Evelyn stepped into the cold, antiseptic meeting room, the aroma of polished wood and fine leather reaching her the instant the door closed behind her. The high-rise windows overlooked the city, a sprawling metropolis of glass and steel, just the type of place she had previously found herself drowning in.
She tightened her coat and her heart raced as she looked around the room. Board members sat at the big table, their attention immediately going to her as she approached.
Their looks were curious and calculating, as if she were a unique animal on show. She despised it, dreaded being back in this world, but she had no option. She hadn't come here to play the game, but it had a way of pulling you back in, making you stay even if you didn't want to.
Evelyn shifted her weight, forcing her expression to stay neutral. She had learnt how to get around in this world a long time ago. She had to, For him, For them. The door behind her opened, and the room got quiet.
Alexander Bennett entered.
He was the same, and yet entirely different. He was tall and authoritative, and his presence filled the room as readily as the weight of his reputation. His sleek, fitted suit fit him perfectly, every movement controlled, every glance intentional.
She didn't think about how he still affected her, how his presence could still take her breath away. Her eyes met his, and for a brief time, the world outside of the conference room seemed to evaporate.
But then he smiled just a little bit. The smirk that used to make her heart race, but now made her stomach churn. "Did you miss it, Evelyn?" His voice was soft, chilly, like silk laced with poison.
"This world never forgets." Her heart raced, but she stayed calm. She had to.
She couldn't afford to show him how much she still felt for him, not in front of these parasites. As Alexander walked to the head of the table, the atmosphere got quieter and quieter. He never took his eyes off of Evelyn.
The air around them seemed to freeze, as the weight of their shared past settled like a dense fog. She had come here to do business, but it was impossible to ignore the past. It was always there, hovering beneath the surface, waiting for the proper opportunity to erupt again. He didn't take a seat.
Instead, he leaned on the table, his posture comfortable but his gaze alert, studying her every move.
Evelyn could feel how hard he was staring at her, like fingers pressing against her skin. "So, Evelyn," he began, his voice as measured as usual. "Back in my world, after all this time.
What is the true reason you came back?
She fought the impulse to move around awkwardly and stood her ground. "I'm here for business, Alexander. Nothing more." He laughed, a sound that sent a chill through the room.
The laugh wasn't warm. It was sharp and made fun of. "Business?"
He pushed himself away from the table and walked slowly and carefully toward her. "I don't believe it." You left years ago and now you're back all of a sudden. After all that. His eyes narrowed, the intensity of his gaze ripping through her, reminding her of the betrayal, the anguish, the way he had looked at her when she left.
"You really think I don't know the truth?" he asked, his voice quiet but boiling with accusation.
"Do you think you can just walk back into my life like nothing happened?" Evelyn's chest felt tight.
She wanted to yell at him and tell him he didn't know what she had been through, but she didn't. Instead, she looked him in the eye, her rage barely below the surface of her cool demeanor.
"Did you come back for money, for power, or to finish what you started?" His remarks were sharp, and each one was a harsh reminder of what they had lost. Evelyn opened her mouth to answer, but the words lodged in her throat. She hadn't come back for any of those reasons.
But could she even remember why she had left in the first place?
She had made a choice for her family, but it cost her everything. His eyes pierced her, and she felt the weight of his accusation crush her.
Evelyn sat in the leather chair across from Alexander, her hands tightly gripping the armrests. It seemed like the meeting had been going on for hours, but the main talk didn't start until now. She could feel the weight of his gaze, still fastened on her, as though he were scrutinizing every thought, every uncertainty that flickered across her face.
She had been expecting to escape this world, to get away from the manipulations and the games that had shattered their love. But Alexander had different ideas. He said in a suave, calculating voice,
"This company needs you, Evelyn." "You know the ins and outs. You know the people who play. You know how to get things done." She shook her head to attempt to stop it. "Alexander, I'm not here to take over." "I'm not your pawn anymore." He smirked, the kind of smirk that used to make her heart race.
But now it just made her mouth taste bad. He leaned nearer and asked, "You think you have a choice in this?" His eyes never left hers. "You think I'll let you go again?" Evelyn, this is your world now. You have to do it, whether you want to or not.
She glanced back at him, her pulse speeding.
He was right in some ways, this world, his world, had always been her world too. She couldn't deny the draw of it, the way it had once consumed her, and the way it was still pulling her back in, whether she wanted it or not.
