10 : Cracks In The Ice
412 Words
The limousine was silent except for the soft hum of the engine. Amelia sat stiffly against the leather seat, her ruined gown clinging uncomfortably to her skin. Across from her, Alexander poured himself a drink, his jaw tight, his movements sharp.
Neither spoke. The weight of what had just happened pressed between them—the cameras, Clara’s trap, his furious declaration. Amelia’s heart still pounded, the echo of his words haunting her. She is my wife. Anyone who touches her answers to me.
Finally, she broke the silence. “Why did you do it?”
His eyes flicked to hers, cold and unreadable. “Do what?”
“Stand up for me. Defend me like that. You made it sound like you actually—” She bit her lip, cutting herself off.
He leaned back, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “I told you before, Amelia. This marriage is an image. If you’re humiliated, I’m humiliated. I don’t tolerate weakness in my world.”
The words stung, but she refused to back down. “That’s not what I saw in your eyes tonight.”
For the first time, his mask faltered. A muscle twitched in his jaw. His gaze darkened, flicking over her face, lingering just a moment too long on her trembling lips.
“You imagine too much,” he said quietly.
Her breath caught. She wanted to scream at him, to demand the truth. Instead, her voice came out softer, more vulnerable than she intended. “Why do you hate me so much?”
The question seemed to stun him. His hand froze around the glass. For a long, unbearable moment, he said nothing. Then he set the drink down with deliberate calm.
“I don’t hate you,” he said at last, his voice low, rough, almost… human. “I just don’t believe in love.”
Her chest tightened. She studied him, searching for the man beneath the armor, the one he tried so desperately to bury. But before she could speak, the car slowed, pulling up to the Stone Tower.
Alexander opened the door, stepping out without another word. His broad shoulders disappeared into the night, leaving Amelia staring after him, her heart tangled in confusion.
For the first time since their wedding, she realized something terrifying.
Alexander Stone might be cold. He might be cruel. But somewhere beneath that icy exterior, cracks were forming.
And if she wasn’t careful, she might fall straight through them.
- Writer
