Fighting Back
1134 Words
Chapter Thirteen: Fighting Back
The following morning, I woke up to Alexander pacing the length of the living room, his phone pressed to his ear and his free hand clenching and unclenching at his side. His crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his dark hair was tousled, a testament to a sleepless night.
“I don’t care what it takes. Shut it down,” he barked into the phone. “No leaks, no scandals. If anyone so much as breathes about this outside of our circle, I’ll know exactly who to hold responsible.”
I sat up on the couch, pulling the blanket tighter around me as the sunlight poured through the massive windows. My stomach churned—not from the baby this time, but from the weight of what was happening. Liam wasn’t just attacking us; he was waging war.
Alexander ended the call with a sharp exhale, rubbing a hand over his face before turning to me. His eyes softened as they met mine, but the storm in them hadn’t cleared.
“Morning,” he said quietly, walking over to sit beside me. His hand found mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in a soothing rhythm. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” I lied. The truth was, I felt like I was drowning, but admitting it wouldn’t help either of us. “What’s the plan?”
Alexander sighed, his expression hardening again. “We’re tightening our security. I’ve hired a team of investigators to dig into Liam’s activities. If he’s gone this far, he’s bound to slip up somewhere, and when he does, we’ll be ready.”
The first challenge came sooner than expected. By noon, a barrage of new headlines had hit every major outlet, each one worse than the last.
“Scandal at Steele Corp: Alexander Steele’s Secret Romance Sparks Corporate Fallout”
“Baby Drama: Alexander Steele’s Girlfriend Faces Backlash”
“Exposing the Mistress: The Woman Behind Steele’s Downfall”
I scrolled through the articles, my stomach tightening with every word. Pictures of me and Alexander—some candid, others clearly stolen from private moments—splashed across the pages. The narrative was clear: I was a gold digger, a manipulator, and the root of all Alexander’s problems.
Alexander sat beside me, reading over my shoulder. “Don’t read them,” he said firmly, closing the laptop. “They don’t know you. They don’t know us.”
“But they think they do,” I said, my voice breaking. “And the more they write, the more people will believe it.”
He pulled me into his arms, his warmth grounding me even as the world seemed to spin out of control. “Let them think what they want. It doesn’t matter. What matters is us—our family. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect that.”
That evening, Alexander received a call that made his already tense demeanor shift into outright fury. He didn’t tell me what it was about, but I could tell from his clipped words and sharp tone that it involved Liam. When he ended the call, he grabbed his keys and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked, standing quickly.
“To put an end to this,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
“Alexander, wait.” I stepped in front of him, placing a hand on his chest. “You can’t just charge in there. You don’t know what Liam’s planning. What if he’s setting you up?”
He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “I can’t sit here and do nothing, Sophia. He’s crossed too many lines.”
“I know,” I said softly, “but we have to be smart about this. If you react now, he’ll win. That’s what he wants—to push you until you make a mistake.”
Alexander stared at me for a long moment before finally nodding. “You’re right. But this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
The next day, Alexander’s investigator arrived at the penthouse with new information. The man, a sharp-eyed professional named Harris, laid out a stack of files on the dining table.
“We’ve traced some of Liam’s activities,” Harris began, his tone brisk. “He’s been working with a few key media contacts to leak information about you both. But there’s something else—something bigger.”
He slid a file toward Alexander, who opened it with a frown. Inside were documents linking Liam to a series of shady business deals—illegal ones that could land him in serious trouble if exposed.
“This is enough to ruin him,” Harris said. “But using it comes with risks. If Liam finds out we’re digging into his activities, he could escalate his attacks.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened as he scanned the documents. “I don’t care about the risks. If he wants a fight, he’ll get one.”
I placed a hand on his arm. “Alexander, are you sure? This could make things worse.”
He looked at me, his expression softening. “He’s not just coming after me, Sophia. He’s coming after you—and our child. I won’t let him win.”
That night, as we lay in bed, I couldn’t shake the fear that had settled in my chest. Alexander seemed calm, his breathing even as he held me close, but I knew he was just as worried as I was.
“Do you ever wonder,” I whispered into the darkness, “if we’re strong enough to get through this?”
Alexander’s arms tightened around me. “We are. Because we have to be. For each other. For our baby.”
Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” he said firmly. “No matter what happens, Sophia, I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.”
The morning brought a renewed sense of determination. Alexander and I sat together over breakfast, discussing our next steps. The plan was risky, but it was our best chance to stop Liam before he could do more damage.
“We’ll release the information about Liam’s business deals,” Alexander said, his voice steady. “But we’ll do it strategically—through trusted channels that can verify everything. If we’re careful, we can take him down without getting caught in the crossfire.”
“And what about us?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Alexander reached across the table, taking my hand in his. “We’ll face whatever comes together. And no matter what, I’ll make sure you and the baby are safe.”
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