BOUND BY ONE NIGHT

Chapter 18

Alex’s POV

Control had always been my greatest strength. Numbers, negotiations, schedules, all fell into place because I had a plan, a method, a predictable world. But lately, control felt like sand slipping through my fingers. I couldn’t grasp it, couldn’t command it. And it had a name, Lavender Brooks.

Her absence gnawed at me. Her desk empty. Her chair, too clean, too still. Her handwriting no longer marked my files, her voice no longer corrected me with quiet firmness. I walked past her old office and found myself staring at the empty space, my chest tight with a frustration I hadn’t known I could feel.

I wasn’t prepared for this, not her, not this. The sharp click of heels echoed in my office doorway, and I looked up. Cassandra Morgan leaned casually against the frame, the picture of poise and perfection. Her red dress hugged her curves, and her lips curved into that calculated smile. One hand rested lightly on the door, the other twirling a golden strand of hair.

“You’re… distracted,” she said softly, almost innocently. “You didn’t answer my calls yesterday.”

I barely acknowledged her, focusing on the reports stacked on my desk.

“I’m busy,” I muttered, not looking up.

She stepped inside anyway, the faint scent of expensive perfume filling the room. “Busy with what, exactly? Decisions? Deals? Or… thinking about someone else?”

I froze. My eyes darted toward her, irritation flashing. “What are you implying?”

Her smile sharpened, knowing exactly the reaction she wanted. “Nothing. Just that it’s interesting how quickly your mind wanders when certain people are no longer here.”

Her words were precise, calculated to irritate, but beneath the surface, there was more. She was testing me, seeing how far she could push without direct accusation. And she knew. She always knew.

“I don’t have time for games,” I said, voice tighter than I intended.

“Oh, it’s not a game,” she said lightly, leaning closer. “I’m just… concerned. For you. For us.” Her tone dripped with possessiveness, subtle threat woven into honeyed words.

“I don’t need your concern,” I snapped, slamming my palm on the desk. The sound echoed in the office, sharp and sudden.

Her smile didn’t falter. “You might not know it, Alex, but people notice when you’re… off. Distracted. Unsettled. And I don’t like seeing my fiancé unravel before my eyes.”

I stood abruptly, pacing the office, the glass in my hand rattling. “I’m not unraveling. I’m… focused.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Focused? Really? Because last night, at the board meeting, you were… distant. Checked out. And I noticed the way you kept glancing at the empty seat where she used to sit.”

I felt my chest tighten. Every word she said dug deeper into my thoughts, forcing me to confront what I had been avoiding.

“You don’t understand,” I said through gritted teeth. “It’s not her. It’s… nothing.”

“Nothing?” she laughed lightly, but there was an edge to it. “Alex, don’t lie to me. Don’t lie to yourself. I see it. You can’t hide it from me. And I don’t like it.”

Her presence was suffocating. I wanted to scream, to push her away, but more than that, I wanted Lavender. I hated myself for it. I hated that Cassandra’s probing only reminded me of what I truly missed.

“You’re impossible,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

“And you’re predictable,” she countered, stepping closer, lowering her voice. “Always so controlled. Always so… calculating. And now? Now you’re off balance. I don’t like it, Alex. I will not let anyone distract you from what’s ours.”

I turned sharply to face her, anger bubbling. “I am not distracted by anyone! Least of all her!”

She tilted her head, lips curling in a smile that made my blood boil. “Are you sure? Because your actions tell a different story. Your heart… even your body… betrays you more than your words ever could.”

I wanted to throw something. Anything. Instead, I sank into my chair, gripping the desk as though it could anchor me. Her words left me raw and exposed. Cassandra had no idea how close she had come to uncovering the truth.

The truth that Lavender haunted every waking moment of my life.

Cassandra leaned casually on the desk now, one hand resting near my files. “You might think you’re strong, Alex. That nothing can break you. But emotions aren’t contracts. You can’t negotiate them away.”

I exhaled sharply, my control slipping entirely. “I don’t… I don’t know what you want from me.”

She smiled, stepping back. “I want you to realize what’s at stake. Us. Everything we’ve built. Don’t let… someone else’s shadow ruin that.”

I felt cornered. Guilty. Anger and desire warring within me. Cassandra left me alone in the office after that, her parting words echoing:

“Remember, Alex… shadows only linger if you let them.”

I sat back in my chair, head in my hands. My thoughts went immediately to Lavender. Her absence was now not just a void — it was a pressure, a constant ache in my chest. Cassandra’s manipulation had only made it sharper.

I wanted to call her. I wanted to find her, to beg her back. But she had vanished from my life. She was gone, and Cassandra’s words made me feel even more helpless.

I poured a drink and stared at the amber liquid, trembling slightly. I hated how much I needed her. Hated how much my mind, body, and even my pride revolted against her absence.

The office felt smaller, oppressive. Every file, every report, every ticking clock reminded me she wasn’t there to organize, to correct, to argue with me over minutiae that had become part of my life.

And all Cassandra could do was watch, smirk, and tighten her control over me.

I slammed the glass onto the desk, the liquid spilling, unheeded. The sound was cathartic, a release of frustration I couldn’t put into words.

“Where are you, Lavender?” I whispered, almost afraid she might answer. “Why did you leave me?”

No answer came. Only the shadows in the corners of the office, creeping along the walls, reminding me of everything I had lost and couldn’t retrieve.

And yet, somewhere beneath the chaos, beneath the anger and desire, a single, undeniable truth whispered:

I couldn’t forget her. I wouldn’t forget her. Not ever.

And Cassandra… no matter how cunning, no matter how manipulative, could never erase that.