Stepping closer to Alex, Victoria tugged at his sleeve urgently. “Alex,” she whispered under her breath. “You need to leave. Now. Please. I can handle this on my own, but you... if they figure out who you really are—”
Alex gently grasped her arm, preventing her from pushing him toward the door. “Victoria, I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly. “I’ve told you before, I can handle this.”
She shook her head frantically. “No, you don’t understand! Dorian’s dangerous. He could—he will hurt you! I can’t let that happen.”
Victoria’s pleading eyes met Alex’s calm gaze. He gave her a reassuring smile, squeezing her arm gently. “Victoria, you need to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you, and I’m certainly not going to let anything happen to myself. I’ve got this.”
Victoria stared at hi
