Love Unbound

Chapter 2: The sunset Bar

Leila's pulse pounded in her ears as Cassian's fingers tightened around the phone.

"Who's texting you?" he asked again, softer this time, but far more dangerous. His voice had that quiet authority-the kind that could end a career with a single word.

Her throat felt dry. Lying to Cassian was like playing with a loaded g*n. One slip, one wrong move, and she'd pay the price.

But telling him the truth-that Alec Devereux, his entangled, complicated, off-limits connection, was already slipping into her private world-felt like stepping into fire willingly.

"I-it's no one," she stammered, tugging her phone back with more courage than she felt. "Just a friend checking in."

Cassian's gaze burned into hers, searching, dissecting, dissecting. The silence stretched until she thought she might shatter under the weight of it.

Finally, his lips curved in a cold smile. "Good. Because you don't have time for distractions, Leila. Not when everything we've worked for is finally within reach."

Her chest loosened-barely. He didn't believe her. She could feel it. But for now, he let it go.

Cassian brushed his hand along her arm, his touch deceptively gentle. "Remember, you belong to me, Leila. Every stage you step on, every camera flash, every note you sing-it's mine. Don't forget that."

Her skin prickled as if burned.

When he left, shutting the door with a click, Leila slumped against the vanity, trembling. She hated the way Cassian made her feel-trapped, like a bird in a gilded cage. He'd built her wings, but he held the key to the sky.

And Alec... Alec was the storm outside the bars, tempting her to fly into it.

Her phone buzzed again.

Alec: Sunset Bar. Midnight.

Her reflection in the mirror looked torn-half fear, half desire. But as the clock struck twelve, she found herself slipping into a black dress, lips painted crimson, heart hammering with every step she took toward temptation.

The Sunset Bar was tucked away on a rooftop in downtown LA, a hidden jewel glittering with city lights. The hum of jazz floated through the warm night air, mingling with the faint clink of glasses and murmured conversations.

And there he was.

Alec sat in a corner booth, shadows wrapping around him like a secret. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled as always, and his eyes-those damn eyes-lit up when they found her.

"Miss Monroe," he drawled, standing to greet her. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

Her throat tightened. "I shouldn't be here."

"And yet," he murmured, sliding a glass of wine toward her, "you are."

Leila sat, the leather cool against her bare thighs. Her hand shook slightly as she lifted the glass. Alec noticed, of course he noticed, his gaze flicking from her trembling fingers to her lips.

"Relax," he said softly. "It's just a drink."

But nothing about Alec Devereux was "just."

They talked. At first about the movie-the script, the music, the way their voices had blended in the audition like something cosmic. But soon, the conversation drifted.

"What does Cassian have over you?" Alec asked suddenly, his tone cutting through the easy rhythm like a blade.

Her heart skipped. "Excuse me?"

"You flinch every time his name comes up. You shrink when he enters the room. That's not management-that's ownership."

Leila swallowed hard. "It's complicated."

Alec leaned closer, his eyes burning into hers. "Then uncomplicate it. Walk away."

She let out a bitter laugh. "It's not that simple. He owns my contracts, my rights, my career. Without Cassian, there's no stage. No music. No me."

"Bullshit." Alec's voice was fierce now, his jaw tight. "You're more than his puppet, Leila. I saw it the moment you opened your mouth in that audition-you're real. And he'll never own that."

Her breath hitched, a lump forming in her throat. She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to.

Then Alec's hand slid across the table, his fingers brushing hers. A jolt of heat shot up her arm, curling deep inside her.

"Let me show you what it feels like to be free," he whispered.

Her body leaned toward him before her mind could catch up. His lips hovered inches from hers, the city lights painting his face in gold and shadow.

She should pull back. She should run.

Instead, she whispered, "Alec..."

And then his mouth was on hers.

The kiss was nothing like the rehearsal. This wasn't scripted. This wasn't for anyone but them. His lips claimed hers with hunger, with need, with a fire that seared straight into her bones. She gasped against him, and he deepened it, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her closer until she thought she might dissolve into him.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, Leila's lipstick was smudged, her heart racing.

"This is madness," she whispered.

"Maybe," Alec murmured, brushing his thumb along her jaw. "But it feels like truth."

Her phone buzzed on the table, shattering the moment.

Cassian.

The screen lit with his name, glowing like a warning.

Alec's eyes flicked to it, then back to her. "Don't answer."

But it kept buzzing. Again. Again.

Her pulse thundered. She reached for the phone-

And froze.

Because this time, it wasn't just a call. It was a message.

Cassian: I know where you are.

The words on the screen burned brighter than the neon skyline outside the window.

Cassian: I know where you are.

Leila's hand trembled around the phone. Her throat went tight, her pulse hammering like she'd been caught in the middle of a crime.

Alec's hand closed over hers, steady, commanding. "Look at me," he said, his voice low but firm.

She tore her gaze from the glowing screen and met his storm-gray eyes.

