s getting ready at the venue.”I blinked, trying to fully wake up. Today.Today.The weight of it settled into my chest… not heavy, but real.“Oh my God,” one of her friends squealed. “She just realized she’s getting married!”They all laughed.Before I could gather my thoughts, Rissa shoved a glass into my hand. “Here
Anna’s POVThe main hall looked exactly how I had imagined it.White roses lined the aisle in delicate curves, candles placed inside tall glass cylinders, their flames steady and golden. The chandeliers above shimmered softly, casting warm light over the polished floor. It was beautiful. Peaceful.Almost ironic.“The draping on the right needs to fall a little looser,” Rissa was saying to the planner, gesturing toward the altar. “And the arch flowers should be fresh in the morning. Not tonight.”The planner nodded quickly, scribbling notes.I stood a few steps back, staring at the altar.Tomorrow, I would walk down that aisle.Tomorrow, everything would end.“Anna?”I didn’t respond.“Anna.”Rissa’s hand touched my arm gently, pulling me back from wherever my mind had drifted.“Sorry,” I breathed.She studied my face carefully. “Are you scared?”The question lingered between us.I exhaled slowly. “A little.”She gave me a soft smile. “That’s normal. It’s your wedding.”“You know that’
Alex’s POVThe door to our room barely had time to shut before Anna was on my heels.“Alex…wait.”I didn’t.I walked straight to the window, raking a hand through my hair, my chest tight like someone had wrapped a wire around my ribs and started pulling.“This is insane,” I said, turning sharply to face her. “I’m not doing it.”Anna stopped in the middle of the room. Her eyes were already burning. Not with anger alone.With fear.With desperation.“With all due respect,” she said tightly, “you don’t get to decide that alone.”“I do when people’s lives are on the line,” I shot back. “You’re talking about using people as bait, Anna. Real people.”“They won’t be random people,” she said quickly. “It’s going to be controlled. Bulletproof vests. Security everywhere. It’s you and me he wants. Not them.”“That’s what you think,” I snapped. “Kristoff is not predictable. He’s not sane. You think he’ll see a fake bride and groom and suddenly grow a conscience?”She took a step closer. “This is
Alex’s POVThe old albums were scattered across the living room floor like pieces of a life I didn’t know how to handle anymore. Nolan sat cross-legged on the carpet, fingers flipping through plastic-sleeved pages while he made running commentary about his baby photos.“You look like a potato here,
Annalyn’s POVI stirred awake to warmth at my stomach, a hand draped protectively over me. The touch was firm yet gentle, and my insides tingled with recognition. I knew those hands. I had felt them before… It was most definitely Alex’s hands.A small smile crept across my lips before I even opene
Annalyn’s POVAs soon as I turned his lips were on mine before I could even breathe.For a heartbeat, I froze… not because I didn’t want it because I couldn’t believe that Fucking Alexander Quinn was kissing me.. Yes, we’d shared a kiss a few times but on all occasions it had either been out of in
Annalyn’s POVI lay there in the clearing, chest rising and falling, still trembling from what Alex had just done to me. Every nerve ending in my body still sang with pleasure, and yet it felt incomplete… like he had taken me to the edge of heaven and then slammed the door in my face.Before I coul




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