Chapter 38

**ALINA**

I clenched my jaw, breath stuttering as I stared up at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction. His words coiled around me like a serpent—silken, cold, and ready to strike.

“I’d rather choke on the words,” I hissed.

Alexander's eyes flared—just for a second—but it was enough to make my pulse lurch. His smirk faded, and in its place was something far more dangerous: intent.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t need to.

The pressure of his hands on my waist increased, his body pressing into mine, every inch of him radiating dominance and possession. 

His fingers traced a slow, deliberate path up my spine, each touch a deliberate torment that left me breathless and aching. With infuriating patience, he tangled his fingers in my hair, tugging my head back just enough to force our eyes to meet. The intensity in his gaze was unyielding, a storm of desire and dominance that threatened to consume me whole.

"You think this is about words?" he murmured, his voice a low, dangerous growl that sent shivers down my spine. "You think you can keep hiding behind that fiery spirit, that sharp tongue, and it will save you from what's already inevitable?"

His mouth crashed down on mine in a brutal, claiming kiss. There was nothing soft or sweet about it—it was a punishment, a declaration of ownership. I tried to resist, to keep my body from responding to his touch, but it was a futile battle. My traitorous lips parted beneath his, and I found myself arching into him, a breathy gasp escaping my lips as he finally broke the kiss.

His forehead rested against mine, his breath ragged and hot against my skin. "You already belong to me," he whispered, his voice a low, possessive rumble. "You can fight it all you want, but it's a truth you can't escape."

I tried to hold onto my defiance, to keep my body from betraying me, but it was impossible. 

Every nerve ending in my body was on fire, every sense heightened and aware of his presence. I could feel the heat of his body against mine, the hardness of his chest pressing into me, the scent of his cologne filling my lungs.

His fingers tightened in my hair, tilting my head back further as he captured my mouth in another searing kiss. This time, I couldn't hold back the moan that escaped my lips, the sound of a desperate plea for more. 

His tongue invaded my mouth, exploring and claiming, as his other hand roamed over my body, tracing the curves of my hips and the swell of my breasts.

I tried to push him away, to fight against the overwhelming sensations that threatened to drown me, but my body betrayed me at every turn. 

My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer as my hips ground against his. I could feel the hardness of his erection pressing into me, a stark reminder of the power he held over me.

As he finally broke the kiss, his lips trailing down my neck, I couldn't help but let out a soft whimper. 

"You're mine, Alina," he growled against my skin, his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh. 

"And I won't stop until you admit it."

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the words that threatened to spill from my lips. But as his fingers found the hem of my dress, his touch sending sparks of pleasure coursing through my veins, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I surrendered to him completely.

Then—

Rap. Rap. Rap.

The sudden knock shatters the suffocating silence. I jump slightly, but Alexander doesn’t. His jaw tightens, his fingers flexing over the weapon before he exhales sharply, clearly irritated by the interruption.

“What?” he snaps, his voice razor-sharp.

The door creaks open slightly, revealing a man standing in the dim light of the hallway. His expression is unreadable, but there’s a flicker of urgency in his usually impassive gaze.

“You need to come,” he says, his tone calm but firm. 

“There’s a small problem.”

“I'm busy right now, Nico ” Alexander snapped, irritation lacing his tone.

“It’s important,” came the firm reply from the doorway.

His jaw ticked, his fingers flexing at his sides before he exhaled sharply. 

Alexander doesn’t move at first. 

His grip on the gun remains tight, his focus still locked on me, as if contemplating whether to finish what he started. Then, with a slow exhale, he finally lowers the weapon, his gaze dragging over me one last time before turning toward Nico.

“Fine,” he ground out. 

“Meet me in my office. This better be worth my time,” he mutters darkly, sliding the gun back into the holster at his side and turning back towards me.

“Don’t think for a second this is over, Alina,” he murmured, his voice a dark promise, laced with warning. His gaze lingered on me for a beat longer, sharp and possessive. 

“We’re not done. ”

He turned on his heel, striding to the door, his voice low and final as he added without looking back—

“I always collect what’s mine.”

And then, just like that, he was gone, striding out of the room with Nico at his side, disappearing into the dimly lit hallway.

I stood frozen, my pulse a frantic rhythm against my ribs, my breath unsteady as I struggled to regain control. My fingers curled into fists before pressing against my chest, as if I could steady the chaos raging inside me.

The room felt too quiet in his absence, yet his presence still clung to the air, thick and suffocating.

