Chapter 78

Scarlett's POV

I was about to answer when his lips touched mine, a simple meeting of mouths, yet somehow it carried more impact than any of our previous intimate encounters.

Because I could feel that this kiss contained no lust whatsoever—it was just a pure, simple kiss that happened naturally.

I widened my eyes in shock, my thoughts suddenly clearing, and I instinctively tried to create distance between us.

"Don't move," he whispered, his voice filled with control even in this state. His body pressed against mine. "Are you uncomfortable?"

The car was too cramped, and this position was indeed awkward.

But my discomfort wasn't due to the car's confined space; it was our proximity. My cheeks flushed at this realization.

Was this fluttering in my heart due to desire? The feeling of being needed? Or was it because of our forbidden relationship, built upon lies and manipulation?

If I were his only source of desire, perhaps I could understand this attraction between us.

But Alexander was surrounded by so many women—his fiancée Lillian, the pregnant lover I'd just heard about, and the intelligent, sensitive Violet from Velvet Mirage.

What was I to him? Another conquest? Just another name on his ever-growing list?

Whenever I thought I understood him, he revealed another side that left me confused about who he truly was.

He was both cruel and gentle, arrogant yet vulnerable—a collection of contradictions, just like me. Perhaps that's why I often found myself thinking like him, despite not wanting to acknowledge this connection.

As I felt his lips approaching again, I sensed my self-control weakening.

"Alexander," I whispered, not knowing myself whether I was asking him to stop or continue. I only knew that in this moment, in this car, in Alexander's embrace, I felt a strange calmness, a sense of security I hadn't experienced in a long time.

How dangerous this feeling was, how tempting.

Sinking deeper would be like walking step by step into the sea—a form of slow suicide.

"Let me go, I'm your uncle's future..." My voice was barely audible, but mentioning Richard was enough to stop Alexander from continuing.

I watched as the longing in his eyes quickly gave way to coldness, and I felt simultaneously relieved and inexplicably disappointed.

The intimate atmosphere dissipated instantly. I pushed him away forcefully, hastily straightening my disheveled shirt and creating distance between us. I felt like a fool, showing vulnerability in front of him time and again.

A wave of self-loathing washed over me as I pressed my lips together, suppressing my unsettled heart.

"Are you angry?" Alexander's smile had completely vanished, his gaze as dark as the midnight ocean.

He leaned back in his seat, examining me with the look of a predator studying prey, making me feel like a fragile animal he could capture at any moment.

Under this gaze, I felt that he caught every subtle expression of mine, making any pretense before him seem transparent.

I looked directly at his face, a mocking smile on my lips while carefully concealing the emotions churning inside me. "I have no right to be angry with you."

After the initial emotional turbulence subsided, my thoughts became clearer. Looking at him again, my eyes revealed only determination. "I just want to be honest with you, Mr. Gray."

My attitude was so formal that I saw Alexander's pupils contract slightly and the muscles in his jaw twitch—signs that he was provoked.

His voice was low and dangerous, with a hint of challenge, "Honest about what? Setting boundaries between us? Or..."

I interrupted him, blurting out a decision I had considered many times. "Help me escape from Richard! Even if I must stay within the Gray family, I want to follow only one man."

I didn't mention his name or say anything specifically about him, but seeing Alexander's eyes widen instantly, I knew that this statement, almost like a confession, had deeply shaken us both.

The past few weeks had been torturous for me—constantly worrying that Richard would discover my relationship with Alexander, while also fearing that Alexander would continue investigating my connection to Obsidian Palace.

This dangerous balance was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. I felt like I was walking a tightrope with an abyss below.

I couldn't risk losing everything. I had only one choice: either remain completely by Richard's side or follow Alexander entirely.

I had only one life; I couldn't die twice. This thought emerged clearly in my consciousness, like placing another bet, only this one involved my life and Yvette's.

"Leave my uncle..." Alexander leaned back against his seat, crossing his legs and examining me from head to toe.

His gaze lingered on my neck, hands, and lips, as if evaluating a business proposal.

I could feel my skin heating slightly wherever his eyes scanned, both despising this look and excited that it came from him.

"Yes! As long as you help me leave Richard, I'll do anything you want." I clenched my jaw, prepared for the final outcome, the desperation in my voice impossible to hide, but I was ready for the worst.

Alexander might be difficult to deal with, but at least he wouldn't torture me like Richard. The memory of being with Richard now made my skin crawl with goosebumps, phantom pain spreading across parts of my body where he had left his mark.

However, after a moment of silence, Alexander's answer was simple and direct: "No."

"Why not?" I asked desperately, leaning forward. "If you help me escape Richard, I'll do anything you want, be your lover, stay with you forever, even..."

Before I could finish, Alexander leaned forward with surprising speed, firmly grasping my chin.

His fingers were cold and strong, gripping my chin so I couldn't break free.

I looked into his eyes, which resembled a deep abyss, containing complex emotions I couldn't decipher. "You're too dangerous, Scarlett. You're always calculating what benefits you most."

The words I was about to say in my defense suddenly caught in my throat. After our time together, Alexander understood me too well.

I was a dangerous woman—a ticking time bomb—and he was smart enough not to let me get too close. But leaving me with Richard transferred the danger away from him, while still allowing him to come to me whenever he wanted, including having me do what I had just promised.

This understanding of me made me both admire and hate him.

"You think I don't know what you're plotting?" Alexander said slowly, his fingers gently stroking my chin, a gesture almost tender, in stark contrast to the hardness in his voice.

"Obsidian Palace isn't known for business, but for its spies... who specialize in draining men's energy, obtaining business secrets, disrupting international markets, and profiting from it."

I looked at him with tears in my eyes, feeling completely exposed before him. His eyes contained not only coldness but also a hint of being trapped, yet his words cut me deeply.

"Their techniques and schemes are incredibly sophisticated, maintaining countless identities outside... Do you really think I would risk letting someone like you get close to me?"

My throat became dry. Alexander's investigation into Obsidian Palace was much deeper than I had anticipated.

The organization's influence was immense, but its internal operations were supposed to remain secret. This exposure made me feel naked, as if my last line of defense had been breached.

Nevertheless, I couldn't admit my identity to him. Even though Obsidian Palace was infamous in certain circles, few people knew the true identities of its members.

Confirming his suspicions would be like signing my own death warrant. My heart raced, but my facial expression remained calm—this control was key to my survival.

In an instant, tears welled in my eyes and spilled over. The transition was seamless, practiced to perfection.

"If you won't help me leave Richard, then please stop pursuing me," I pleaded, my voice breaking convincingly.

My tears flowed easily, the kind that would soften most men's hearts, making them rush to offer comfort, to promise anything to make them stop...

His gaze is sharp, effortlessly piercing through my performance, straight to the core of the truth.

"When you're with me, spare those tears. Save them for someone who will appreciate them."

His voice is ice-cold. After leaving these words, he kicks open the car door and walks out, without a backward glance.

I watch his retreating figure through the windshield. In that moment, I feel a strange sense of loss, as if something important is slipping through my fingers.