Chapter 9: The World That Watches

It was only a dinner.

That's what Alexander had said when he invited her — just a small investor gathering, a quiet evening at one of his clubs. No press. No cameras. Just business and introductions.

Still, Lena's heart thudded wildly as the car pulled up in front of the towering glass building in Midtown.

It wasn't fear of the spotlight — not exactly.

It was fear of not belonging.

She was a girl who grew up fixing things with her hands, who wore steel-toed boots more often than heels. She'd never been someone's +1 to a room filled with billionaires and sharp suits and sharp tongues.

But when the driver opened her door and she stepped out, Alexander was already waiting.

And the look on his face — pure awe, no hesitation — wrapped around her like armor.

"You're stunning," he said, voice low, like he couldn't believe she was real.

Lena smiled, nerves crackling in her stomach. "Let's not oversell it. I'm still terrified I'm going to trip over these heels."

"If you fall," he said, offering his arm, "I'll be right there to catch you."

And with that, they walked inside — together.

The room gleamed with money and menace.

Crystal glasses. White marble floors. A chandelier that probably cost more than her entire apartment building. Lena tried not to shrink beneath the weight of a dozen well-dressed stares as they entered.

Alexander didn't seem to notice — or maybe he just didn't care. His hand remained on the small of her back, anchoring her, steady and sure.

But Lena noticed her the moment she walked in.

Tall. Elegant. Icy.

Claudia Reinhart.

Head of the Reinhart Group — one of Alexander's oldest partners. And, according to a quick Google spiral Lena had once shamefully gone down, his almost fiancée.

Claudia's smile was all sharp angles as she approached.

"Alexander," she purred. "You didn't say you were bringing company."

His expression didn't change, but Lena felt the tension in his spine.

"This is Lena Hart," he said. "Architect. Partner on the new Kane House project."

Lena extended a hand, professional smile in place.

Claudia took it, her grip like ice.

"How quaint," she said. "He always did like his hobbies to have pretty faces."

Lena froze — stunned.

Alexander's jaw clenched. "That's enough, Claudia."

But the damage had already nicked the surface.

Claudia's smile never wavered. "If you ever need advice, dear, just ask. Navigating Alexander's world can be… difficult for the unprepared."

She turned and glided away, leaving a trail of expensive perfume and venom behind her.

Lena stood still, face burning.

"I'm sorry," Alexander said. "She's vicious when she feels threatened."

"I'm not threatened," Lena said, but the words felt like paper in her mouth.

Not because of Claudia.

But because deep down, she knew — Claudia wasn't wrong.

This world was sharp. Shallow. Political.

And she was still figuring out how to walk in it without bleeding.

Later, after the dinner, Alexander took her hand and led her to the rooftop.

The city spread beneath them like a living map — pulsing, glowing, endless.

"I know that wasn't easy," he said.

Lena looked at him, her voice quiet. "She knows you. The version of you that fits here. I'm still learning who that man even is."

He nodded, hands in his pockets.

"I've spent most of my life building walls. And collecting people who knew how to climb them for their own gain."

He turned to her, voice rough.

"You never tried to climb. You just… stood there. Waiting for me to come down."

Lena reached for his hand.

"I didn't come here tonight to prove anything. I came because you asked me to. Because I believe in what we're building. But Alexander… if I'm going to be part of your life, I need to know I'm not alone in it."

"You're not," he said fiercely. "Not ever."

And for a moment, standing there under the city sky, Lena believed him.

But far below them, in a quiet corner of the event hall, Claudia Reinhart was dialing a number.

Her voice was cool. Sharp.

"It's time we reminded Alexander Kane what he stands to lose."