Rafael brought Elena to a new gala. The rumor about her connection to Viviene’s death is completely gone by now.
“Marry me.”
Rafael’s voice was smooth, and confident, the kind of voice that expected only one answer. The diamond ring in his hand sparkled under the golden lights of the grand ballroom. All eyes were on them—politicians, celebrities, and business moguls dressed in their finest, sipping champagne as they watched the moment unfold.
Elena’s heart pounded.
This wasn’t a proposal. It was a performance. A perfectly calculated trap.
She knew what would happen if she hesitated. If she let even a flicker of fear show on her face. Rafael had warned her before—his love was not something to betray.
So she did what she had trained herself to do.
She smiled.
Her fingers trembled only slightly as she let him slide the ring onto her hand. “Yes,” she whispered, forcing warmth into her voice.
The crowd erupted into applause.
Rafael pulled her into a kiss, his lips pressing firmly against hers as cameras flashed. She didn’t pull away. She couldn’t.
When he finally released her, he cupped her face, looking deep into her eyes, as if searching for something. Obedience. Submission. Ownership.
“You make me the happiest man alive,” he murmured for the audience, but his grip on her waist tightened, his fingers digging into her skin just enough to remind her who was in control.
Elena forced herself to keep smiling. To play the role. Because refusing him—here, now—was a death sentence.
Across the room, hidden in the shadows near the bar, Alexander watched.
His jaw was clenched so tight it ached. His nails dug into his palms, his entire body tense as he forced himself to stay still.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
They were supposed to have more time. A few more days to plan, to escape. But Rafael had just locked her in—publicly, permanently.
If Alexander made a move now, it would be suicide.
His heart pounded as he watched Elena smile up at the man she was planning to leave. The man who would kill her if he found out.
Alexander took a shaky breath.
Stay calm. Think.
This didn’t change their plan. It only made the stakes higher.
***
The apartment was dark when Elena slipped inside, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. Alexander was already there, pacing.
The second he saw her, he crossed the room in two strides. “What the hell was that?”
Elena flinched at the sharpness in his voice.
“I didn’t have a choice,” she whispered, pulling off the heavy diamond ring and gripping it in her fist. Her skin still burned from where Rafael had touched her. “If I said no, he would have known.”
Alexander ran a hand through his hair, his frustration boiling over. “And now what? You’re going to marry him?”
Elena’s eyes flashed. “Of course not.”
“Then when? When is enough enough?”
She sucked in a breath, steadying herself. “Now.”
Alexander stilled.
She stepped closer, gripping his hands, her fingers ice cold. Her eyes, filled with fear and determination, locked onto his.
“We have to run. Now.”