CHAPTER 12
1873 Words
Juliana.
I told myself I wouldn’t think about it.
Wouldn’t think about the way Alexander had looked at me at the shooting range.
Wouldn’t think about the way his hands had lingered, the way he had told me I was his to protect like it was a statement of fact, not a choice.
But it was impossible.
The problem wasn’t just Alexander.
The problem was me.
Because despite every logical reason to hate him, despite knowing who he was, what he had done, what he was capable of, I couldn’t stop noticing him.
The way his presence filled a room.
The way people stepped back when he walked past them.
The way his voice was always steady, controlled, as if nothing could shake him.
Except now, I wasn’t so sure about that last part.
Because something had changed between us.
And neither of us was pretending otherwise anymore.
I spent the morning trying to avoid him, wandering through the house, finding excuses to stay busy.
But that was short-lived.
Because by noon, everything changed.
I was in the living room when I heard laughter.
Actual laughter.
And it wasn’t mine.
Curious, I followed the sound toward Alexander’s office, my pulse picking up when I heard voices, deep, familiar in a way I couldn’t place.
I hesitated at the door, listening.
“It’s been too long, Alex” a smooth voice said. “You never visit anymore”
“You’re practically a ghost” another voice added. “Don’t tell me you’re going soft on us”
A third voice chuckled. “No chance. But seriously, man, we miss you at the warehouse. You used to be there every damn day”
My brow furrowed.
Who the hell was Alexander talking to?
I peeked inside and froze.
There were three men lounging in the office, all of them relaxed, all of them looking at ease in a way I had never seen anyone around Alexander before.
Roman. Kai. Liam.
I recognized them from the files I had secretly skimmed through.
Roman and Kai, Alexander’s brothers.
Liam, his closest friend and second-in-command.
They were dressed sharply but casually, their posture open, like they had done this a million times before.
And the most shocking part?
Alexander was smiling.
Not smirking.
Actually smiling.
Like he wasn’t the most feared man in the city, like he wasn’t the same person who could command a room with a single look.
I had spent two weeks in his house, and I had never seen him like this.
And judging by the way his brothers and Liam teased him, they knew it too.
“You know, I was beginning to think you died” Roman drawled, his smirk identical to Alexander’s. “But here you are. Alive. Brooding as always, but alive”
Alexander sighed. “You’re dramatic”
Kai leaned forward, a grin tugging at his lips. “What else are we supposed to think? You don’t visit. You don’t call. It’s like we’re strangers now”
Liam chuckled. “I told them you’ve been busy. Handling business. Keeping secrets”
Roman’s gaze flicked toward me in the doorway, and his smirk widened. “Ah. That explains it”
Shit.
Alexander turned his head slightly, spotting me, his expression unreadable.
I should have left.
I should have walked away before they dragged me into whatever conversation they were about to have.
But before I could move, Kai grinned and gestured me forward.
“Well, well. You must be Juliana”
I swallowed and forced myself to step inside. “And you must be the bad influences”
Liam barked out a laugh. “I like her already”
Kai smirked. “Feisty. I see why Alex is keeping you”
I tensed, but before I could snap back, Alexander spoke.
“Enough”
His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a warning that wasn’t meant for me, but for them.
Roman raised his hands in surrender, but his smirk didn’t fade. “Relax, Alex. We’re just saying it’s… interesting”
Alexander ignored him and turned his attention back to me.
“You’re eavesdropping” he said.
I lifted a shoulder. “You’re having a conversation in my house”
Kai chuckled. “She’s got a mouth on her. How are you handling that, big brother?”
Alexander’s lips twitched, but he didn’t answer.
I hated that I noticed.
Hated that I was fascinated by this side of him, the side I had never seen.
The side that wasn’t just the cold, ruthless man I thought I knew.
The side that belonged to someone’s brother, someone’s friend.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
I had expected Alexander’s brothers and Liam to stay for an hour or two, have a few drinks, and then leave.
I was wrong.
Not only did they stay the entire afternoon, but they also made themselves at home.
And for the first time in the two weeks I had spent with Alexander, the house felt alive.
It started with teasing, mostly directed at Alexander.
Then somehow, it turned into a game night.
I wasn’t sure how it happened. One minute, Roman and Kai were mocking Alexander for being boring, and the next, Liam had dragged out a stack of board games and a video game console like they did this all the time.
I had been hesitant at first, standing off to the side, unsure if I was even invited to join.
