Chapter 186

Chapter 186
[Amelia's POV]

The late afternoon sun cast golden rays across the infinity pool on Alex's terrace, making the water shimmer like liquid gold. I stood at the edge, gazing out at the sprawling city below us. From this height, the world looked so different - smaller somehow, like everything down there was just part of some elaborate game board.

"Money really can buy a lot of things, can't it..." I murmured, more to myself than to Alex.

I heard his footsteps on the smooth stone behind me, and then his warm hands settled on my shoulders. "Some things," he said quietly, his breath warm against my ear. "But not everything that matters."

Easy to say when you have enough to buy a small country, I thought, but kept it to myself. As the Alpha of Silver Moon Pack, Alex understood the relationship between wealth and power better than most. The way he moved through the world - confident, unquestioned - it all made sense now that I'd seen where he lived.

His arms slipped around my waist from behind, and I let myself lean back against his solid chest. The familiar scent of him - that mix of expensive cologne and something uniquely Alex - helped quiet the restless thoughts spinning in my head.

But they wouldn't stay quiet for long.

How long can this last? The question hit me like a physical punch. Alex was... everything. Rich, powerful, gorgeous, successful. And me? I was a small-town girl who'd gotten lucky with one movie. What happened when the novelty wore off? When he got bored of playing house with his Omega?

Stop it, I told myself firmly. He marked you. You're mates. This isn't some casual thing.

But even marked mates could drift apart, couldn't they? The bond didn't guarantee happiness, just connection. And Alex had so many other things demanding his attention - the Pack, the company, his father's expectations...

"What are you thinking about?" Alex's voice was soft, but I caught the slight edge of concern.

I tensed slightly, then forced myself to relax. "Just... thinking I should go look at more of those books you showed me earlier." It wasn't exactly a lie - I did want to read them. But it wasn't the whole truth either.

How could I tell him that I was scared this was all too good to be true? That I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop?

"Come on then," I said, turning in his arms and forcing a smile. "I want to see more of your collection."

I took his hand and tugged him back toward the sliding glass doors. Alex let me lead, though I caught him glancing at me with those sharp amber eyes. He knew I was hiding something, but thankfully he didn't push.

Inside, we settled on the massive leather sofa that Alex was clearly proud of. I curled up with one of the books he'd selected for me, some advanced text on emotional expression techniques for performers. The words swam on the page as my mind kept circling back to the same anxiety.

"How's the book?" Alex asked, settling beside me with his own reading material - some thick business journal.

"It's good. Helpful." I flipped a page I hadn't actually read. "Definitely things I can use."

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, but my curiosity finally got the better of me. "Alex?" I said carefully. "Can I ask you something about your father?"

His shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly. "What about him?"

I closed the book, keeping my finger between the pages. "I was just wondering... what do you think of him? I mean, as a person, not just as the former Alpha."

Alex set down his journal with deliberate care. "He's my father," he said simply. "He raised me to take over the Pack."

That wasn't really an answer, and we both knew it. I tried a different approach. "Why did he step down when he did? And why did you come back from overseas to take over? I mean, you had your own empire building over there, right?"

For a moment, Alex was quiet, his jaw working slightly. Then he shrugged. "Dad wanted me to have real leadership experience with the Pack. And I wanted to use Silver Moon's resources to expand our influence in the entertainment industry. Seemed like good timing."

"That's it?" I pressed gently. "Nothing more complex than that?"

"Honestly, Millie," he said, and there was a finality in his tone that made it clear the topic was closed. "There's not much else to talk about."

But I wasn't ready to let it go entirely. "Would you ever show me some of your early work? From before Silver Moon? I'd love to see what you were building overseas."

Alex's expression went cold so fast it was like watching a door slam shut. "I destroyed all that."

"What?" I couldn't hide my shock. "Why?"

"I just did." His voice was clipped, almost angry. "When I came back to take over the Pack, I got rid of the old files. Most of them, anyway."

"But Alex, that's... that's such a waste." I stared at him, trying to understand. "Even if those early projects weren't as successful as what you've done here, they were still your work. Your achievements."

He stood abruptly, the movement sharp and controlled. "The Pack projects from the last few years are all documented. That's what matters now." He paused, looking down at me. "If you want to see my work, I can show you the storage room where we keep the current files."

I could tell this was his way of changing the subject, but I was too curious to let the opportunity pass. "Okay."

As I followed Alex down the hallway, my mind was spinning. Why would someone destroy their own work? It seemed so... wasteful. Even if his early business ventures hadn't been as impressive as what he'd accomplished in the entertainment industry, they were still part of his story.

Now Alex was practically a legend in Hollywood. Everything he touched turned to gold - every movie he backed became a hit, every actor he represented became a star. But clearly, he didn't want to remember how he'd gotten to this point.

What are you hiding, Alex Pike? I wondered as we walked.