: Shadows of the Past
The moment Olivia left, the air in the mansion grew heavier.
Alexander stormed inside, his presence dark and unapproachable. His jaw was clenched, his movements sharp. The men around him knew better than to speak. Even the guards, usually stoic and confident, stepped aside as he passed.
But Eva… she couldn't just stay silent.
She had watched everything unfold from her hiding spot, every venom-laced word Olivia had thrown at him. And now, standing in the grand hallway as Alexander's storm raged, she knew she had to face him.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. "Alexander."
He didn't stop.
She hurried after him, her heart pounding. "Alexander, talk to me."
Still, no response.
Frustration flared inside her. "So you're just going to act like that didn't happen?"
That did it.
Alexander stopped so suddenly that she nearly ran into him. When he turned, his piercing gaze burned into her, and for the first time, she saw it up close—the war waging inside him.
"Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" His voice was low, dangerous. "What she's capable of?"
Eva swallowed hard. "I heard what she said."
His eyes darkened. "Then you know this isn't just about you. Olivia doesn't make empty threats."
A chill ran down Eva's spine, but she lifted her chin. "I'm not afraid of her."
Alexander let out a humorless laugh. "Then you're either naive or stupid."
Anger sparked inside her. "I'm not stupid."
He took a step closer, towering over her. "Then listen to me. If Olivia wants to ruin you, she will. She has power, connections, and she will use them to destroy everything in her way. Including you."
Eva's breath hitched, but she held his gaze. "Then why don't you stop her?"
His expression hardened. "Because some wars can't be won with bullets."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, Eva asked the one question she shouldn't.
"Do you still love her?"
Alexander froze.
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, his fingers brushed against her chin, tilting her face up toward his. His touch was soft, but his gaze was anything but.
"No," he murmured. "But I did once. And that's enough for her to hate you."
Eva's heart pounded.
Everything about Alexander was dangerous—his world, his enemies, his past. But the way he looked at her now, like she was something he couldn't let go of…
That was the most dangerous thing of all.
And she wasn't sure she wanted to escape it.
Chapter 8: Forbidden Desire
The days that followed Olivia's visit were heavy with unspoken tension.
Eva spent her time in the mansion, wandering the gardens, exploring the rooms, but there was a distance between her and Alexander now. He was everywhere—his presence filled the mansion, his shadow cast over every corner of her life. Yet, he remained closed off, as though the walls he built around himself had thickened.
The weight of Olivia's words lingered in the air, and every glance they exchanged felt loaded. But Eva couldn't ignore the pull between them. The attraction she tried so hard to resist.
It was impossible.
And worse, it was starting to feel like a dream. A dangerous dream she didn't want to wake up from.
One afternoon, while she was walking near the grand staircase, she saw him—standing by the window, looking out over the estate. His broad back was turned to her, but she could feel the storm inside him, the intensity that he carried with him at all times.
Eva couldn't help herself. She approached him slowly, almost cautiously.
"Alexander…"
He didn't move at first, as if weighing whether to acknowledge her. Then, slowly, he turned.
His eyes locked onto hers, and something shifted in the air. It wasn't just the weight of his gaze. It was the silence that stretched between them, the undeniable tension that seemed to thicken with every passing second.
He took a step closer, and her breath hitched. The space between them felt too small now, too intimate.
"Eva," he murmured, his voice low and rough, like it had been dragged through the dirt. "What do you want from me?"
She opened her mouth, but the words didn't come. How could she explain what she felt? What was happening between them?
"I don't know," she whispered finally, her heart pounding in her chest. "But every time I look at you, it's like I lose control."
Alexander didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took another step toward her, closing the distance even further. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, the tension in his every movement.
He reached out and gently cupped her chin, his thumb brushing against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. The touch was electrifying, and Eva's breath caught in her throat.
"Then stop looking at me," he growled softly.
But Eva didn't want to stop. She didn't want to turn away. She had never wanted anything more in her life.
Before she could say another word, Alexander closed the gap between them. His lips crashed against hers in a kiss that was desperate, raw, as though he, too, had been fighting the same war inside himself.
It wasn't like anything Eva had ever experienced. It was fierce and wild, full of longing and broken promises. His hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer, and she felt his heartbeat against her chest—fast, frantic, out of control.
And for a brief moment, she let herself forget about the world. Forget about Olivia, about the past, about everything that held her captive. In his arms, she was free.
But as quickly as the kiss began, it ended. Alexander pulled back, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He didn't look at her, but his eyes burned with something intense. Something she couldn't quite place.
"I can't give you what you want, Eva," he murmured, his voice hoarse.
She felt a pang in her chest, but she didn't pull away. "And what is it that I want, exactly?"
His gaze flickered to hers, and for the first time, she saw vulnerability in his eyes. "You want me to love you. But I can't love anyone."
His words stung more than she cared to admit. But she didn't flinch.
"Then why did you kiss me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
His hand slid to the back of her neck, his touch gentler now, as if he were holding himself back. "Because I want you. But wanting something doesn't mean it's meant to be."
Eva took a step back, her pulse racing. She knew he was right. She knew it would never be simple. But the truth didn't make the ache inside her go away.
She swallowed hard, forcing her emotions to settle. "Then what are we doing, Alexander?"
He didn't answer right away, but his gaze softened. "I don't know. But I can't walk away from this."
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with promise and uncertainty.
Eva knew they were standing on the edge of something dangerous. Something neither of them could control.
But for the first time in a long while, she didn't want to walk away, either.