Whatever this ‘small problem’ was, I could only hope it kept him away for as long as possible.

**ALEXANDER** 

I don’t look back as I leave the room.

But I feel her.

Like a burn in my blood.

Every breath she takes, every heartbeat, it echoes inside me, refusing to let go. Even now, with distance between us, her scent still clings to my skin—sweet, defiant, maddening. The fire in her eyes… the way she said never with so much venom in her voice.

She doesn’t understand.

She will belong to me.

I grind my teeth as I walk down the hall, each step clipped with the effort it takes not to turn back. 

Not to throw the door open and make her say it with that sharp tongue of hers and her knees trembling against the mattress.

Not yet.

Other matters are demanding my attention, though none I care for half as much.

Sure, here's a more ruthless and intense continuation from Alexander's point of view, highlighting his fury at being pulled away from Alina and his cold, dangerous demeanour:

By the time I reach my office, my jaw aches from how tightly I’ve been clenching it. Every step down the hall was a battle against the urge to turn back and finish what I started with Alina. The sound of her voice still echoes in my head—sharp, defiant, infuriating. And fucking intoxicating.

The guards step aside without a word. The heavy double doors swing open, revealing Leo standing like a statue in the centre of the room.

And before him—

A man.

On his knees.

Hands tied behind his back with thick, coarse rope, head bowed low. Blood paints a slow trail down his temple, thick and glistening, soaking into the pristine marble beneath him.

Leo straightens when he sees me. 

“We caught him scaling the east wall. Quiet. Precise. Almost got past the perimeter.”

I don’t respond.

I step into the room, the doors shutting behind me with a heavy, final thud that vibrates through the floor. 

The air thickens with silence. Even Leo stiffens under the weight of it.

The man lifts his head, just enough to meet my eyes.

Mistake.

I move slowly—deliberately. Rage doesn’t rule me. I don’t explode. I simmer. I seethe. And when I strike, I make sure it leaves scars.

I crouch in front of him, grabbing his jaw in a bruising grip and forcing his face up. His lip is split. His left eye already swelling shut. Still, he dares to look at me.

But I’m not looking at the damage.

I’m looking for fear.

And there it is—flickering in his gaze like a dying flame.

Good.

I tighten my grip until his teeth grind together.

“I should kill you just for interrupting me,” I say, voice low and cold, each word laced with the fury I’ve been trying—and failing—to leash. I’m not yelling. I don’t need to. 

The quiet carries more weight.

“You have no fucking idea what you just dragged me away from.”

My boots echo across the marble as I pace slowly in front of the bastard still kneeling, blood dripping from his busted lip. But my mind isn’t on him. 

It’s back in that room—with her. 

Alina.

Leaving her...

Walking out that door had felt like tearing something vital out of my chest. Like I was peeling my skin off just to keep myself from making a mistake I wouldn’t come back from. From finishing what we both knew was inevitable.

She drives me insane. Every goddamn second she fights me, every time she glares at me with that fire in her eyes like she isn't afraid of the devil standing in front of her—it fucking consumes me. 

She should be broken by now. She should be begging. But instead, she looks at me like she sees through me. And fuck, that might be worse.

I drag a hand down my face, jaw clenched so tight it aches.

Why does she have this hold on me? Why does it feel like walking away from her was the real crime tonight?

I’ve had women scream my name and cry for mercy. I’ve ruled with fear, demanded respect, and taken what I wanted without question. But her?

She makes me hesitate.

And that’s the most dangerous thing of all.

I stop pacing. Turn back to the bastard kneeling in my office like some fucking offering.

“You picked the worst possible moment to trespass,” 

I say, crouching down in front of him, grabbing his blood-soaked jaw and forcing him to look at me.

“I’m in the mood to hurt something.”

And God help you—because tonight, I need an outlet. And you’re the poor bastard who kept me from putting Alina on her knees.

I lean in closer, my breath brushing his bloodied cheek.

“You’re either a very brave man or a very stupid one. But bravery doesn’t impress me. And stupidity gets you buried.”

My eyes flash to Leo. 

“Did he say who sent him?”

Leo shakes his head. “Not yet. But I figured you'd want to ask personally.”

I smile. Cold. Cruel.

“Of course.”

I release the man’s chin only to deliver a brutal punch to his ribs, the sound of breaking bone echoing off the walls. He crumples forward, gasping, wheezing.

“Let’s try again,” I say, crouching beside his trembling form. 

“Who sent you?”