Chapter 0016
Lauren’s POV
The office was suffocating, the air thick with unspoken words and tension I couldn’t bring myself to confront. I wanted to leave, to vanish from the shadow of his penetrating gaze, but time had other plans. The director excused himself without a second thought, leaving me alone with Alexander.
The man I had run from for 5 years was just a few steps away, a whirlwind of emotions all trying to push to the surface at once, leaving me frozen.
“Lauren,” he breathed my name like a reverent prayer, his voice carrying an ache that pierced through the fragile shield I’d built around myself. His eyes–those deep, stormy eyes–shone with something raw and unrestrained, a mixture of joy and disbelief that made me flinch. “I thought you were dead… This is… unbelievable.
He moved toward me as if afraid I might vanish, like a ghost he couldn’t bear to lose again. The sheer intensity of his gaze sent an involuntary shiver coursing through me.
I straightened my spine, willing my heart to stop pounding against my ribs. “Sir, you have the wrong person,” I said coldly, summoning every ounce of composure I had left. “I’m Ava,” I lied, wielding the name like a weapon. And I won’t agree to your request for Own. I have responsibilities at Hailsing’s Hospital and can’t stay here long- term.”
The words sounded firm, detached, but they felt brittle. My pulse betrayed me, racing wildly as his presence closed in, his disbelief unwavering.
Alexander moved with purpose, his stride devouring the space between us before I could even take another breath. He reached for me, pulling me into his arms with a force that stole the air from my lungs. His towering frame loomed over mine, overwhelming and towering, like a storm swallowing the sky.
The contact was searing, his touch igniting memories I’d locked away so deeply I thought they could never surface.
“Lauren,” he murmured against my hair, his voice trembling with something close to desperation. His fingers splayed against my back, holding me as if letting go wasn’t an option.
Every nerve in my body rebelled against him and betrayed me all at once. The familiar scent of him, the sheer magnetism of his presence, made my knees weak even as fury sparked in my chest.
“Let me go!” I twisted in his hold, pushing against the solid wall of his chest. “Sir, this is harassment!” My voice cracked, panic and anger warring inside me. “If you don’t release me, I’ll call the police!”
His grip loosened just enough for me to break free, but the anguish etched into his face nearly undid me. His expression was devastating–a storm of pain and longing, as though he couldn’t reconcile the coldness in my eyes with the woman he once knew.
“No,” he whispered, his voice raw. “Lauren, don’t you remember me?”
I froze, caught in the intensity of his gaze. For half a heartbeat, my resolve faltered, memories flickering to life like embers fanned to flame. Then I steeled myself, forcing the walls back up.
“I’ll say it again: I’m not Lauren.” My words came out sharper this time, a desperate attempt to cut through the tension crackling between us. “Please, be mindful of your actions.”
Alexander’s eyes roamed over my face, searching for something–recognition, truth, a crack in the facade. His confusion gave way to something fiercer, a determination that made my stomach twist.
“You’re not?” he asked softly, his words filled with disbelief, his gaze darkening with unspoken emotions,
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Before I could retreat, before I could take another breath, closed the distance between us again.
His lips crashed against mine.
The kiss was a collision of anger and desperation, of passion and frustration. It wasn’t gentle or cautious; it was raw, demanding, and electric. His hands cupped my face, liglding me in place as his lips moved over mine with a fire that threatened to consume me.
My first instinct was to resist. 1 pressed my hands against his chest, intending to push him away, but the warmth of his skin beneath my fingers unraveled something deep side me.
His lips were firm and familiar, his touch igniting a storm of emotions I wasn’t ready to face. Anger, longing, regret it all swirled together, overwhelming my senses.
But then reality came crashing back. And a rage burned through me like the sun.
Chapter 0017
