Chapter Four: The Hunt Begins
987 Words
Alina had always been good at running.
For years, she had perfected the art of disappearing, slipping through the cracks before the past could catch up with her. She had mastered the skill of burying memories so deep they couldn’t claw their way back to the surface.
But Nicholas Vaughn?
He had never been the kind of man to let go of something—or someone—that belonged to him.
And Alina knew, deep in her bones, that tonight had only been the beginning.
---
The night air was cool against her skin as she stepped into the waiting car. She exhaled, trying to steady her pulse as the driver pulled away from the grand estate and merged onto the quiet streets of the city. The further they got from Nicholas, the lighter her chest felt.
She had been foolish to attend that party.
Foolish to think she could waltz back into his world and walk away unscathed.
But she had needed to go.
Because staying away hadn’t erased him from her mind. If anything, the distance had only sharpened the memories—memories of the man who had once held her heart in his ruthless hands.
She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. Enough.
This time, she wouldn’t let him pull her back in.
She wouldn’t let history repeat itself.
The driver pulled up in front of her apartment building. Alina stepped out, wrapping her coat tighter around herself as she hurried toward the entrance. She was almost at the door when she felt it.
A presence.
Someone was watching her.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
She turned, scanning the dimly lit street, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual nighttime silence.
Relax. You’re just on edge.
Shaking off the unease, she stepped inside, locking the door behind her.
---
Nicholas leaned against the sleek black car parked across the street, watching as the lights in Alina’s apartment flickered on.
She had always been careful. Always alert.
But not careful enough.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
She thought she could outrun him again.
She was wrong.
The moment she walked back into his world tonight, she had sealed her fate. He had given her four years of distance, four years to live under the illusion that she was free.
But Alina Hart had never been free of him.
And she never would be.
Nicholas pulled out his phone, dialing a number.
A voice answered instantly. “Boss?”
“I want every detail about her life for the past four years,” he said smoothly. “Where she works. Who she spends her time with. Everything.”
A pause. Then, “Understood.”
Nicholas hung up, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
Alina may have thought she was done with him.
But he was far from done with her.
---
The Next Day
Alina had barely stepped into her office when her best friend and coworker, Sienna, came rushing toward her, excitement written all over her face.
“Oh. My. God. Tell. Me. Everything.”
Alina blinked, confused. “What?”
Sienna scoffed. “Don’t play dumb! You went to the Nicholas Vaughn party last night. Spill!”
Alina sighed, making her way toward her desk. “There’s nothing to tell.”
Sienna gasped. “Liar. The second I saw your name on the guest list, I knew something was up. Did you see him?”
Alina hesitated.
She could lie. She could say she had only stayed for a short while, that she hadn’t even crossed paths with him.
But Sienna had been her closest friend for years. And if there was anyone she could trust, it was her.
She exhaled. “Yes. I saw him.”
Sienna’s eyes widened. “And?”
Alina sank into her chair, rubbing her temples. “And it was exactly what I expected. He’s still… Nicholas.”
Sienna flopped onto the chair across from her. “Meaning he’s still ridiculously hot and powerful and probably looking at you like you’re his favorite meal?”
Alina groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”
Sienna laughed. “God, Alina. You have no idea how many women would kill to have Nicholas Vaughn look at them the way he used to look at you.”
Alina stiffened. The way he used to look at you.
Except, last night, it hadn’t felt like the past tense.
It had felt very much like the present.
“I can’t do this again,” she muttered under her breath.
Sienna leaned forward. “Then don’t. But be honest with yourself. Is it because you don’t want to… or because you’re afraid you won’t be able to resist him?”
Alina didn’t answer.
Because deep down, she already knew the truth.
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Later That Night
Alina unlocked her apartment door, stepping inside with a tired sigh. She tossed her bag onto the couch and made her way to the kitchen, craving nothing but a warm shower and sleep.
She reached for a glass, filling it with water. Just as she took a sip, her phone buzzed.
A text.
From an unknown number.
Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?
Alina’s blood ran cold.
Her grip tightened around the phone as a familiar chill crept up her spine. She didn’t need to guess who it was.
Nicholas.
Her fingers trembled as she typed a response.
Stay away from me.
The reply came almost instantly.
I let you go once, Alina. That was my mistake. I won’t make it again.
Her heartbeat thundered in her chest.
She should have been scared. Should have been furious.
But beneath all of that, there was something else.
Something dark. Something forbidden.
Because as much as she had spent the past four years trying to forget Nicholas Vaughn…
A small, dangerous part of her had wanted to be found.
- Writer
