CHAPTER 7
1040 Words
Juliana.
I wasn’t going to stay here.
Not willingly.
The moment Alexander disappeared down the hall, I let out a shaky breath and turned back to the screens.
The house was a fortress, but every fortress had a weakness. I just had to find it.
I scanned the security feeds, searching for an opening, somewhere I could slip through unnoticed. But the more I looked, the more hopeless it seemed.
Guards patrolled every entrance. The main gate was locked down tight. Even the windows had sensors.
I swallowed hard.
This wasn’t just a house. It was a prison.
A luxurious one, sure, but a prison all the same.
I clenched my fists. I couldn’t just sit around and let Alexander decide my life for me.
If he thought I was going to be another one of his possessions, he was dead wrong.
I turned away from the screens and strode toward the hallway, my heart pounding.
If I was going to escape, I needed to start small, to see just how far I could go before Alexander’s patience snapped.
The house was eerily quiet as I walked, my footsteps muffled against the thick carpet. Every hallway looked the same, dark wood, expensive art, subtle luxury. It should have felt warm, but instead, it felt suffocating.
I reached the front entrance, my fingers itching to grab the handle. But before I could touch it…
“Don’t”
The voice was calm. Unshaken.
I whirled around, my heart slamming into my ribs.
A man stood a few feet away, arms crossed. He was tall, broad, dressed in a crisp black suit. I didn’t recognize him, but I didn’t have to. He was one of Alexander’s men.
I forced myself to keep my expression neutral. “I was just looking around”
His face didn’t change. “Orders are that you stay inside”
I swallowed back my frustration. “Whose orders?”
The man arched a brow. “You know whose”
Heat burned through me, a mix of anger and helplessness. Alexander really had thought of everything.
I turned on my heel and stormed back down the hallway, my mind racing. Fine. If I couldn’t leave through the front, I’d find another way.
Unpacking the Past
I wandered through the house, taking in every door, every hallway, every exit. My stepfather had never let me get involved in his business, but I had always suspected there was more to him than the expensive suits and briefcases.
And now, I knew for sure.
He worked for Alexander Valente. He was one of his men.
It made me wonder, how much of my life had been a lie?
I had always assumed my stepfather tolerated me, that he kept me around because he had no choice after my mother disappeared.
But what if there was more to it? What if I had been part of some unspoken deal all along?
I shivered at the thought.
I had spent years pretending I didn’t see the things I wasn’t supposed to. The late-night meetings. The unmarked packages. The times he had disappeared for days without a word.
I had ignored all of it.
And now, it had caught up to me.
Lost in thought, I didn’t realize where I was going until I stepped into a new part of the house.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The room I entered wasn’t like the others. It wasn’t sleek and modern like the rest of Alexander’s home.
Instead, it was filled with bookshelves, floor-to-ceiling, dark mahogany, packed with thick, leather-bound books. A large desk sat in the middle, papers scattered across it.
A small fireplace crackled in the corner, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
It felt… personal.
I wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Curious little thing, aren’t you?”
I spun around so fast I nearly tripped.
Alexander stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching me like I was something he had already figured out.
My pulse pounded. “I was just…”
“Snooping?” he finished for me.
I swallowed hard. “Exploring”
He took a step closer, his presence swallowing the room. “This isn’t a place you should be exploring, Juliana”
I squared my shoulders, refusing to let him intimidate me. “Why? Afraid I’ll find something I shouldn’t?”
His smirk was slow, calculated. “If I were afraid, you wouldn’t be standing here”
I hated how effortlessly he controlled the room. How easily he could turn my defiance into amusement.
I forced myself to meet his gaze. “Why am I really here, Alexander?”
For the first time, his smirk faded.
“Because someone wants you dead” he said simply.
The words hit like a slap.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
Alexander watched me, waiting for the realization to sink in.
“You were never just some random girl at my club” he continued. “The man who tried to take you knew exactly who you were. And he wanted me to know, too”
A chill crawled up my spine.
“But… why?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
His gaze darkened. “That’s what I’m going to find out”
I shook my head. “No. That doesn’t make sense. I…I don’t matter. I’m nobody”
Alexander’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Clearly, someone disagrees”
The weight of his words settled over me, suffocating.
I had spent years making myself invisible. Staying out of the way. Never asking questions.
But now, someone had noticed me.
And they wanted me gone.
My hands trembled slightly, but I clenched them into fists, forcing the fear down.
I wasn’t just going to sit here and let Alexander pull the strings.
I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze. “Then find out who they are”
Something flickered in his eyes, approval, maybe.
“Oh, I will” he murmured. “And when I do… they’ll regret ever looking your way”
A shiver ran through me.
Not because I was afraid of the people who wanted me dead.
But because, for the first time… I wasn’t sure if I should be more afraid of Alexander instead.
- Writer
