CHAPTER 12 – A Game of Power

Elena gasped for air.

The warehouse's walls seemed to constrict around her, the atmosphere heavy with the odors of rust, sweat, and the remnants of gunfire. The words Damien had just uttered replayed in her mind, suffocating her sense of self.

"You didn't just marry a billionaire. You married your stalker."

Her eyes drifted to Alexander, her husband, someone she had believed she understood even if it was in the most twisted sense.

But now?

She realized she had never truly known him.

He stood just a few feet away, rigid with clenched fists, radiating raw, seething anger aimed not at Damien but directed at her.

In his turbulent gray eyes, she saw the storm of conflict, rage, and fear.

For the first time, Alexander Blackwood was losing control.

And he loathed it.

**The Silence Breaks**

Elena took a hesitant step back, her breathing uneven. "Tell me he's lying."

Alexander opened his mouth, but silence followed.

He didn't refute it.

Her stomach twisted. She felt nauseous.

Damien let out a dark chuckle, wiping a trickle of blood from his split lip. "Oh, Blackwood. You should see yourself. The invincible Alexander, ensnared in his own trap."

Though Alexander's jaw tightened, he refrained from attacking again, too focused on her.

Observing her.

Weighing her.

As he always had.

Elena swallowed hard; she had to escape. Immediately.

Without thinking, she turned and sprinted towards the exit.

But fate had other plans.

A strong, familiar hand seized her wrist, yanking her back.

"Elena," Alexander growled, his tone sharp and desperate, filled with something dark and uncontained.

She struggled, but his grip was rigid unyielding.

"Let me go," she hissed, her heart racing.

His hold tightened. "No."

Her heart sank. This was different; this wasn't Alexander insisting on obedience.

This was Alexander clinging to something he feared losing.

She met his eyes, her voice quaking. "Was it ever real?"

Something flickered in his gaze pain, guilt, regret.

But it vanished too quickly for her to grasp.

His lips parted. "Elena, I"

BANG!

A gunshot rang out.

The world erupted into chaos.

Alexander lunged, shielding Elena as bullets pierced through the air.

Damien's men had unleashed a barrage of gunfire, transforming the warehouse into a battlefield.

"Elena, stay behind me!" he commanded, his voice lethal and firm.

But she was already in motion.

While Alexander and his men retaliated, Elena saw her chance.

She grabbed a discarded knife from the ground, cutting through the zip ties binding her wrists.

Then, she fled.

She didn't look back.

Didn't halt.

Didn't heed Alexander's desperate calls.

She reached the warehouse door, heart racing and lungs burning

Then, just as she burst outside…

A hand clamped over her mouth.

Elena thrashed, kicking out, but her captor was solidly built.

Too strong.

Her vision blurred as she was pulled into a waiting car, the cold leather seats offering no solace.

The door slammed shut.

The gunfire faded into the distance.

And then silence.

Gasping, she turned, preparing to fight, only to freeze at the sight of the person opposite her.

A woman.

In a tailored black suit, with long dark hair cascading over her shoulder and red lips twisted in a cold smile.

"Hello, Elena."

Elena's heart raced. "Who are you?"

The woman leaned in, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"My name is Victoria Russo," she said smoothly. "Damien's sister."

A chill ran through Elena.

Victoria smirked, tilting her head. "And I just saved your life."

Meanwhile… Back at the Warehouse

Alexander watched as Elena disappeared.

For the first time, he felt utterly powerless.

The gunfire had ceased. Damien lay on the ground, blood pooling from a wound, but Alexander's focus was elsewhere.

Elena was gone.

Sebastian hurried over, breathless. "Sir, we've lost her."

Alexander clenched his jaw, fists tightening at his sides.

Damien let out a feeble laugh, breathless. "She's gone, Blackwood. And she won't be returning."

Slowly, Alexander turned to him.

Then he pulled the trigger.

One shot. Straight to Damien's shoulder.

Damien groaned, collapsing onto the floor.

Alexander stepped forward, his voice cold and menacing.

"If you come near her again…" he lowered the gun, pressing it against Damien's temple. "I'll make sure you regret it."

Damien coughed, blood escaping his lips, yet still wore a smirk.

Alexander's finger hovered over the trigger.

Sebastian's voice broke the tense silence. "Sir."

Alexander didn't look away.

"Sir," Sebastian pressed, urgency creeping into his tone. "You need to see this."

Finally, Alexander turned.

Sebastian presented a tablet live security footage from the city.

There was Elena.

In a car.

With Victoria Russo.

Alexander's stomach plunged.

Sebastian's expression turned grave. "We have another issue."

Alexander's body went rigid.

For beside Victoria in the vehicle was a familiar figure.

A man.

One Alexander knew too well.

A specter from his past.

The screen flickered.

And then, a voice that had haunted him for years spoke up:

"Hello, Alexander. Long time no see."

Cold panic washed over Alexander.

This was much bigger than just Elena.

Something far more significant.

Something that had lurked in the shadows.

And now?

Now, it was finally confronting him.

