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  “You can’t possibly be serious right now.”
    I stormed into his study without knocking, without a shred of courtesy. My fury propelled me forward, my footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. This was my first time stepping into his study, and just like his room, it carried the same dark, brooding aura.
    Alexander sat behind a sleek black oak desk, stacks of files in front of him. The blinds were drawn, blocking out the moonlight, leaving only the dim glow of the desk lamp to illuminate his face. The soft, golden light cast shadows over his sharp features, making him look even more unapproachable.
    He didn’t flinch at my intrusion. Instead, his gaze lifted lazily from the documents.
    “What do you want?” His voice was calm, detached like my outburst was nothing more than an annoying interruption.
    My anger flared. I marched straight to his desk and slammed the passports and tickets down in front of him.
    “You’re asking me what I want?” My voice wavered between disbelief and fury. “Are you out of your mind?”
    His expression remained unreadable, but his gaze flickered, taking me in. That’s when I realized the flimsy blue nightgown I was wearing. The thin straps had slipped slightly down my shoulders during my outburst, exposing more skin than I intended.
    His eyes lingered, unreadable.
    Heat rushed to my face. I quickly yanked the straps back up, my fingers trembling.
    “And is that a bad thing?” he asked, voice smooth as silk.
    “Is that a bad thing?” I echoed, my frustration spiking. “You barely talk to me. You act like I don’t exist half the time. And now, out of nowhere, you try to ship me and my mother off to Dubai?”
    I threw my hands up. “Everything in this house is strange! Nothing makes sense! And now you just expect me to leave without a single explanation?”
    He exhaled slowly, then rose from his chair. For the first time, I noticed what he was wearing…. black again. A fitted shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and dark pants. Did he own anything that wasn’t black?
    He stepped around the desk, arms folding across his chest as he studied me like I was an amusing spectacle.
    “There’s nothing you can do about it,” he said, voice dangerously calm. “I can make you leave, Isla. You have no choice.”
    My stomach twisted. “You wouldn’t—”
    “Get your things ready.” He cut me off effortlessly. “Your mother will be brought here first. I assume she already knows your… situation. I’m not explaining anything to her.”
    I gaped at him. “You’re unbelievable.”
    As he moved to walk past me out the door, I snapped. Without thinking, I grabbed the passports and flung them at his chest.
    “You’re unbearable!” I seethed.
    Before I could stop myself, I hit him… an impulsive, frustrated smack against his solid chest.
    Alexander caught my wrist in an instant, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes darkened as he looked down at me.
    “You don’t get to be mad at me for doing what’s right.”
    “I have every right to be mad!” I shot back, my voice rising. “You brought me into this house. You’ve kept me in the dark this whole time. And now you want me to just….. what? Leave without any answers?”
    His jaw tightened. “What’s wrong with traveling?” His voice was louder now, the calm façade slipping. “You saw something you shouldn’t have. You saw Nadia’s body hanging there. And I—” He exhaled sharply. “I don’t know why she did it, Isla. I don’t know. But you shouldn’t have seen that.”
    His hands loosened on my wrists, but he didn’t let go.
    “I owe you an apology. But sending you away isn’t some punishment. It’s just a way to clear your head.”
    His voice lowered, quieter now. “No one is trying to deceive you.”
    “Then if no one is trying to deceive me, why can’t anybody… why can’t you just tell me who Beatrice is?”
    My voice trembled—not with fear, but with frustration. “Why did you tell the staff I lost my memory? Why do we look the same? Who is she?”
    Alexander let out a sharp breath releasing his hold on me whilst rubbing the bridge of his nose like I was a stubborn headache that refused to go away.
    “This is not the time, Isla.”
    I took a shaky breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly. “But—”
    “Your mother is fine, isn’t she?” he interrupted. “She’s in good health. She’s being taken care of.”
    He didn’t even wait for my response before continuing, his tone dropping into something dangerously low.
    “I’d advise you to stop asking so many questions. You’re breaching the contract.” His gaze locked onto mine, cold and unwavering. “You’re not supposed to involve yourself in things that are none of your business.”
    Something inside me twisted painfully. None of my business? How could I be the one living in this house, caught in the middle of this mess, and still be told it wasn’t my concern?
    Alexander turned away, already dismissing me.
    “If you need anything,” he continued, “there are four remaining servants in this estate. They’ll see to your needs.”
    Then, as if I hadn’t just confronted him about something life-altering, he bent down, picked up the passports I had thrown at him, and—
    Thud.
    He pressed it hard against my chest, his palm briefly grazing the swell of my breast.
    A sharp jolt shot through me, an uninvited, unsettling sensation that started at the point of contact and traveled lower, pooling in a place I refused to acknowledge.
    His fingers lingered a fraction longer than necessary. His gaze met mine, unreadable.
    The air between us thickened, humming with a tension I didn’t understand and wasn’t ready to face.
    Swallowing hard, I gritted my teeth and yanked the passport from his grasp, curling my fingers tightly around the edges.
    Without another glance in my direction, he turned and walked away, heading back to his study, shutting the door behind him.
