TITLE:RUNAWAY BRIDE

Chapter 13: THE TRUTH

Morning.

I didn’t sleep.

Alex was already in the kitchen when I came down. Suit. Coffee. No eye contact.

"Statement is at 10," he said. "Lawyers will be there."

"Alex," I said. "Why did you really do it?"

He didn’t look up. "We went over the contract."

"Not that. Why *me*? You could’ve picked anyone to fake-marry."

Silence.

Alex set his cup down. Finally looked at me.

"You were desperate," he said. "And I was cornered."

"Cornered how?"

"My board," Alex sighed. "They’ve been pushing me to settle down for 2 years. ‘A stable CEO needs a stable image.’ They were about to force me into an engagement with Victoria Hale’s daughter."

I blinked. "So you chose a runaway bride instead?"

"A messy divorce is easier to control than a real marriage," Alex said. "And you... you needed protection. It was convenient."

"Convenient," I repeated. My chest hurt.

Alex stepped closer. "But then Daniel showed up. And it stopped being convenient."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Alex ran a hand through his hair. "I don’t like seeing you scared. I don’t like the way he looked at you. I don’t like—"

He cut himself off.

"Don’t like what?" I whispered.

Alex met my eyes. For a second the mask dropped.

No CEO. No ice. Just a man.

"I don’t like that I care," he said quietly. "And I have no idea what to do about it."

Before I could answer, his phone rang.

Unknown number.

Alex answered. His face went pale.

He hung up and looked at me.

"Daniel made bail."