SUGAR BABY

Chapter:7 The Confrontation

The tense silence in the hospital corridor stretched until the hum of the elevators felt deafening.

Victoria's gaze flicked down to the phone, still glowing in Glory’s trembling hand. "I see he's landed," Victoria said smoothly, withdrawing her hand and slipping the thick envelope back into her designer tote. "You have half an hour to make the right choice, Glory. If you are still at the penthouse when he arrives, I will consider your answer a declaration of war—and I do not lose in court or in the media."

Without waiting for a response, Victoria turned on her heel, the sharp click of her heels fading down the hall alongside the quiet tapping of her assistant's iPad.

Glory stood frozen, her mind spinning wildly. The text from the loan sharks burned in her mind, a terrifying reminder that her safety was an illusion. But Victoria's threat was equally deadly—leaving meant uprooting Hope's fragile recovery, while staying meant risking Alexander's empire and exposing her family to ruthless public scrutiny.

We need to talk. Alexander’s message echoed in her head. Was he coming back to protect her, or had he already decided she was too much of a liability?

Ten minutes later, Glory sat in the back of Alexander's sleek black Maybach. David, his taciturn driver, kept his eyes fixed on the rain-slicked highway, the silence inside the vehicle heavy and suffocating. Glory stared out the tinted window as the neon city lights blurred past, clutching her phone like a lifeline.

When the car finally pulled into the underground garage of the high-rise penthouse, David opened the door. "Mr. Vance is already upstairs, Miss Glory," he said quietly, offering a rare look of sympathy.

Glory nodded, forcing her feet to move toward the private elevator. The doors slid open directly into the main living room.

Alexander was standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the skyline. He had discarded his suit jacket, his crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He held a glass of scotch, but he wasn't drinking. As the elevator chimed, he turned slowly.

His dark eyes were unreadable, shadowed with exhaustion from the long flight from Tokyo, yet intense as always.

"Glory," he said, his deep voice cutting through the quiet apartment. "Come sit down."

Glory didn't move toward the couch. Instead, she stood her ground near the foyer, her pulse racing. "Victoria came to the hospital."

Alexander’s expression hardened instantly, his jaw tightening as he set his glass down on the marble side table. "I know. My security details informed me the moment she left the building."

"She offered me a hundred thousand dollars to leave," Glory said, her voice shaking despite her best efforts to sound steady. "She knows about my father's debt. She knows about the loan sharks. She told me I'm going to ruin your merger."

Alexander took a slow, deliberate step toward her, his presence instantly dominating the room. "Victoria exceeds her authority when she feels my personal life interferes with corporate strategy. What she thinks is irrelevant."

"It isn't irrelevant!" Glory snapped, the fear and frustration boiling over. She pulled out her phone and held it out toward him. "Look at this, Alexander. The loan sharks found me. They know where Hope is. They know about our contract. Your security isn't keeping them away—it's just making them angry!"

Alexander’s eyes narrowed as he took the phone from her hand. As he read the message from the blocked number, a dangerous, icy aura settled over him. The calm, calculated billionaire disappeared, replaced by something dark and intensely protective.

"David," Alexander said into his lapel com-link, his voice chillingly calm. "Trace this number immediately. Coordinate with Harrison at the hospital—double the floor security at Saint Jude's and move Hope to the VIP private wing now."

He handed the phone back to Glory, taking another step closer until he was standing directly in front of her.

"You are not going anywhere," Alexander said softly, his voice leaving no room for debate. "Not to California, and not away from me."

"Alexander, you don't understand," Glory whispered, looking up into his piercing grey eyes, torn between relief and terror. "Victoria said if I stay, she'll go to the press. She'll destroy you."

"Victoria works for me," Alexander said, reaching out to gently touch the side of her face, his thumb brushing against her cheekbone. "And no one destroys what is mine. You signed a contract with me, Glory. But more importantly... I protect what's mine."

Glory’s breath hitched at the intimacy of his touch, the warmth of his hand contrasting sharply with the cold fear that had gripped her all afternoon. But before she could speak, the elevator chimed again.

The doors slid open, revealing Victoria Vance standing flanked by two men in dark suits carrying legal briefcases.

"It seems I arrived just in time," Victoria said coolly, stepping into the penthouse. "Alexander, we need to sign the board agreement tonight—with or without your companion's cooperation."