CHAPTER 6

The ride home was silent.

Elena sat next to Alexander in the back seat of the limousine, her hands clasped in her lap. The tension between them was suffocating, loaded with unspoken words.

Alexander hadn't seen her since he dragged her from the gala. Her jaw was clenched, her fingers tapping against the leather seat, anxious, irritated. She looked at him.

His suit was still impeccable, his tie in a perfect place, but his eyes...

His eyes burned with a dark light.

Something she didn't understand.

Something she wasn't sure she wanted to understand.

The limousine pulled up in front of Blackwood Manor, its large, cold structure towering over them like a castle. Alexander exited first, without waiting.

Elena hesitated for a second before following him inside.

As they entered, the door closed behind them with a loud click.

She turned to leave, ready to retreat to her room, but...

"Don't move."

Her voice stopped her in mid-sentence.

Slowly, she turned. Alexander stood in the middle of the large living room, his hands in his pockets, his posture stiff.

She swallowed. "Who do you want?" »

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on her like a predator assessing its prey. - Tell me something, Elena. »

He stiffened. "What?"

His next words sent shivers down her spine. "Do you like making me jealous?" »

She held her breath.

The question remained unanswered, heavy and dangerous.

Elena's pulse quickened. "I don't know what you're talking about." »

A bitter laugh left her lips. "No?" So let me remember. This little show tonight, the dance, the smile, was it for me? Or for him?

She clenched her fists. "Why does it matter that you don't care about me, remember?"

His jaw clenched. "This is where you're wrong." »

Silence.

A suffocating, unsettling silence.

Then, suddenly...

Lysander took a step forward.

Then another.

And another. Elena took a step back.

Her back hit the wall and before she could react, he was there, above her, his hands clasped on either side.

His scent, dark and intoxicating, enveloped her.

She pressed her palms against the wall, trying to calm her pounding heart. "What are you doing?"

His gaze fell on her lips for a brief moment before returning to her eyes. "You're driving me crazy," she admitted in her husky voice.

She inhaled sharply. "I..."

"Do you want to test me, Elena?" Her voice was extremely low now, like a storm raging beneath the surface. "Do you want to see how far you can push me?"

"I don't..."

"Then why did you let him touch you?"

She froze.

His fingers left her wrist, the same wrist Damien had held earlier that evening. "You let her dance with you," Alexander whispered, his touch light but burning. "She let him put his hands on you." »

She inhaled with difficulty. "I let him do it because he didn't treat me like I was invisible." »

Her entire body tensed.

Something dark flashed across her face. "Is that what you think?" »

"Isn't it true?" » Her voice trembled, but she refused to back down. For a second, he thought he had to go.

But then…

He reached out and caressed her face with an intensity almost painful.

Her heart pounded in her ribs.

His thumb stroked her lower lip, slowly, deliberately.

"Don't test me, Elena," he whispered, his breath on her skin.

She shivered. Because in that moment she realized something terrible.

The devil didn't just have her body.

He had also begun to master her mind.

And the worst part?

She wasn't sure she wanted him to stop.

THE AFTERMATH OF A SPARK

The next morning, Elena woke with a restless heart.

Last night…

Lysander had not kissed her. He had not pursued the matter further.

But the look in his eyes…

It was a warning.

And she didn't know whether she was relieved or disappointed. Sighing, she left his room and headed down the stairs.

He didn't expect to find Alexander already seated at the large dining table, his fingers idly scrolling through his phone.

But what really caught his attention was the woman who sat across from him.

A stunning brunette, her red lips curved into a smile as she leaned dangerously close to Alexander.

Elena's heart sank. She recognized him.

Madeline Carter.

A famous model.

A woman who had once been linked to Alexander in the tabloids.

The woman who now ran her manicured fingers over his arm, whispering something in his ear. Elena's stomach twisted.

She didn't care.

She shouldn't be careful.

And yet...

The sound of her voice made her unfamiliar.

"Who is she?"

Madeline turned, her smile widening. "Oh, dear, you must be the woman."

Elena stiffened.

Alexander, however, remained completely calm.

His expression was unreadable as he leaned back in his chair. "Madeline is an old friend."

Friend.

That's true. Elena swallowed the bitter taste that had risen in her throat.

Madeline's gaze flickered as if she were insignificant. "You look even more beautiful in person. What a shame."

Elena narrowed her eyes. "Shame?"

Madeline's smile deepened. "You have no idea what kind of man you've married." »

Elena's blood ran cold.

What was this supposed to mean?

Before she could ask, Alexander's voice cut off in mid-sentence.

"Enough, Madeline."

But the damage was already done.

Elena turned to him, her heart beating fast. - What are you talking about?

Alexander's jaw clenched. "It's none of your business."

His stomach knotted.

And in that moment he realized something scary.

He wasn't just hiding things from her.

He was hiding the truth from her.

FIRST CRISIS

Elena barely touched her breakfast.

Her mind raced, repeating Madeline's words over and over.

You have no idea what kind of man you married.

She wanted to believe it was just jealousy.

But deep down inside...

Some suspicions were being planted. That night, as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she made a decision.

She needed answers.

And if Alexander didn't give them...

She would find them herself.

Because one thing had become very, very clear.

This golden cage wasn't just suffocating. It was all built on secrets.

And secrets always had a way of being revealed.