Chapter 5
1460 Words
Clarkson Jewels – First Day as Head Designer
The moment Emilia stepped into her new office, she felt a rush of pride.
This was her space now.
After years of working her way up, designing in secret, of fighting to prove herself, she had finally landed her dream job.
And she wasn't going to let Alex take that away from her.
She was already too tangled in his world.
At least here, she could stand on her own.
But as she settled into work, something unexpected happened.
Whispers. Stares.
Her co-workers kept stealing glances at her, some even outright gaping.
What the hell was going on?
That's when a sleek magazine landed on her desk.
Her stomach dropped.
Right there on the front cover was a photoof her and Alex from last night– her stepping out of his car, his hand resting possessively on her lower back.
And the headline?
“BILLIONAIRE ALEXANDER CLARKSON ENGAGED?! MEET HIS MYSTERIOUS FIANCÉE”
Emilia's hands clenched the edges of the paper.
That ruthless bastard.
Meanwhile - The Lockwood Household
Daniel Lockwood narrowed his eyes at the magazine in his hands.
His daughter was engaged to Alexander Clarkson?
Impossible.
She had been nothing but a disappointment to him. A girl who had shamed the Lockwood name. A girl who had vanished for four years.
And now she had returned— not only employed at one of the biggest jewellery companies in the world, but engaged to the very man he had once tried to form a business alliance with?
His wife, Vanessa, scoffed from across the room.
“That girl must have done something sneaky”, she muttered. “There's no way a billionaire like him would choose a lowly step daughter like her”.
Daniel's eyes flickered with suspicion.
It didn't add up.
His true daughter, Cassandra, crossed her arms with a scowl.
“This is ridiculous! How is she with a man like Alexander Clarkson when even my husband–” she cut herself off, eyes flashing.
Vanessa’s lips pursed.
That's right.
Cassandra’s own husband– Emilia's ex fiancé, had been meant for Emilia before things had fallen apart.
And now Emilia had somehow landed one of the most powerful men in New York.
Daniel's expression darkened.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
The Gala & The Ghosts of the Past
The Grand Manhattan Gala
The ballroom glittered with gold chandeliers and soft orchestral music. High society was out in full force, draped in designer gowns and sharp tuxedos, sipping expensive champagne like it was water.
Emilia adjusted her diamond bracelet, forcing a calm expression.
Alex’s hand rested possessively on her waist.
It was all for the show.
She knew that.
Yet, the weight of his touch sent a strange shiver through her spine.
“Smile”, Alex mumured near her ear.
Emilia inhaled, lifting her chin with practiced grace.
She was Alexander Clarkson’s Fiancée.
And if she wanted to survive in this world, she had to play her role perfectly.
Then, she saw them.
Nathaniel.
Her ex-fiancé.
And his wife– Cassandra Lockwood.
Her stepsister.
Emilia's stomach twisted, but outwardly, she remained poised.
She had expected. Prepared for this.
Nathaniel looked exactly the same– tall, arrogant, and shameless.
His sleek black suit was impeccable, his black hair styled effortlessly, but there was something in his eyes– a flicker of shock, maybe even regret, when they landed on her.
He never expected to see her here.
Much less on the arm of Alexander Clarkson.
His entire expression shifted.
Interest.
Disbelief.
Cassandra, on the other hand, was a picture of jealousy, her painted red lips parted in stunned silence as her eyes raked over Emilia’s designer gown, the way Alex stood close to her, the way they looked like a true power couple.
Emilia smiled sweetly. Let them burn.
Nathaniel approached first, a disgusting smirk on his face.
“Well, well”, he drawled. “If it isn't my long-lost ex-fiancée. Looking rather… expensive, aren't we?”
Emilia didn't even blink. “Good evening, Nathaniel, Cassandra”
Cassandra looped her arm through his, her nails digging into his suit.
“It's Mrs. Raven now”, she sneered.