    Leaving me standing there…, breathless, confused, and more frustrated than ever.
    I didn’t stop to think. My frustration, my confusion, my anger, they all fused into one reckless ball.
    I turned back, storming toward his study.
    Without hesitation, I yanked the door open.
    Alexander had just been about to lower himself into his chair when I barged in. He froze, his icy gaze narrowing in shock.
    “What the hell—”
    Before he could finish, I strode toward him and—
    Smack.
    The sound of my palm colliding with his cheek echoed through the room.
    His jaw clenched as a red imprint of my fingers bloomed across his skin. For a moment, he simply stood there, unmoving, his hand slowly rising to rub the stinging spot.
    Then, his glare cut through me like a blade.
    “You are unbelievable,” I spat, my voice trembling with fury.
    My chest rose and fell erratically. I was unraveling, drowning in unanswered questions, in secrets he refused to share.
    Until something in his expression shifted.
    I barely had time to process it before he moved.
    One second, I was standing in front of him. The next, I was against the door, my back pressed against the hard wood, his hands grabbing my waist.
    My breath hitched.
    “You,” he murmured, his voice dangerously low, “are unbelievable too.”
    His scent wrapped around me, intoxicating.
    I tried to push at his chest, but he caught my wrists easily, pinning them behind me.
    The passport I’d been gripping slipped from my fingers, landing on the floor with a soft thud.
    My heart pounded. I hated how my body reacted to him, how heat curled through me despite the storm raging in my chest.
    Then, slowly, deliberately… his fingers brushed against the strap of my nightgown.
    A single tug.
    The fabric slid down an inch, baring just the curve of my shoulder. 
    Not enough to expose me completely, but enough to make me suck in a sharp breath.
    “Is this what you want?” he whispered, his gaze burning into mine. “Because if you do, you only have to say it.”
    The way he said it, the way his fingers skimmed my heated skin, sent a shiver down my spine.
    Rage flickered back to life in my chest.
    “How dare you—”
    I struggled, kicking at him, but he didn’t budge. Instead, his grip tightened slightly, keeping me in place.
    And then, without warning, his palm brushed over my nipple through the thin layer of my nightdress.
    Shock and embarrassment crashed over me in waves.
    I thrashed against him, but it only seemed to amuse him. His palm remained firm against my left breast, his fingers idly toying with my hardened nipple through the delicate fabric.
    “Let go,” I hissed, twisting in his grip.
    But Alexander only smirked. He dipped his head, his warm breath ghosting over my ear.
    “I know you might be feeling lonely,” he murmured, his voice rich with arrogance. “It’s not easy being without a man’s touch, is it?”
    I sucked in a sharp breath, my body tensing. His words should have disgusted me. They should have made me push him away harder. But instead, heat licked down my spine, pooling shamefully low in my stomach.
    I clenched my teeth. No. No, I won’t react to him.
    Alexander chuckled, as if he could read my thoughts. “Sadly, I won’t be letting you have a lover.”
    I stilled, my mind struggling to process his words.
    “What?” I snapped, glaring at him.
    His fingers kneaded my breast with slow, deliberate pressure, making my breath hitch despite myself.
    “You belong to me, Isla,” he said smoothly. “For as long as you bear my name, you’ll stay untouched by any other man.”
    I gaped at him, my head spinning. What was he even saying?
    He continued, as if he hadn’t just dropped something outrageous. “Until this contract ends, you will be mine alone. If you don’t like it, well… that’s not my problem.”
    I barely registered the rest of his words. My mind was too clouded by the sheer audacity of this man. Mine alone? The hell did he mean by that?
    “What are you talking about?” I finally burst out, my voice shaking with both anger and something else I didn’t want to name.
    He lifted his head, his gaze dropping to where his palm still rested over my breast. My skin burned with humiliation.
    “This isn’t part of the contract,” I bit out, my voice quieter now.
    Alexander smirked. “No, it isn’t.”
    Then, just as quickly as he had pulled me into this twisted game, he released me. He tugged the strap of my nightdress back up, his fingers brushing against my bare shoulder in a disturbingly gentle motion. He even dusted it off like he was cleaning up his mess.
    Bastard.
    “Now,” he murmured, stepping back, “you can pick up the passport.”
    I hesitated, my arms crossing over my chest in an instinctive attempt to shield myself. Still, I bent down carefully, making sure my nightdress didn’t expose anything else. He only chuckled under his breath as I straightened.
    Then, without warning, he reached for the door, pulling it open.
    “Be a good girl and go back to your room,” he said smoothly. “And when the time comes, you will leave for Dubai with your mother. Just as I instructed.”
    I met his gaze, defiance burning in my eyes. “And if I don’t?”
    Alexander leaned in just enough to make my breath hitch. Then, with a wicked smirk, he pressed his palm against my hip, his fingers digging in slightly just enough to remind me who had control.
    “Then you’ll regret it,” he whispered.
    Before I could respond, he nudged me out of the study and Slammed the door shut in my face.
    This time, it was final.