SELENA'S POV
"I don't want you in that world anymore."
I stared at him like I misheard. The room was quiet except for the low hum of the air conditioner and distant city noise bleeding through the glass, and Alexander stood a few steps away ,tie loosened, sleeves rolled, looking like a man trying to hold himself together.
"But Xander…" My voice came out softer than I intended. "That has always been my dream. It's finally happening. I can't just stop."
His jaw tightened. "I know." He stepped closer, eyes staying on mine. "I know, Selena." He dragged a hand through his hair. "The image of you falling into that pool… I can't erase it." He looked away briefly, then back. "You don't understand how toxic that world is. Smiles on the outside, poison underneath. I don't know what I was thinkin