Alex's grip on Emilia’s waist tightened slightly.
He didn't say a word.
Just watched.
Nathaniel chuckled. “I must say, Emilia, I'm impressed. I never thought you'd move on so quickly, let alone with someone like Clarkson”. His tone turned mocking. “What did you do? Bat your lashes at him? Or perhaps you played the innocent card like you did with me?”
Emilia kept her composure, But Alex’s jaw ticked.
His patience was thinning.
“Funny”, Emilia said, tilting her head, “considering you were the one sleeping with my stepsister while still engaged with me”.
Cassandra stiffened.
Nathaniel’s smirk faltered. “I–”
“Oh, don't bother lying about it”, Emilia cut him off smoothly. “I figured it out long before that little stunt you and your mother-in-law pulled to ruin my reputation”.
Nathaniel’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Besides”, she continued, glancing at Alex with a sly smile, “I think I upgraded”.
Alex smirked, clearly enjoying this more than he let on.
Nathaniel’s eye twitched.
And for the first time in a long time– Emilia felt like she was in control.
As the night continued, Alex remained composed, but something in his posture shifted everytime Nathaniel got too close.
His fingers would tighten slightly on Emilia's back.
His gaze would darken whenever Nathaniel lingered too long in conversation.
Not outright jealousy.
But irritation.
And then it happened.
Nathaniel had the audacity to brush a hand against Emilia's arm, a little too familiar.
Alex was beside them in an instant, cold and precise.
“Touch her again”, he said in a low, dangerous voice, “and I'll break your hand”.
Nathaniel’s smile froze.
A flicker of something almost like fear flashed in his eyes before he covered it with another smirk.
Alex didn't need to say more.
The warning was clear.
Later that night, Emilia excused herself to the restroom, needing a moment away from all the attention.
That's when it happened.
A hand yanked her wrist, pulling her into a dimly lit private lounge.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Nathaniel.
She whirled, anger flaring. “Are you insane? Let me out!”
He blocked the door, his expression twisted into something ugly, “Why so cold, Emilia?” he murmured, stepping closer, “You were never this feisty before. I liked you better when you were soft”.
Emilia's stomach churned.
She wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.
She lifted her chin, her voice outting like steel.
“I'm not that girl anymore, Nathaniel”.
His smile twisted.
“Really? Then why are you still pretending? What, did Clarkson buy you? Is that it? That's the only way someone like you would ever land a man like him”.
Emilia's blood boiled.
That was it.
She snapped her knee up, catching his right where it hurt.
Nathaniel gasped in pain, staggering back.
“YOU B–”
Before he could finish, the door slammed open.
A towering shadow loomed in the doorway.
Alex.
His face was pure fury.
His eyes locked onto Nathaniel, cold and lethal.
Nathaniel paled. “This isn't–”
Alex stepped inside. The air turned suffocating.
“You made a mistake, Raven”, Alex said softly.
Too softly.
Nathaniel swallowed hard.
“You don't get to touch what's mine.”
A beat of silence.
Then–
Alex grabbed Nathaniel by the collar, slamming him against the wall.
Emilia gasped. “Alex–”
He didn't let go.
His voice was a dark promise.
“If you ever look at her again– if you so much as breathe in her direction– I will ruin you”.
Nathaniel trembled.
Alex let go, stepping back calmly, as if nothing had happened.
But his next words were chilling.
“You should leave, Nathaniel”.
A warning. A command.
Nathaniel stumble out of the room without a word.
The moment he was gone, Emilia exhaled sharply.
She turned to Alex. “You didn't have to–”
Alex grabbed her chin, tilting her face up to his.
His voice was low.
“Did he hurt you?”
Emilia's breath hitched.
She shook her head. “I handled it”.
Alex's thumb brushed her jaw, his gaze blank.
“Good”.
A strange silence stretched between them.
Something had shifted tonight.
And neither of them knew what to do about it.
- Writer
