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Chapter 0227
Chapter 0227
The voice of the man that had commanded our release was low, measured, and simmering with restrained fury. Even now, it sent a chill down my spine. At the time, the authority in those words had been inexplicable.
But now, I knew.
The realization struck me like a sudden bolt, leaving me momentarily breathless. I glanced at Alexander, the man beside me, his expression unreadable.
He was watching me closely, but I forced myself to schooly features into neutrality. If he noticed the flicker of recognition in my eyes, he didn’t let on.
“I think you’re right,” Alexander said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “There are answers, and I think we’ll find them sooner than you may believe,” His voice softened, coaxing me back to the present. “For now, though, we have a party to host.”
“Yes,” I said hesitantly, “but I think maybe the party should wait just a few more minutes.”
“Why is that?” Alexander asked. The tension in his voice was subtle but clear to me now–I’d come to know him so well in the past few months.
“Alexander,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady, “is there something you know about all of this that you’re not telling me?”
His eyebrows rose slightly, caught off guard by my bluntness. His gaze locked onto mine, and I held it even as my heart raced.
His eyes darkened, a flicker of something unspoken crossing his face. It wasn’t anger exactly–it was more like a calculated assessment, as though he were truly seeing me for the first time.
“If I knew something about it,” he said slowly, his voice measured, “what reason would I have to hide it from you?
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The question hung between us like a challenge, and I had no strong answer. Yet his careful phrasing and the look in his eyes told me I was on the right track. My instincts screamed at me to tread carefully, but I couldn’t back down. I needed to know.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, the words soft but firm. “But I can tell by your face that I’ve hit on something here. I just… don’t understand what it is.”
“And do you want to understand?” he asked, his voice carrying a strange, almost dangerous edge that sent a shiver down my spine.
I hesitated, fear creeping in as a thousand possibilities rushed through my mind. What if there was some horrible secret about Alexander I could never guess? What if he wasn’t the kind, misunderstood man I’d come to believe he was? What if the worst rumors about him were true?
“Yes,” I said finally, my voice trembling but resolute. “I want to understand.”
The sudden sound of the door banging open shattered the tension between us. Someone had entered the room, their
presence an unwelcome interruption.
Panic surged through me. The conversation Alexander and I had been having would undoubtedly raise questions- questions we couldn’t afford right now.
We had to present a united front, but my mind scrambled for a plausible excuse, and I came up blank.
Alexander, ever the quicker thinker, acted first. His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me close with a
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Chapter 0227
purposeful swiftness. Before I could process what was happening, his lips were on mine.
The kiss was intense, almost bruising, fueled by the frustration and tension that had been simmering between us moments ago.
My breath caught, stolen by the sheer force of his actions. Despite myself, I melted into him, my arms winding tightly around his neck as I returned the kiss with all the strength I could summon.
Whoever had entered the room was instantly forgotten. Alexander’s sharp inhale as our kiss deepened filled my ears, drowning out everything else.
My heart thundered wildly in response to his touch, a rhythm that had become increasingly familiar yet no less overwhelming. At this moment, nothing else mattered but that touch.
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Chapter 0228
