Chapter 9
841 Words
Chapter Nine: The Face Behind the Fire
The silence after Alexander’s last words was heavier than any scream.
Lina’s fingers hovered over the photo as if touching it would confirm the unbearable. Her father. The man she hadn’t seen in over a decade. The man she thought had died in a car crash when she was sixteen.
“You must be mistaken,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “That man died years ago.”
Alexander didn’t flinch. “That’s what you were told. But he faked that death, Lina. Your father didn’t die—he disappeared. Because he had enemies. And because he was one.”
She stared at the image again, willing it to change. The jawline, the eyes… it was him. A little older. More hollow in the cheeks. But still unmistakably him.
“He changed his name. Moved in and out of countries using fake identities. Jonas was one of his lieutenants. They were part of a syndicate that—”
“No!” she shouted, stepping back. “My father worked in shipping. He wasn’t some—some criminal!”
“He ran weapons, Lina.”
The words slammed into her like ice.
“No. I don’t believe you.”
Alexander stood slowly. “I didn’t want you to find out this way. I never intended to use your past against you. But now it’s using you.”
⸻
Lina’s breath came in short bursts. “Is that why you married me? Was this just revenge?”
His eyes flared. “You think I married you for that?”
She didn’t answer. Her silence was accusation enough.
He moved closer. “Yes, I had your background checked. But I didn’t know you were his daughter until weeks after the wedding. By then… it was too late.”
“Too late for what?” she asked bitterly. “Too late to pull out of the contract?”
“Too late to stop caring.”
Those words undid something inside her. She looked up, searching his eyes for truth.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” she whispered.
“Believe this,” he said quietly. “I will never let anything happen to you. Not Jonas. Not your father. Not even your past.”
“But what if I’m the threat, Alexander?” Her voice trembled. “What if I’m the one thing tying you to danger?”
He touched her cheek. “Then I’ll burn the whole world down to keep you safe.”
⸻
Later that night, alone in the guest room she’d chosen to sleep in, Lina opened the drawer beside the bed.
Inside was a sealed envelope. Her name scribbled across it in handwriting she hadn’t seen since childhood.
Lina,
If you’re reading this, I’m already gone.
I never meant to bring you into this life…
Tears blurred her vision.
It was his voice.
There are things I did to survive—things I regret. But you were never part of that world. And if Alexander Wolfe ever finds out who you are, run. He’s not the man he seems. Trust no one.
The note slipped from her fingers.
She had married a man sworn to destroy her father.
And now both of them—Alexander and her father—had left her drowning in secrets.
⸻
The next morning, Alexander’s bodyguard escorted her to the car without explanation. “Boss says we’re relocating.”
“To where?”
“Safe house. Off-grid.”
Lina clutched her coat tighter. “Is Jonas—?”
“He broke into the garage level last night. Left a message on your car.”
They didn’t tell her what it said.
She didn’t ask.
⸻
By evening, they arrived at a secluded estate outside the city. Alexander was already there, dressed in black, pacing by the fireplace.
“This isn’t just about Jonas anymore,” he said as soon as she stepped in. “We traced his contact. Someone is leaking information from inside my company.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because someone wants me distracted. Vulnerable.”
“And me?”
He looked at her. “They want you scared. They want you out of the picture.”
“Then they don’t know me,” she said, jaw clenched. “I’m not running.”
He smiled faintly. “Good. Because I need you close now more than ever.”
⸻
That night, as rain beat against the windows and thunder cracked overhead, Lina stood at the edge of the guestroom again.
This time, she didn’t hesitate.
She walked down the hall, opened Alexander’s door, and stood in the doorway.
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” she said softly.
He didn’t move. “I know.”
“But I’m here anyway.”
Slowly, she stepped inside. He didn’t speak. Just opened the blanket beside him.
She slid into his arms, head against his chest, heart still heavy.
But for the first time in days, she wasn’t afraid.
- Writer