****

The night was thick with tension as Elena found herself across from Victoria Russo in the back of an upscale car. The smooth leather seats and lingering perfume did little to ease her discomfort.

The woman before her radiated authority, her piercing green eyes scrutinizing Elena like a scientist evaluating a subject.

Elena's wrists throbbed from the zip ties, a discomfort overshadowed by the whirlwind of chaos in her mind.

Victoria Russo.

Damien's sister.

The same Damien who had just exposed Alexander's darkest truth—his obsession with her since long before they met.

And now, she was in the grasp of someone far less predictable.

Elena steadied her voice, despite the quaking in her chest. "You say you saved my life. Why?"

Victoria's smile lacked warmth. "Because, my dear, your husband isn't the only one with designs on you."

Elena stiffened. "Who else is involved?"

Victoria merely tilted her head. "You'll find out soon."

The car pulled into a private airstrip, revealing a sleek jet ready for takeoff.

Elena's stomach churned.

"You're taking me away from the city," she whispered.

Victoria smiled triumphantly. "Clever girl."

Elena churned with mixed feelings. Boarding that plane would sever any possible ties to Alexander and the truth about everything.

But was that truly advisable?

The man she had married had built their relationship upon a foundation of lies.

So why did she feel a deep-seated fear about leaving?

The car halted, and the driver swung the door open.

Elena's instincts surged.

She dashed.

Her bare feet hit the chilly pavement, her heart pounding fiercely as she ran without a clear destination—only the instinctive need to escape.

But she didn't get far.

A tall, muscular figure blocked her path.

She collided with a wall of muscle and staggered back, steady hands gripping her arms.

Elena's breath caught.

And then, she looked up.

**The Ghost from the Past**

The man was no stranger.

He was someone she had seen before.

Someone tied to Alexander's enigmatic world.

He stood tall, boasting sharp features and dark eyes harboring profound secrets. His impeccably styled hair and tailored suit hinted at a man who thrived in high-stakes games.

Then, he grinned—a slow, knowing smile that coursed chills down her spine.

"Elena Carter," he purred. His voice was rich, deep, and dangerous. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

Elena's heart raced. "Who are you?"

Victoria stepped forward, arms crossed. "Elena, meet Lorenzo De Luca."

A wave of dread washed over Elena.

She had heard that name whispered in hushed tones, often splashed across old news articles.

Lorenzo De Luca—the man who had once been Alexander's closest friend… and later, his most formidable enemy.

And now, he loomed before her, holding her in place.

**Meanwhile… Back at the Warehouse**

Alexander loomed over Damien, his gun still smoking from the shot.

Sebastian's voice cut through the tension. "Sir, Elena is missing."

Alexander's grip on the gun tightened. "What do you mean, missing?"

Sebastian displayed a tablet showing live traffic camera feeds.

There she was.

In the car.

Alongside Victoria Russo and Lorenzo De Luca.

Alexander's entire demeanor froze.

The warehouse felt eerily colder.

Damien let out a weak chuckle from his place on the floor, blood pooling around him. "Oh, this is exquisite," he mocked. "You believed I was the main threat?"

Alexander ignored him.

His pulse raced erratically.

Victoria. Lorenzo.

Names he thought he'd never have to confront again.

In his mind, he was transported back to the day he had shattered his friendship with Lorenzo De Luca.

Now, that same man held his wife captive.

Sebastian's voice broke through the tumult. "Sir, what are your instructions?"

With a fierce grip on his weapon, Alexander's voice dropped to a deadly whisper.

"Prepare the jet. We're going after them."

**Elena's Realization**

Elena fought against Lorenzo's iron grip, yet he remained steadfast.

Victoria's voice was smooth and condescending. "You should cease your struggle, darling. Lorenzo can be less forgiving than my brother."

Elena shot back a glare. "What do you want from me?"

Lorenzo smirked. "Oh, my desires don't extend to you." Leaning closer, his voice lowered to an intimate whisper, "I want to ruin your husband."

Elena's breath hitched.

"You're using me as bait against Alexander."

Victoria laughed softly. "Intelligent and beautiful. No wonder he became so obsessed."

Elena's heart constricted at that word—obsessed.

She recalled Alexander's silence during her accusations of stalking, how he hadn't denied it.

"Alexander took everything from me—my business, my reputation. And now? I'll take his most cherished possession."

Elena's stomach twisted painfully.

"No, you don't understand—Alexander doesn't love me. He never has."

Lorenzo studied her closely, tilting his head. "Oh, dear," he replied softly. "That's where you're mistaken."

Victoria smirked. "Let's just say… you hold the key to truly breaking him."

Elena's rapid breaths filled the air.

Was that really the case?

Had she misunderstood everything?

Before she could process the implications, the roar of an approaching jet reverberated in the air.

Lorenzo turned, a flicker of concern passing over his face. "Ah, just in time."

Elena turned as well.

And there, disembarking from a private plane, stood a familiar figure.

Dressed in all black.

With storm-gray eyes focused solely on her.

Alexander.

Elena's heart raced.

He had come for her.

But this time, the dynamics had shifted.

She was no longer the trapped one.

He was.