She said, "I'm not your tool, Alexander," and her voice was calm, but inside, a tempest was brewing.
"You can't just treat me the way you used to." I have my own life now." He rose up and walked around the room, and the tension between them was clear.
"You can't escape this, Evelyn. Not now, not ever. You're too deep in it. You always have been. His words sank into her like a heavy stone. She had attempted to make a life for herself outside of this, but every time she moved away from it, it seemed to pull her back.
The weight of his influence, the power he held over everything she cared about, it was suffocating.
"Don't fool yourself," he said, turning back to face her, his voice low and menacing. "You fit in here." And I'll make sure of it."
The heaviness of Alexander's comments hung in the air like a thick fog. Evelyn's chest felt tight as she tried to keep her cool. She hadn't come back for any of this, not to be caught into his web again, not to be a pawn in his game.
But nevertheless, she was once again caught up in the threads of his influence. The board members had left, and the room felt smaller, like the walls were closing in on her. Alexander stood in front of her, his presence strong and uncompromising, like a natural force she couldn't escape.
"You think you have a choice," he said, his voice cutting through her thoughts.
"But you don't." Not anymore."
Evelyn made herself rise up, even though the severity in his voice made her want to give up. She was tired of him telling her what to do and how to live her life. She had lived without him for years, and she had tried to build out a life of her own. But the reality was apparent. She couldn't just walk away without facing the implications of his power over her.
"Alexander, what do you want?" she asked, her voice colder than she intended. "What's the real deal here?"
His lips twisted into a smile, one that wasn't wholly pleasant. He moved closer and kept his eyes on hers. The air between them seemed to crackle with a mix of tension and something sinister.
"I want you back, Evelyn. But not in the way you imagine. She squinted her eyes and her heart raced.
"I'm not going to play this game with you again." "You already are," he said in a silky, menacing voice. "You're a part of this world now, whether you want to be or not. I can make sure you're on the winning side. All you have to do is agree to the deal.
Evelyn's thoughts were racing. She could feel the weight of his words and the seriousness of the situation crushing down on her. He was using her again, playing with her, and bringing her into his world where everything was a sale.
Then, her phone rang. She looked down at the screen and gasped when she saw the message. "You don't know everything that happened." You're going straight into a trap.
The words hit her like a punch to the gut.
Who was this?
And why was someone attempting to tell her?
Evelyn's pulse raced as she read the message on her phone. The words were scary, like a cold warning that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Who may be telling her to be careful?
And why now, when she was already caught in Alexander's world once again? She tried to calm her breathing, but it came in quick, frightened bursts.
She had no idea who had delivered the letter, but it felt too real to ignore. The message was clear: she was going into something dangerous that she didn't understand.
The trap was already in place. Alexander was looking at her with a cold, unblinking stare. He must have noticed how her face changed all of a sudden and how her eyes got bigger as she read the sentences. Evelyn could see the delight in his gaze as his lips twisted into a sneer. He had her exactly where he wanted her, hesitant, on edge, imprisoned.
"What's wrong, Evelyn?" Alexander's voice was smooth, like silk around a knife.
"Something caught your attention?" She didn't answer quickly, her mind racing.
The message was a puzzle, but she didn't have all the pieces yet. But she knew one thing, it was a warning, and the person who had sent it knew more than they should.
"Who sent this?" she said, her voice wavering just slightly as she turned the phone over in her palms.
Alexander waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about that." "You're here now. You are in this world. There's no avoiding it, Evelyn. Not anymore."
Evelyn's hands shook as she tried to take it all in. She could feel the walls of his world closing in on her, and the air was full of danger. It was a warning, but who could you trust in this web of lies?
Was Alexander using her again?
Or was someone else taking a big risk?
The door to the conference room opened, breaking her train of thought. A delivery person came in with a folder and gave it to Evelyn right away. She took it, her fingers brushing against the smooth paper, the weight of it like a leaden stone in her hands.
Without a word, she opened it. There were papers, notes, reports, and a few pictures that made her stomach turn inside. She scanned through them quickly, her eyes widening as she read the contents. These weren't just papers for work. They were parts of a plan to ruin Alexander's reputation and take away everything he had worked for.
But who sent this? She glanced at Alexander, who watched her with a knowing smirk.
It seemed like the world was spinning out of control, and the trap was getting closer and closer.