But then Kai waved me over. “Come on, Juliana. Sit. Play. We don’t bite”
Liam grinned. “Well, Roman does. But only when he’s losing”
Roman scoffed. “That’s slander”
Kai smirked. “It’s the truth”
I let out a small laugh before realizing Alexander was watching me.
Not with his usual unreadable expression.
Something softer.
Something I couldn’t name.
Still, he said nothing as I sat down next to Kai, and the game began.
We played Monopoly first.
Big mistake.
Roman was a menace, Liam was a cheat, and Kai talked so much trash that I was surprised we all made it to the end of the game without flipping the board.
“Are you kidding me?” Liam groaned when Kai bought Boardwalk. “I swear, you rigged the dice”
Kai smirked. “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game”
Roman rolled his eyes. “I hate you”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “This is the most chaotic game of Monopoly I’ve ever played”
Kai nudged me. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart”
I froze.
And I wasn’t the only one.
Because Alexander stilled, too.
The shift in the air was subtle but sharp, like the words had changed something none of us were ready to address.
Kai realized it a second too late and cleared his throat. “Anyway” he said, stretching. “I’m hungry. What’s a man gotta do to get some food around here?”
As if on cue, the cook appeared, announcing that dinner was ready.
“Speak of the devil” Roman said, getting up.
Kai grinned. “See? I manifest good things”
Liam snorted. “You manifest bullshit”
I followed them to the dining room, still thinking about what Kai had said.
The dining table was long and elegant, set with more food than I had seen since I got here.
And the strangest part?
They made sure I was included.
I wasn’t just an outsider watching them interact, they pulled me in.
Liam made sure to include me in the conversation. Roman asked me questions about myself. Even Kai, the biggest menace of them all, went out of his way to keep me engaged, throwing in sarcastic remarks and jokes at my expense in a way that somehow felt welcoming rather than cruel.
And Alexander?
He was different.
More relaxed.
Still reserved, still carrying an air of authority, but… different.
He laughed at something Liam said.
He smirked when Kai made a particularly dramatic complaint about his food.
He even made a snide remark about Roman’s business strategies that had his younger brother groaning in frustration.
And for the first time… I saw him as more than just the man who had trapped me here.
For the first time… he felt human.
But then, just as quickly as the moment arrived, it was ruined.
Because when they were about to leave, Kai leaned against the doorframe and casually said, “By the way, Alex, Mom asked about you”
Silence.
Thick. Heavy.
Like someone had flipped a switch.
Alexander’s jaw tensed. “And?”
Kai shrugged. “She wants to know when you’re coming to see her”
Alexander leaned back in his chair, expression blank. “I don’t know. I’m not interested”
Kai sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alex…”
“Drop it, Kai”
And just like that, the moment was gone.
The warmth. The lightness.
Everything shut down.
Roman and Liam exchanged a glance, but no one pushed further.
I stayed quiet, pretending I wasn’t listening, but I had heard everything.
And for the first time, I realized…
Alexander wasn’t just avoiding his mother.
He resented her.
After they left, I went to the library, needing a moment to process everything.
I wasn’t sure why I had come here.
Maybe because it was quiet.
Maybe because it was the one room Alexander barely used.
Or maybe because I needed to stop thinking about him.
But, of course, that didn’t last.
Because he found me.
I was curled up in a chair, flipping through a book I wasn’t actually reading, when I heard footsteps.
I looked up and there he was.
Standing in the doorway.
Watching me.
“You’re avoiding me” he said.
I scoffed, closing the book. “I don’t have that luxury”
He tilted his head. “Is that what you think?”
I stood, crossing my arms. “I think you confuse the hell out of me”
Something flickered in his gaze. “Good”
I exhaled sharply. “That’s not a good thing”
Alexander stepped closer. “It is for me”
The air shifted.
The space between us was too small, too charged.
“Tell me something, Juliana” he said softly. “Why haven’t you tried to run again?”
I stilled.
He was testing me.
Pushing me.
Waiting for me to admit something I wasn’t ready to say.
But I didn’t back down.
Instead, I took a step closer. “Why haven’t you let me go?”
His gaze darkened.
I saw it then, the same thing that had been burning in me for weeks.
The same thing I had been trying to deny.
And in that moment, I knew.
I knew he wasn’t going to stop.
And neither was I.
Then he kissed me.
It wasn’t gentle.
It wasn’t sweet.
It was fire and fury, a war neither of us wanted to win.
His hands gripped my waist, pulling me against him, and I let him.
I wanted this.
Even though I shouldn’t.
Even though I knew it would change everything.
I kissed him back.
And this time, I didn’t pretend to hate it.
- Writer
