Chapter 39 A Deal With The Devil's Daughter

Chapter 39 A Deal With The Devil's Daughter
ALEXANDER

The air between us was filled with tension, almost suffocating, as Victoria's words hung in the air.

"This is all just a contract, isn't it?"

Elena's breath hitched, her entire body going cold. She hadn't meant to blurt those words out in the heat of our argument. She hadn't realized Victoria had been listening. But now, it was too late.

She had heard everything, the one thing I didn't want people to find out about.

My jaw tightened, and my entire body stiffened as I stared at Victoria. My steely grey eyes darkened like a brewing storm, but she simply smirked, knowing she had just cracked open a well-guarded secret.

"Alexander, aren't you going to say something?" Victoria drawled, tilting her head as she feigned innocence. "Or should I take your silence as confirmation?"

Her smirk widened.

I let out a sharp breath, my patience already thin. Without a word, I reached forward, grabbed Victoria's arm, and led her away from Elena.

"Excuse us," I muttered; my voice was cold, clipped, and controlled—but barely.

I watched Elena as we stepped a few feet away until we couldn't be heard. I saw Victoria's smirk grow, as if she had already won.

I released Victoria's arm the moment we were out of Elena's earshot and turned to her with an expression that could have frozen fire.

"Drop it, Victoria." My voice was low and warning, laced with steel.

Victoria arched a brow, amusement dancing in her sharp brown eyes.

"Why should I? This is quite the scandal, Alexander." She gave me a pointed look. "Your mother would be horrified to learn that her son—the president of the Harrington empire—is involved in something so… trashy."

My teeth clenched.

"You're being childish."

Victoria gave a soft, almost pitying chuckle.

"Childish? Oh, sweetheart, no. I'm being realistic." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "I know how much you hate being controlled, but so do I. And right now, I control you."

Her smirk widened. If she kept this up, she could pass off as Harley Quinn in a Joker series.

My hands curled into fists as I tried my hardest to restrain myself.

"What do you want?" I knew she was doing all this for something. You may say not everyone has a price, but Victoria always did. She always had a reason for everything she did, and this wasn't an exception.

Victoria's smile widened, triumphant.

"Oh, that's simple." She reached into her designer bag and pulled out a ring—large, flashy, obnoxiously over-the-top.

I barely glanced at it before my gaze snapped back to hers, my expression darkening.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Victoria twirled the ring between her fingers playfully.

"I never joke about things like this, darling." Her tone was syrupy sweet, but her eyes were sharp as daggers. "You and I both know your mother would never accept a whore like that filthy gold-digger."

My entire body went rigid.

"Watch your mouth," I warned her.

Victoria's lips curled in amusement.

"Did I strike a nerve?" She tilted her head. "Oh, Alexander, don't tell me you care about her."

My silence spoke volumes.

Victoria chuckled.

"That's adorable, but it doesn't change anything." She lifted the ring between us. "If you don't want your little secret getting out, you'll put this on my finger and tell the world we're back together."

I watched the ring—typical Victoria: super flashy, overly glittery, and obnoxiously over-the-top large. Even if I wanted to give her an engagement ring, I wouldn't opt for something as obnoxious as this. I preferred the silvery, slender, single, expensive piece of sparkling diamond type of ring. But I wouldn't be bothered about what type of rings I would give to Victoria because it wasn't going to happen in the first place.

I let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

"That's never going to happen."

Victoria let out a sigh and shook her head as if I were a child refusing to eat his vegetables.

"Oh, I knew you'd be difficult." She crossed her arms and gave me a knowing look. "But you don't really have a choice, do you?"

My eyes narrowed.

"I always have a choice. I'm Alexander Harrington."

Victoria smirked.

"Not this time. Yes, you're Alexander freaking Harrington, but you don't get to call the shots this time around."

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. What the hell was she getting at with all this?

"So let me get this straight. You want me to pretend we're together again?"

Victoria's smile didn't falter.

"Not pretend. Be together. Officially." She twirled the ring again before holding it up. "After Elena gives birth to your little heir, you and I will get married. And if you don't…"

She let her words hang in the air, allowing the unspoken threat to settle between us.

My hands flexed at my sides in evident frustration.

"You're blackmailing me."

Victoria let out a soft laugh as if I'd just said something ridiculous.

"Such an ugly word." She stepped closer, trailing a manicured finger down my suit lapel. "Let's call it… helping you make the right decision. Because you and I know it's going to be the scandal of the season should the entire New York hear about how Alexander Harrington hired a surrogate to bear his precious children. Will that not be scandalous to your businesses, connections, and your children's future?"

My jaw clenched.

I knew what she was hinting at. She was going to tell the world about what was going on. And knowing Victoria, when she was hell-bent on doing something, she would, especially if said thing would give her enemies the bad publicity she wanted.

I had spent my entire life making sure no one could control me. I had built my empire from the ground up, refusing to let anyone dictate my life.

And yet, here I was. Cornered.

By this conniving, cunning woman.

I hated that she was right. Ordinarily, I would have been unbothered; I could have had my men go ahead and pay off every blogger who might want to carry the news to the public, but I thought about Elena. I thought about the things she would have to pass through.

No one would dare disrespect me because I was Alexander Harrington, but what about Elena? She would become the object of public ridicule, and judging by how Victoria was, she would tarnish Elena's image so much that there would be nothing left because Victoria was a cruel woman.

"Come on, Alexander, tick tock, time's running out," Victoria's voice was sickeningly sweet as she held out the ring. "It's not like you have any feelings for your surrogate."

She spat it out like it was the most disgusting thing to say.

My stomach twisted.

I should say yes. I should agree to this ridiculous demand, put the ring on her finger, and be done with it.

It was just a contract with Elena, after all. Nothing more.

And yet—my silence stretched on.

Victoria's smirk widened with realization.

"Oh, wow." She let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "You do have feelings for her, don't you?"

My fingers twitched angrily as I glared at her but remained silent.

Victoria tsked.

"That's adorable. It is. But let's be realistic, sweetheart. Your mother will never approve of her." She leaned in and whispered against my ear, "She'll tear her apart the second she finds out."

My fists clenched at my sides.

Victoria leaned back and smiled triumphantly like the cat that got the cream.

"So, what's it going to be, Alexander?" She lifted the ring once more. "Do we make it official?"

She was confident I was going to budge. She knew she had me cornered real good.

She was, after all, quite the bargainer.

I inhaled deeply, my expression remaining unreadable. On the outside, I was as calm as I could make myself, merely glaring at her wordlessly.

But inside—inside, I was at war with myself.

And for the first time in years, I didn't know how to fight out of this.