"You don't belong to him, Leila."

Her chest rose and fell, uneven. "You don't understand. Cassian-he doesn't just manage me. He controls everything. He can end me with one call."

Alec's jaw clenched. "Let him try."

She wanted to believe him, but Cassian wasn't a man who bluffed. He was a man who pulled strings until the puppet broke.

The phone buzzed again. A second message.

Cassian: Five minutes. Don't make me come in there.

Leila's heart seized. She glanced toward the entrance of the bar, half-expecting to see Cassian's tall, suited figure cutting through the shadows.

Alec followed her gaze, then leaned in close, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "If he walks in here, he'll see us together. Is that what you want?"

The question hit her like a blow. No. Yes. Maybe.

She swallowed hard. "I-I should go."

Alec's grip tightened. "Don't. If you leave now, you'll hand him your leash all over again. Stay. With me."

God, how badly she wanted to. To stay in Alec's dark orbit, to let him pull her further into the dangerous gravity of him. But the thought of Cassian's fury chilled her blood.

"I can't," she whispered, slipping out of Alec's hold.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she hurried toward the door, her pulse a frantic rhythm. She didn't look back-because she knew if she did, she'd turn around and run back into Alec's arms.

Cassian was waiting outside.

The sight of him under the streetlight froze her mid-step. His suit was immaculate as always, but his eyes... his eyes were shards of ice.

"Enjoying yourself?" His voice was silk stretched over steel.

Leila's lips parted, but no words came.

Cassian's gaze flicked past her shoulder, toward the bar's entrance. For one terrifying second, she thought Alec might follow her out. But the doorway stayed empty.

Cassian stepped closer, his cologne sharp, intoxicating, suffocating. "Tell me, Leila. What did he say to you?"

Her throat tightened. Lying felt useless-Cassian always seemed to know. And yet, the truth would be ruin.

"He... he just wanted to talk about the project," she murmured.

Cassian's lips twitched, not quite a smile. "And did he kiss you?"

Her breath caught. The way he asked-soft, quiet, almost tender-was more dangerous than if he'd shouted.

"I-"

Cassian's hand shot out, cupping her jaw with icy control. "Answer me."

Her knees weakened. Shame and heat tangled inside her chest. "Yes."

His thumb brushed along her lower lip, smudging the faint trace of Alec still there. His eyes burned like coals, dark and furious.

"Do you know what happens to girls who confuse fantasy with reality?" he whispered. "They burn out. They disappear."

Leila shivered. "Cassian, please-"

"Shh." His grip softened, almost tender now, the whiplash making her dizzy. "I'm not angry, Leila. Not yet. But you will stay away from Alec Devereux. Do you understand?"

Her heart clenched. The words formed on her tongue-I can't-but fear smothered them. She nodded, meek.

Cassian smiled then, brushing her hair back like a lover might. "Good girl. Now get in the car."

The drive was suffocatingly silent. Cassian didn't look at her, his attention fixed on the road, jaw tight with leashed fury.

Leila sat rigid in the passenger seat, her phone clutched in her lap. One more message from Alec lit the screen.

I won't stop. Neither should you.

She locked the phone quickly, her chest aching with equal parts fear and longing.

Back at her apartment, Cassian followed her inside uninvited. He moved through her space like he owned it, loosening his tie, pouring himself a glass of the wine she'd left on the counter.

"You've grown reckless," he said finally, swirling the glass. "That audition lit a fire in you I don't recognize. And Alec-" His jaw flexed. "He'll use that fire to burn us both."

Leila swallowed. "Why do you care so much about him?"

Cassian's eyes snapped to hers, sharp and dangerous. For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he set the glass down with deliberate care.

"Because Alec Devereux has ruined enough lives already. And I won't let him ruin yours."

The intensity in his voice, the edge of something almost personal, sent a shiver down her spine.

"What happened between you two?" she whispered.

Cassian's lips curved, but there was no humor in it. "That's a story for another time. For now, remember this-Alec is poison. And you, Leila, are mine."

The way he said it, quiet and certain, made her heart twist with dread.

When Cassian finally left, Leila locked the door and slid to the floor, pressing her forehead to her knees. Her chest ached, her body still humming with the ghost of Alec's kiss, her skin crawling with Cassian's claim.

She was caught in a trap. One man promised freedom with fire, the other caged her with chains.

And the cruelest part?

Somehow, she wanted both.

The next morning, the tabloids exploded.

Leila's face was plastered across gossip sites, caught in grainy rooftop photos at the Sunset Bar. Her lips smeared, her dress askew. And opposite her, unmistakable in shadow but clear enough-Alec Devereux.

The headline screamed: "Alec's New Girl? Rising Star Leila Monroe Caught in Late-Night Rendezvous."

Leila's blood ran cold.

Her phone buzzed, dozens of messages pouring in. But one rose above the chaos, chilling her to the bone.

Cassian.

You've just made the biggest mistake of your life.