BILLIONAIRE ALPHA WON'T LET ME GO

Zoe Lopez stared at her reflection in the shiny doors of the Everard Gallery, as she could barely recognize her tired, worn-out self. Her son Casey’s small warm hand was tightly clutched into hers. New York used to feel magical, but now felt like a place that had chewed her up and was waiting for a second round. It had been seven years of struggling, hiding and raising her son alone in the quiet shadows of Willowbrook. Returning felt like walking barefoot over broken promises. "Remember my instruction, Cass," she whispered, smoothing his hair down the way she used to do when he was nervous. "Don’t touch anything, okay? The portfolio case she carried became heavier, not just physically, but emotionally. It held pieces of her she’d been too afraid to share until then. Inside, the gallery smelled so nicely. It looked so spotless and quiet. The marble floors were so polished that it mirrored everything above them and the walls were lined with art works that were below standard, as though they were painted by inexperienced artistes. A tall lady in her early 40's walked close to them. She had that 'In-charge' look. "She may be the manager", Zoe thought. But the moment she sighted Zoe's faded jeans, Casey’s outgrown jacket and the faded portfolio, she knew that they were in the wrong place. "Hi," Zoe started, forcing a polite smile, "Are you the manager here?" The woman didn’t even try to hide her tone. "If you're here about cleaning services, we’re not hiring." Zoe’s cheeks went hot. "No, I...sorry, I’m an artist, I saw your website, was hoping to show you my work, maybe for your next showcase?" She motioned to her portfolio. The woman chuckled ,"This is New York, sweetheart, not your local farmer’s market." Zoe felt the sting, her pride taking a hit, but before she could say anything, the woman’s eyes shifted to Casey. "Hey! Take your hands off that!" she snapped. Zoe turned around just in time to see Casey pulling his hand away from a colorful painting. His eyes were wide, filled with guilt and fear and his little body was frozen. He ran back to her and pressed his face into her side. "Mom?" he mumbled. Zoe wrapped her arm around him and sighed. "I think coming back to this city was a big mistake," she murmured. "C'mon baby, let's go", she beckoned on Cassey. They were about to leave when the door behind them opened. A sharp gust of cold rushed in Immediately accompanied by a tall fair man that was impossible to ignore, Zoe froze. She didn’t need a second glance. At that point, all she needed was to run. It was him, Alexander Blackwood. He didn't change a bit. He still had that same jawline and grey eyes. His suit oozed wealth, hus entrance changed the energy in the room, like he was on a mission. Then, his eyes moved, searching the whole room until they found her. He couldn't just remove his face from her. Zoe panicked. She tried to hide behind her portfolio, shifting to shield Casey and avoid those eyes. She didn’t want this; not now, not ever again. "Mom?" Casey whispered, confused by her sudden change. Zoe didn’t give him a response. She just kept her head down and tried to leave hurriedly. As she was rushing out (not watching carefully), she bumped into a pedestal. One of the sculptures that was placed close to the door wobbled dangerously, and the portfolio in her hands slid and hit the floor. Papers flew everywhere—her sketches, her paintings, years of effort and quiet courage scattered across the floor. She dropped to her knees. “Oh my God, this is not happening”, she muttered, grabbing the papers. Casey knelt beside her, reaching out on panic, and then she felt a firm and warm hand getting hold of her wrist. She looked up, and there was Alexander, the man she has been trying to avoid all these years, standing right in front of her. She closely stared at him, "Zoe?" He whispered her name, still in shock of whom he just came across with. She couldn’t move nor was she able to talk, all she could do was to stare at him, frozen. Her hand trembled in his, and on the floor between them was the sketch of a boy—her son with the exact grey eyes as the man now staring at the drawings, and in that moment, Alexander Blackwood didn’t just see a piece of his past, he saw something that changed everything, He saw himself reflected back in the eyes of a child he’d never known existed. "I’m sorry, you must have met with the wrong person ", Zoe said. They both knew that it was a lie; She tried to pull her wrist back, but he held her. Then he noticed something. He saw a silver bracelet on her wrist, he was stunned while staring at it. "You still have this" he calmly said. He brushed his thumb over the snake-shaped bracelet. It was a Blackwood family old treasure, his gift to her back when they thought they would spend their lives together. Zoe quickly snatched away her arm from his hand. "It’s just a bracelet" she said. SEVEN YEARS AGO (FLASHBACK) Zoe was worried that It was getting late, and Alex was yet to return from work. The front door finally opened. He walked in with his loose tie and his jacket thrown over his shoulder. "I'm really sorry for being home this late," he said,looking exhausted already. "Work got out of hand." Zoe didn’t even look at him. "I figured." Three years of this, of waiting, wondering, pretending like all the time they didn’t get mattered less than it actually did. He walked up to her as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist. His voice softened. "I got you something you'd love" She turned to find him holding a small black box (not a ring box, but was fanciful). In it was a silver, heavy and detailed bracelet: A snake eating its own tail. "It’s been one of my family's old treasures but I want you to have it as a bond for us." he said. "This is beautiful", smiling, she gently touched it. He fastened it around her wrist and then softly kissed her cheek. "Happy anniversary to, Zoe." She smiled, despite everything. "Happy anniversary, Alex." Then his whole energy got more serious. "I may be difficult to love sometimes, just that lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about... us, about where we're headed." Her heart dropped, but she immediately braced up. She cut in, "If you want to break up, just say it, stop cutting corners." He blinked, surprised, he gave a short, laugh. "Break up?" He dropped to one knee, pulling a different box from his pocket (Smaller and classy), He opened it, It was a diamond ring. "Zoe Lopez, will you marry me?" She stood there, shocked. "Are you being serious?" "More than I’ve ever been," he said. "I want you with me, always." Tears filled her eyes, wasting no time, she said "Yes!". She hugged him tightly, laughing, crying and kissing him, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. BACK TO REALITY... Back in the gallery, soaked in cold light and awkward silence, the memory crushed her. All were still in her mind—the proposal, the kiss, the fire between them, and that terrified her. Casey was at her side, confused, tugging at her jacket. “Mom? Who is he?” Alex heard that, his eyes shifted from Zoe to the Cassey, then back again. He saw the eyes, the face, the age, his whole body stiffened. "Mom?" he repeated, slower this time. “Is he...?” Zoe felt like she was about to faint, not like this, not now. She shook it off, quickly picked up Cassey and tried to remain as calm as possible. "Yes, His name is Casey Anderson. He’s six, Casey, this is Mr. Blackwood. He’s just... an old friend of Mommy’s." She wanted to throw up. Alex took a step back. "Six?" he echoed, loudly doing the calculation. "So when you left seven years ago, you were already..." His eyes dropped to the boy again, He didn’t need confirmation, He knew, Zoe couldn’t let this go on. "Let’s go, Casey," she said, turning away. Alex didn’t move. He just stood there, silent, thunderous watching as she walked out with the boy who had his eyes, into a city that no longer let either of them hide.