Chapter 26: The Fear of Falling

Chapter 26: The Fear of Falling

Elena

Elena woke up restless, her body still humming with the remnants of last night. She could still feel Jason's grip on her waist, the heat of his breath against her ear, the unspoken words in his gaze. It was maddening.

She had told herself this marriage was temporary, just a contract, just a means to an end. But the way her pulse had quickened when Jason pulled her close on the dance floor? The way her breath had hitched when he whispered those dangerous words? That was not part of the plan.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she inhaled sharply. Get a grip, Elena.

She had built a wall around herself for a reason. Jason Sinclair was powerful, dominant, and intoxicatingly dangerous. If she let herself forget the terms of their marriage, if she allowed herself to feel more than she should, she'd lose. And Elena Vasquez never lost.

Jason

Jason adjusted his tie in front of the mirror, his jaw tightening as he recalled last night. He had let his emotions slip—just for a second. That was unacceptable.

He wasn't the kind of man who let feelings dictate his actions. He had built his empire on logic, control, and strategy. But last night, when he saw Elena dancing with Daniel Sterling, something in him had snapped.

He had felt—what? Possessiveness? That was natural. Elena was his wife, even if only in name. The world needed to see them as untouchable, unshakable. It was about power, not emotions.

And yet, when he held her on the dance floor, when he whispered those words against her skin, he hadn't been thinking about contracts. He had been thinking about her.

That is a mistake you won't make again.

---

Elena moved through her morning routine, deliberately avoiding Jason. It wasn't difficult; he had already left for the office, and she was relieved.

But even in his absence, she felt his presence everywhere. The tension between them had shifted, thickened. She knew Jason had felt it too.

Still, she wouldn't be the one to acknowledge it.

---

At a charity event later that evening, Elena played her role flawlessly. She smiled for the cameras, stood close to Jason, allowed his hand at the small of her back.

To the world, nothing had changed.

But Jason knew better.

She didn't meet his gaze for too long. She didn't react when his fingers brushed against her waist. She no longer challenged him in private moments, no longer threw sharp words his way just to test him.

She was slipping away.

And Jason hated it.

---

The penthouse was quiet when they returned. Elena moved toward the bedroom, but Jason was faster. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"You're different," he said, voice low.

Elena kept her face neutral. "I'm keeping things as they should be."

Jason's eyes darkened. "That's not what this feels like."

Elena forced herself to remain still, to ignore the way her heart pounded. "Then maybe you should stop trying to feel anything at all."

Jason studied her for a long moment, then took a deliberate step closer. "You're running."

"I'm protecting myself," she corrected.

His jaw clenched. He didn't like that answer. He didn't like any of this.

Scene 4: Elena's Private Conflict

Elena locked herself in her room, exhaling shakily.

She was losing control. Of herself. Of this situation.

She stared at herself in the mirror, gripping the sink.

"I should want this distance. I should need it. So why does it hurt?"

Because Jason Sinclair had never just been a contract to her. Not really.

Scene 5: Jason's Private Conflict

Jason poured himself a drink, staring at the closed bedroom door.

Elena was pulling away. And for the first time in his life, he didn't know how to stop it.

He downed the whiskey, telling himself it was better this way. If Elena was pushing him away, it meant she wasn't falling for him. And that was good. That was necessary.

Because falling for her?

That was never part of the deal.

Later, Elena lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. This is temporary. This is a contract.

So why did it feel like something was slipping out of her grasp?

Jason sat alone, gripping his glass. She's pulling away. And for the first time, I don't know if I should let her.