The Billionaire's Bargain

Chapter 9

The silence between them was deafening, broken only by the faint hum of the city lights filtering through the penthouse windows. Alexander’s piercing gaze locked onto Sofia’s, but she refused to back down.

“Ethan is…” Alexander’s voice faltered, a rare c***k in his otherwise unyielding exterior. He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “He’s someone I’ve been trying to keep far away from you.”

“Why? What does he want with me?” Sofia pressed, clutching the file in her hand.

Alexander stepped forward, his tone softening. “Ethan isn’t just dangerous. He’s cunning. He manipulates people, twists them into his web of deceit. And for reasons I haven’t fully uncovered, he’s been watching you for years.”

Sofia felt a chill run down her spine. “Watching me? Why? I don’t even know him!”

“That’s what makes this so complicated,” Alexander admitted. “Ethan’s motives are never straightforward, but he doesn’t fixate on people without reason. There’s something about you—your family, your past—that he’s after. And until I figure out what it is, I can’t risk him getting close to you.”

Sofia’s grip on the file tightened. “So what? You decided to play knight in shining armor without telling me? Don’t you think I deserve to know when my life is in danger?”

Alexander sighed, his expression softening further. “I didn’t want to scare you, Sofia. I thought if I could handle it quietly, you’d never have to know. Clearly, I underestimated your determination.”

“You think?” she shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.

For a moment, they stood in tense silence. Then Alexander gestured toward the file in her hand.

“What did you find in there?”

Sofia hesitated, flipping open the file. “There’s a list of names… some marked with Xs, others circled. Ethan’s name is everywhere, alongside what looks like bank records, meeting transcripts, and surveillance logs. What does it mean?”

Alexander’s face darkened as he studied the papers. “It means Ethan isn’t working alone. These are his associates, people who’ve been helping him build his network. Some of them I’ve already taken down, but others…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening.

“Others what?” Sofia prompted.

“Others are still out there, and they’re dangerous.”

Sofia’s heart raced. “So what do we do now?”

Alexander’s gaze met hers, fierce and unyielding. “We stay one step ahead of him. But I need you to trust me, Sofia. No more sneaking into locked rooms or digging through files. Let me handle this.”

She shook her head. “You can’t just shut me out, Alexander. If this involves me, I need to be a part of it.”

He studied her for a long moment before finally nodding. “Fine. But you have to promise to follow my lead. This isn’t a game, Sofia. If Ethan gets to you—”

“He won’t,” she interrupted, her voice firm. “Not if we work together.”

Over the next few days, Alexander and Sofia began piecing together the information they had on Ethan. Sofia learned more about Alexander’s world than she ever had before—the shadowy dealings, the rivals he’d taken down, and the lengths he’d gone to protect her.

But as much as Alexander tried to keep her safe, Sofia couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Ethan’s obsession with her than either of them realized.

That feeling was confirmed one evening when she received a text message from an unknown number.

You’re digging too deep, Sofia. Stop, or you’ll regret it.

Her blood ran cold. She immediately showed the message to Alexander, whose expression darkened.

“He’s trying to scare you,” Alexander said, his voice steady despite the tension radiating off him. “Don’t let him.”

But Sofia couldn’t ignore the growing sense of unease. Ethan wasn’t just a distant threat anymore—he was watching her, and he wanted her to know it.

The turning point came a week later, during a dinner Alexander hosted for a group of high-profile business associates. Sofia had agreed to play the role of the supportive fiancée, though her mind was still consumed with questions about Ethan.

The evening was going smoothly until Sofia spotted a familiar face among the crowd. Her heart stopped.

It was Ethan.

He was charming his way through the guests, his smile disarming, his demeanor the picture of confidence. But when his eyes met hers across the room, they glinted with something darker.

Sofia turned to Alexander, panic rising in her chest. “He’s here,” she whispered.

Alexander’s expression hardened as he followed her gaze. “Stay close to me,” he ordered, his voice low and tense.

But Sofia couldn’t shake the feeling that Ethan’s presence wasn’t a coincidence. He was here for a reason, and she had a sinking feeling that reason had everything to do with her.