All Chapters of Dangerous Desire: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The room felt colder than the night outside.Alexander’s fingers tightened around Lena’s hand, his eyes locked on the symbol burned into the cloth on the screen. A circle split in half — simple, yet terrifyingly familiar to him.Mrs. Ward swallowed hard. “Alexander… you don’t truly believe it’s them, do you?”He didn’t answer.He couldn’t.Lena looked between them, confusion and fear twisting violently in her chest. “Someone explain. Please.”Alexander exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before turning to her.“That symbol,” he said quietly, “is from a group my father once worked with. A group he should have stayed away from.”Lena’s pulse quickened. “A group? What kind of group?”Mrs. Ward stepped in gently, sensing Alexander’s hesitation.“They call themselves the Split Circle,” she said. “A network of wealthy, powerful individuals—businessmen, politicians, investors—who operate in the shadows. They trade information, power, and influence. And they do not forgive betraya

The voice drifted through the hallway like smoke.Smooth. Calm.Almost polite.“Lena…”“Don’t be afraid.”Lena’s entire body froze.Mrs. Ward’s grip on her wrist tightened so hard it almost hurt.“Stay behind me,” she whispered.But Lena couldn’t breathe, much less move.The intruder’s footsteps echoed softly — slow and deliberate, like they wanted her to hear every step, to feel their presence inching closer.Mrs. Ward ushered Lena back into the surveillance room and pressed a silent button beneath the desk. A steel panel slid across the doorway… halfway. It stopped with an abrupt clang, stuck.Lena’s heart plunged. “It’s jammed!”Mrs. Ward cursed under her breath — the first time Lena had ever heard her do it. She grabbed Lena’s hand again.“We run,” she whispered.But before they could move—A shadow appeared inside the partially open doorway.Tall. Hooded.Standing completely still.The air went thin.Lena cried out and stumbled backwards, colliding with a desk as the hooded figur

The broken window let in a harsh blast of cold night air. Lena staggered back, gripping the edge of the wall as shards of glass crackled beneath her feet. Alexander stood at the shattered frame, chest rising and falling like he was holding back a scream.Mrs. Ward pulled the curtains closed, sealing off the view of the darkness outside.“Alexander,” she said sharply, “he escaped. There’s no catching him in the forest right now.”Alexander didn’t move.His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone completely white. His jaw trembled with barely controlled rage.“Victoria…” he whispered.Lena’s heart dropped at the sound of that name.Mrs. Ward motioned for Lena to sit, but Lena couldn’t feel her legs. She leaned against the desk instead, her entire body shaking.Lena’s voice cracked. “Alex… is it true? Did Victoria know my mother?”Alexander turned slowly from the window, his face pale and stricken.“Yes,” he said. “But not the way Dylan made it sound.”Lena’s chest tightened

The doorknob rattled again.Slow. Teasing.Like a predator tapping its claws on the cage.Alexander tightened his grip on Lena’s hand, pulling her slightly behind him. His entire body shifted — shoulders squared, stance wide, protective, ready to strike.Mrs. Ward appeared behind them, breath trembling. “Alexander… whatever happens, don’t let her inside.”Victoria’s voice slipped through the crack in the door, warm and mocking:“Alexander… darling… open the door. We have unfinished business.”Lena’s pulse pounded in her ears.Alexander looked at her once — wordless, fierce — before he unlocked the door.The handle turned.The door opened.And Victoria stepped in like she owned the house.She wore a long black coat, heels clicking on the marble floor. Her hair was sleek, not a strand out of place. Her red lipstick was painted with surgical precision. And in her hand…The necklace.Lena’s mother’s necklace, swinging gently like a pendulum.Victoria smiled the moment she saw Lena.A slow

Mrs. Ward stood frozen in the center of the room, tears gathering in her eyes, her hands trembling so violently Lena could see it from across the floor.The steel shutters kept the outside silent — but inside the estate, tension echoed like thunder.Victoria leaned back weakly against the wall, blood dripping down her arm, her voice sharp despite the pain:“Go on, Mrs. Ward. Tell them.”Alexander stepped forward slowly.Softly.Like he was approaching someone he still wanted to believe in.“Mrs. Ward,” he said quietly, “did you open the gate?”Mrs. Ward swallowed hard. “Alexander… I didn’t—”“Did you disable the cameras on the east side?”Her lips parted, no sound coming out.Victoria laughed softly. “She doesn’t need to answer. You already know.”Alexander turned his head sharply, glare like fire. “Shut up.”But Victoria only smirked.Lena watched Mrs. Ward’s trembling form, confusion knotting her heart. She had felt safe around this woman. Protected. Mrs. Ward had been gentle. Warm.