POV Xander
If I could strangle Alaina, I would. Every muscle in my body locked when she slithered into the room, her voice slicing the air, venom dripping from every syllable.
“Hello there, whore.”
My blood boiled. The way her eyes darted toward Norah—smug, satisfied, like she had just won some invisible war—snapped something inside me.
Before Norah could even respond, the words tore out of me, sharp and furious.
“Don’t you dare call her that,” I growled.
My voice was so low it shook the air. My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles white, fury pumping through my veins like poison.
“Don’t you ever speak about Norah that way again!”
Alaina’s lips parted in mock shock. Her hand flew to her chest like I had wounded her pride, not her venom.
“Are you talking like that to me?” she asked, feigning disbelief, her voice climbing in pitch. Then she delivered the dagger with ice in her tone. “To the mother of your child?”
My jaw tightened. Her words weren’t just a strike at me—they were meant to slice Norah open, to remind her of the one weapon Alaina still held over us. And it worked.
I saw Norah flinch, her lips pressed together as she fought to keep her dignity intact. My chest ached, because I couldn’t undo the damage her poison had caused.
Before I could take a step closer, Chris moved. He wrapped his hand around Norah’s arm protectively, his glare searing into me as if I were the enemy.
“I’ll take Norah home,” he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. “She doesn’t look good.”
Panic clawed at me. The thought of Norah walking away with him, leaving me behind, was unbearable.
“Chris—” I started, my chest tight, my hand half-lifting to stop them.
But then Alaina moved. She stepped in front of me like a shield, her perfume suffocating, her smirk mocking.
“Xander,” she breathed, suddenly tilting her head back dramatically. “I— I feel faint.”
Before I could sidestep her, her body went limp. She collapsed right into my arms, her weight pressing against me like chains locking me in place.
“Damn it,” I cursed under my breath, rage flashing behind my eyes.
Not at her sudden weakness, but at her timing. Her perfect, deliberate timing.
Norah’s face was the last thing I saw as Chris guided her away, her shoulders trembling as she let him lead her out of my reach.
And I was left holding Alaina.
I carried her stiffly, every muscle in my body screaming in protest, out into the night. My car waited in the driveway, and I all but threw her into the passenger seat, slamming the door harder than I should have.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, I gripped the wheel until the leather threatened to tear beneath my fingers.
The only thing louder than my heartbeat was the echo of her voice: the mother of your child.
I wanted to punch something. I wanted to chase after Norah, to rip her away from Chris’s arms and demand she listen to me, demand she see the truth in my eyes.
But instead, here I was—stuck with Alaina like some cruel punishment.
She stirred, finally lifting her head with a soft, calculated sigh.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice sugar-coated now, as if her fainting spell had cleansed her sins.
I glanced at her sharply, irritation spilling from every pore.
“Where are you even staying?” I snapped.
She smirked faintly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, her tone casual—too casual.
“With you,” she said smoothly. “My hotel reservation ends today.”
My jaw nearly cracked from how hard I bit down. With me? The words sank into my chest like ice water.
“Are you out of your mind?” I snarled, my knuckles burning against the steering wheel.
She tilted her head, feigning innocence.
“Where else would I go, Xander? I’m carrying your child. Surely you wouldn’t abandon me.”
I almost lost control of the car.
My teeth ground together, fury scraping my throat raw. This wasn’t about needing me. It was about keeping me chained, about dangling her pregnancy like a leash around my neck.
All I wanted was Norah. The sound of her heels walking away from me haunted every breath. The way she looked at me—shattered, betrayed—cut me deeper than any blade.
I couldn’t lose her.
Not to Alaina. Not to Chris. Not to ghosts from my past.
The moment I dropped Alaina off at my penthouse, she announced she needed to manage the return of her belongings from the hotel.
“Don’t worry,” she added with a smile too sweet to be real, “I’ll only be a moment.”
I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t trust myself to.
The second the door shut behind her, I dragged my phone from my pocket. My hands trembled, not from fear but from sheer frustration, from the desperation clawing through me.
There was only one person who could help me now.
One person who could help me untangle the mess Alaina had dropped at my feet and get Norah back before it was too late.
I scrolled to her name, pressed call, and lifted the phone to my ear. My chest heaved as the line clicked.
When her voice answered, I didn’t waste a second. “I need your help.”