Chapter 17: The Secret Letter

Chapter 17: The Secret Letter

 I wanted to speak, but the words were caught in my throat. The environment beyond the vehicle seemed far away, as if I were caught between what I ought to oppose and what I couldn't help desiring. 

His hand gently touched my cheek, clearing away my tears. “Dysis,” he murmured, disappointment threading through his tone. 

"What if I die?" I inquired, my voice quaking yet resolute. “Would it matter to you?”

He didn’t respond right away. He glanced at the rearview mirror, the burden of unsaid thoughts shadowing his features. 

The vehicle halted before the Levi mansion, its shadowy form resembling a guardian in the darkness. 

Before I could react, Alexander was out, opening my door. His hand closed around mine, firm and unrelenting, as he led me toward the entrance in silence, his grip tightening with each step.
I didn’t draw back. Not because I lacked desire, but because I was unsure of what other actions to take. 

Inside, the home was tranquil, the sound of our steps resonating through the vast corridors. The tension between us was unmistakable, the silence more weighty than any dialogue we could have exchanged. 

He led me to the staircase, his hand still holding mine tightly as if he feared I might disappear into thin air.

"Follow me," he muttered, his voice low but insistent.

I nodded, but my mind was still reeling from the kiss, from everything that had happened. It was maddening how vividly I could remember the way his lips had moved against mine, possessive yet deliberate, as if he was staking a claim on me that no one could challenge. And yet, all I could think about was how it felt, how it felt when his lips had claimed mine, when his body had pressed against me like he was willing to tear the world apart just to keep me in his arms.

A multitude of feelings battled inside me, with confusion and anger struggling against a treacherous yearning I couldn’t manage. My thoughts urged me to fight back, to cling to the rebellion that had preserved my sanity up to this point. Yet my body let me down, reliving the recollection of his caress, how his hand had cupped my face as if I were a delicate being in his perilous existence. 

He was moving too quickly, his lengthy strides making me rush to keep pace while he gripped my hand firmly. The hold wasn't painful, yet it was firm, conveying a quiet message that he wouldn't release me regardless of how hard I might attempt. 

“Alexander,” I shouted, struggling to regain my breath, but he continued on. I stumbled a bit, the noise of my heels tapping on the shiny marble floor resonating in the vacant corridor. 

At last, he halted suddenly, his cold blue eyes darting down to lock with mine. There was an inscrutable quality in his expression, a brief moment of understanding as his eyes rested on my legs before moving back to my face. 

He appeared to realize, for the first time, exactly how much smaller I was compared to him. His imposing stature made me feel like a shadow in his presence, my feet struggling to keep up with his stride. 

Then our eyes meet ones again. Eyes with the mixture of brown and orange? “such an odd color” he muttered 

Before I had a chance to speak again, he crouched down and, without any hesitation, threw me over his shoulder as if I were weightless. 

“Alex!” I screamed, my voice resonating throughout the corridor. "Put me down!" 

His response was a silent determination, a flicker of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he resumed walking with me slung over his shoulder. He was relentless, and I was too stunned, and admittedly too tired, to fight back. 

“Hey!” I protested again, hitting my fists against his back, though it was futile. He didn’t flinch, didn’t stumble, his steps as smooth and confident as ever. “I can walk, you know! You’re just too tall with those ridiculously long legs.”

“If you could walk without slowing me down, I wouldn’t have to carry you,” he retorted, his voice calm yet teasing, like he was enjoying my frustration.

“This is unnecessary! I—”

“You talk too much,” he interrupted, his tone almost playful but carrying a finality that silenced me. 

I glared at the back of his head, but I knew arguing was pointless. The warmth of his hand pressing against my thigh where he held me steady sent an unwelcome shiver up my spine. Despite my anger, I couldn’t ignore the surge of heat that spread through me, a cruel reminder of the kiss we’d shared not long ago.

We reached the top of the stairs, and with practiced ease, he set me down in front of his door. The transition was so smooth it left me momentarily speechless, my feet barely registering the ground beneath me. 

“I can walk just fine,” I muttered, brushing off my dress and straightening my hair with what little dignity I had left. “Your legs are just too long.”

His gaze flickered down to me, a trace of amusement flashing in his icy-blue eyes. He didn’t respond, instead turning toward the door of his room. With a measured push, he opened it.

Wordlessly, he moved aside, his form a quiet beckoning for me to go in. The atmosphere felt altered between us, thick with a silent tension that neither of us was willing to confront. 

My heart missed a beat. 

For a brief moment, I believed he would suggest I find another place to stay, indicating I was no longer invited in his area. However, he moved to the side, signaling for me to come in. 

The room was the same as before, opulent, dark, and undeniably his. But now, with everything that had transpired, it felt... different. It felt like it had a thousand unseen layers, like it was filled with secrets I wasn’t meant to understand.

Alexander closed the door behind us, his eyes never leaving me as I stood uncertainty in the middle of the room.

“Dysis,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost softer. But the tension in the air didn’t dissipate. “You’re not leaving.”

I gulped anxiously, my thoughts racing. "I never intended to go." The words escaped before I had a chance to think, a quick reply to his authoritative voice. Forgetting I was trying to run away not while ago.

His eyes momentarily shifted, then his demeanor stiffened once more, as if a mask had swiftly returned to position. 

"I was referring to this place," he specified, his tone soft and deliberate. “You will remain in my room.” 

I didn't mention anything. What was there to speak about? He decided long ago, and I had no influence on it. I could either embrace it or seek a way out, a notion that, at that point, seemed as far away as a fantasy. 

He approached the dresser, retrieving an item from one of the drawers. For the first time since we got here, he appeared to be concentrating on something besides me. 

The silence lingered between us, heavy and oppressive, until he looked back, clutching an envelope in his hand. My gaze instantly focused on it, the heaviness of it nearly tangible in the atmosphere. 

I hadn't seen it earlier, but now that I have, I can't overlook it. The letter was aged, the paper damaged and crumpled, the edges ragged as if it had been touched countless times. 

He silently extended it towards me. 

"What is this?" I inquired, my voice scarcely louder than a whisper, the question lingering in the atmosphere like a menace. 

His lips formed a narrow line. “Something that you have to read.” 

I extended my hand, pausing briefly before my fingers touched the paper. The envelope felt weightier than I anticipated, as though it contained more than mere words. As I ripped it open, the aroma of ink and paper enveloped me, the very scent of a history I wasn’t prepared to confront. 

Inside, there was only one sheet of paper, but the words on it were enough to make my stomach twist.

_“Dysis, your father betrayed me. And in doing so, he signed your fate. There is no way out now. He made his deal with Max Carter, and you are nothing but collateral damage.”_

My heart stuttered in my chest.

My dad. Treacherous act. Max Carter. I attempted to read the remainder of the message, but my vision became hazy, the letters swirling on the page like vapor, as if they were too dense to take in all at once. 

I glanced up, my breaths arriving as short gasps. "What is the significance of this?" I inquired, my voice breaking under the burden of it. 

But Alexander’s expression was unreadable, like he had already prepared for this moment, for my reaction.

“It means,” he said, his voice cold, “that your father’s debt isn’t the only thing that’s going to destroy you.”

“Who sent this letter?” I asked.

“Your mother” Alexander said, his voice firm but betraying a hint of unease.

The room appeared to become chillier with every tick of the clock, and as I began to speak to pose another inquiry, a thunderous noise resonated throughout the mansion, succeeded by the piercing sound of sirens. 

Alexander froze, his eyes narrowing.