Chapter 10
**ALEXANDER**
“You said twenty-four hours.” her tone rises with panic.
“It hasn’t even been twelve yet!”
I shrugged, a cold smirk forming.
*I changed my mind.*
*Sue me.*
"Time’s up when he says it’s up, sweetheart,” Nico interjected, his tone dripping with condescension.
*True*.
“Where are your manners, Nico? Say good morning to Alina,”
Nico shot me a glance before looking at her, a half-smile playing on his lips.
“Oh, of course! How rude of me.” He straightened up..
"Morning, Alina. Lovely day for... whatever this is, isn’t it?"
I watched as Alina ignored him completely, her focus entirely on me, her frustration evident in the way her jaw tightened.
"Why are you here? You said we had twenty-four hours!" she demanded, her voice sharp with frustration.
"I did, didn't I?" I replied, a small smirk tugging at my lips.
"But it seems I underestimated how eager I was to see you again."
And it was true. I couldn’t get the damn girl out of my mind. Something about her had dug under my skin, and no matter how hard I tried to focus on other things, she was there—
Alina Santini.
Ever since last night—since I had her pressed against the wall with a gun to her head—she’d found a way to burrow under my skin, in ways I never saw coming.
Her piercing gaze, a perfect mix of fear and fire, her unshakable spirit, and that maddening spark of defiance in every move she made—she haunted me.
She barely left my thoughts, no matter how hard I tried to shove her out.
*Believe me, I tried.*
........
**THE NIGHT BEFORE.....**
I sat at the bar of my club, 'Muse' the sharp bite of vodka barely enough to numb the nagging image of Alina in that gold dress, her curves lit up by the dim lights. Her eyes. The defiance. It was like she had carved herself into my mind, and I couldn't push her out, no matter how hard I tried.
I took another slow sip, staring into the empty space in front of me, looking for something to make me forget. I needed a distraction, anything to drown out the pull she had on me.
The sound of heels clicking against the floor reached my ears, and a woman with long blonde hair, her eyes a piercing green, slid onto the stool next to me. Her leg brushed against mine, and her fingers trailed lightly up my thigh.
"Hey, handsome. Something on your mind?" she purred, her voice smooth and dripping with confidence, carrying a predatory edge that matched the glint in her eyes.
"Maybe I could help take your mind off it."
I didn't respond immediately. Her touch was warm, but my mind wasn't on her. I wasn't thinking about this woman or the comfort she offered.
But she was right. I needed to take my mond off her.
I swallowed the rest of the vodka in my glass, the burn sharp and familiar. With one swift motion, I grabbed her hand, pulling her off the stool. The need to forget, to push everything aside, was overwhelming. Without another word, I led her upstairs to one of the private rooms, closing the door behind us.
But even as I moved with her, all I could think of was the woman I couldn't erase-Alina.
As we stumbled into my office above "Muse", the vodka already taking its toll on my senses, I pulled her close and kissed her hard.
Our lips crashed together, tongues tangling as we stumbled towards the bed. Her hands were already working on my belt, undoing it with a haste that made me groan.
We fell onto the bed in a tangled mess of limbs and clothes. I yanked off her top, revealing pert breasts that seemed to defy gravity. My mouth closed around one nipple, sucking hard as she arched beneath me. But even as I tasted her skin, all I could think about was Alina's gentle curves.
As we tore each other's clothes off and fell into a frenzied rhythm of sex and sweat; every thrust felt like a betrayal - not just to this nameless woman beneath me but also to myself for trying so desperately hard shake memories another who refused leave head alone
Her fingers dug deep into my skin, leaving marks that I knew would take days to heal, while mine did the same to hers. Every kiss, every touch felt wrong because it wasn't hers. This stranger, whose face was now contorted in ecstasy, didn't belong in my arms -
But still, I couldn't stop myself from wanting more. From taking everything she offered and then demanding even more. Her moans grew louder, became music to my ears, ringing in my eardrums, pounding in time with my racing heart. I felt like a man possessed, driven by a hunger that couldn't be satiated.
As I thrust into her, her body arched beneath mine, and I felt a momentary lapse of control. It was then that I heard myself say it - the name that had been echoing in my mind all night.
"Alina," I growled, my voice low and rough with desire. The stranger's eyes flickered open, confusion and pleasure warring for dominance on her face.
For a moment, our gazes locked, and I saw a flash of uncertainty there. But then her eyes drifted shut again, and she let out a cry of pleasure as I continued to drive into her. The sound of her voice was like fuel to the fire burning within me - it pushed me harder, made me want more.
The stranger may have been writhing beneath me; may have been screaming out in pleasure; but for me? She was just a proxy; just a poor substitute for the one person who truly held power over me: Alina Santini
Despite the sex...despite the sweat-drenched sheets and exhausted bodies...I was unsated.
The blonde's moans echoed in the room; but they weren't enough. Her touch on my skin; but it wasn't what I craved.
For some fucking reason, my mind refused to cooperate. It wasn’t her lips I wanted to taste, or her voice I craved to hear murmuring my name in the dark—it was Alina’s.
.........
**PRESENT**
Which is exactly why I’m here—twelve hours ahead of schedule.
The clock was ticking, and I wouldn’t give Arthur or Alina the luxury of another twelve hours to scramble for a miracle. The thought of him turning to Robert Solas for help made my blood boil. Solas was my enemy, and I’d gladly end his life before I ever touched a dime of his. No, I didn’t want his money—I wanted something far more valuable. I wanted Arthur’s most prized possession.