Chapter 17 – A Dangerous Invitation The night bled into morning without peace. I woke to the distant hum of voices coming from Alexander’s office down the hall, the sound low and tense, like the growl of a storm threatening to break. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my chest tight. For days now, I’d lived in a fortress of glass and steel, caged by Alexander’s protection. I wanted to believe I was safe here, but every whispered conversation, every dark look from his men, told me otherwise. I wasn’t just a wife anymore. I was bait. --- By noon, the penthouse was too suffocating. I slipped into the living room, hoping for air, only to find one of Alexander’s men stationed right outside the balcony door. He wasn’t just watching the city—he was watching me. I tried to ignore it. I mad

