Chapter 9: The Escape

Hope was hammering at her workstation keyboard. An IV to reset, a file to sign off, a suture to check—anything to keep her hands busy, anything but thinking about the night before.

About him.

She had jolted awake that morning, still haunted by his gaze. That deep, magnetic, dangerous black. What she’d felt in the club… it wasn’t normal. Not for her. Not for the Hope Jones she’d always been: strong, independent, unshakable.

And yet, she was still thinking about it.

She was trying to invent an excuse to leave her shift early when she saw him.

First a shadow. Then a murmur in the hallway.

And finally… him.

Black suit. Slow stride. A presence impossible to ignore.

Alessandro Romano.

He had no reason to be here. Nothing to gain. Yet he was here, like a king coming to claim what had been denied.

Hope froze, fingers clamped around her pen. She watched him walk to the reception desk, ask a question with that glacial calm that said I don’t need to raise my voice to make you obey.

His gaze lifted, searched… and found her.

Their eyes met.

For a second, everything stopped. Her heart hammered harder, faster. A jolt. An unbearable heat.

Not here. Not now.

She shot to her feet, grabbed her coat, and moved toward her supervisor.

— I’m taking the rest of the day.

— But it’s barely…

— Personal emergency.

She gave no one time to respond. She crossed the hall like an arrow, passed Alessandro without a word.

But she felt his gaze following her.

She left, got into a cab. Breathed. Hard.

She had run again.

But this time… she knew he wouldn’t wait long to knock on her door.

— If you don’t start opening yourself up to other men tonight, Hope, I swear I’ll drag you to a stranger’s bed myself.

Lorenzo raised his glass, laughing. She gave him a smile—forced, but there.

They had spent the afternoon together—shopping, jokes, sarcasm. Her best friend knew her silences by heart, so he hadn’t asked anything. He had simply transformed her.

And the transformation was… spectacular.

Hope wore a short bronze dress, lightly satin, backless, slit to mid-thigh. Every movement made the fabric ripple against bare skin. A high sleek ponytail, smoky eyes that turned her feline… and those blood-red lips. Provocative. Untouchable.

— You’re going to wreck the place, Lorenzo whispered in her ear.

— I just want to drink. And not think.

She lifted her glass of wine, sank deeper into the velvet sofa. The bar vibrated with low-lit elegance, chic and muffled. Music low. Eyes turning toward her.

And suddenly… a shiver.

She looked up.

He was there.

Leaning on the bar, a glass of scotch in his hand. Black suit. Tie loosened. Jaw tight. And that stare.

Not angry. Not jealous.

Precise.

Feral.

Their gazes collided. She felt the floor slide away under her feet.

— Oh, hell, Lorenzo muttered.

— He’s here. Did he follow you?

She didn’t answer. She didn’t know. But it was obvious: he was here for her.

He moved toward them slowly, never looking away. Cutting through the crowd as if the world stepped aside.

She felt her skin heat. Her throat tighten.

And when he reached them, she took a sip of wine, calm as ice.

— Romano.

— Doctor Jones. His voice was a low murmur.

He didn’t look at Lorenzo. Not a word, not a gesture. His world ended at her. And she… she played.

— You want to sit down? Or just judge me from afar?

A pause. Then a smile, slow, predatory.

— I’m not judging. I’m observing.

— And what do you observe?

— That you can dress like a femme fatale, play the part… but your heart is still here.

He placed a finger on her chest. Right there.

She stiffened.

— You think you’re irresistible?

— No. I know I am.

She burst out laughing. A nervous, defiant laugh.

And suddenly Lorenzo stood.

— I’m going to get some air. I’ll let you two talk… or devour each other.

Hope watched him leave. Then locked eyes with Alessandro again.

— How long do you plan on following me?

— Until you stop running.

Silence.

She set her glass down, stood, close enough for their bodies to almost touch.

— And if I prefer to run?

He studied her for a long moment.

— Then I’ll run after you. And when I catch you… I’ll never let you go.