Shadows Closing In

A Chilling Message

Emma stared at the note in her shaking hands.

"You're not safe anymore."

Her heart pounded.

She had spent days trying to distance herself from Alexander.

Trying to clear her head.

Trying to breathe.

But now—

Now she knew.

There was no escaping this world.

No matter how far she ran, the danger would follow.

—

A Desperate Call

Emma grabbed her phone and dialed the one person she shouldn't.

Alexander.

It rang twice before he answered.

"Emma?" His voice was sharp, alert.

She exhaled shakily.

"I need to see you."

A pause.

Then—

"Where are you?"

Emma hesitated.

The hotel wasn't safe.

Nowhere was safe.

She closed her eyes.

"The penthouse."

—

A Man on the Edge

When she arrived, Alexander was already waiting.

He looked—

Different.

His suit was slightly wrinkled.

His jaw was tight.

His eyes burned.

"Tell me everything," he said.

Emma handed him the note.

He read it once.

Then again.

His fingers curled into a fist.

Then—

"Pack your things."

Emma blinked.

"What?"

Alexander's voice was deadly calm.

"You're leaving."

Emma's chest tightened.

"Where?"

Alexander met her gaze.

"As far away as necessary."

—

A Fight She Didn't Expect

Emma stepped back.

"No."

Alexander's expression didn't change.

"Emma—"

"I'm not running."

Alexander exhaled sharply.

"You don't understand—"

"No, you don't understand."

Her voice rose.

"You can't just control everything!"

Alexander's eyes darkened.

"This isn't about control."

"Then what is it?"

His jaw clenched.

"It's about keeping you alive."

Emma's breath caught.

—

An Unspoken Fear

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, softer—

"Emma, please."

She saw it then.

Beneath the anger.

Beneath the frustration.

Fear.

Alexander was afraid.

For her.

Emma swallowed.

"Tell me the truth."

Alexander hesitated.

Then—

"The note wasn't a warning."

Emma frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Alexander's voice was grim.

"It was a promise."

—

A Name That Meant Death

Emma's hands curled into fists.

"Who sent it?"

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"Luca Moretti."

The room spun.

Emma grabbed the edge of the counter.

"But I thought—"

"You thought Victoria was the end of it?"

Emma's stomach churned.

Wasn't she?

Alexander exhaled.

"Victoria was working with Moretti. And now that she's gone—"

Emma's pulse spiked.

"He's coming after me."

Alexander's silence was all the confirmation she needed.

—

A Dangerous Proposition

Emma took a shaky breath.

"Then I need to fight back."

Alexander stared at her.

Then—

"You don't fight men like Moretti, Emma."

Her chest tightened.

"Then what do we do?"

Alexander's gaze was sharp.

"We play his game."

Emma shivered.

"And what game is that?"

Alexander leaned in, his voice like steel.

"We make him believe he's already lost."

—

A Plan Set in Motion

Alexander made a call.

Emma couldn't hear the words.

But she felt the shift in the air.

When he hung up, he turned to her.

"You'll stay here," he said firmly.

Emma opened her mouth to argue—

But the look in his eyes stopped her.

This wasn't a request.

It was a command.

—

A Visitor in the Dark

That night, Emma couldn't sleep.

She kept hearing Alexander's words.

"It was a promise."

The weight of them pressed down on her.

Then—

A knock at the door.

Her breath caught.

She glanced at the clock.

2:14 AM.

Too late for anyone to be visiting.

Her hands shook as she reached for the doorknob.

She pulled it open.

And froze.

A man stood in the dim light.

Tall. Sharp. Unfamiliar.

But his eyes?

They were watching her.

Cold. Calculating.

Emma's pulse spiked.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

The man smiled.

"Just a friend."