Chapter 206

The bass from the club's speakers vibrated through the walls, loud enough to stop a heartbeat.

Inside the private suite, silence hung thick in the air.

Alexander Kingsley lounged in the dim lighting, his tailored black suit accentuating his broad shoulders. The top buttons of his silk shirt were undone, revealing a silver cross that glinted with each steady breath. One long leg crossed over the other as he swirled a glass of merlot.

A drop of wine escaped his lips. He wiped it away with deliberate slowness. His posture appeared relaxed, but his piercing gaze could freeze hell over.

Shadowy figures lined the walls - his personal security detail.

Alexander drained his glass and snapped his fingers.

The guards parted like curtains, revealing a bloodied man bound on the Persian rug.

"Mr. Kingsley...please..." The traitor's words came out garbled through broken teeth and swollen lips. Blood and saliva dripped onto the expensive fabric.

"You're ruining my carpet."

Alexander's lip curled in disgust. "This rug costs more than your entire pathetic life. Not even harvesting all your organs would cover the damage."

The man crawled forward, only to be kicked back by a polished Oxford shoe.

"I've served you for years! It was one mistake! Harrison made me do it! All he wanted was your schedule—"

Harrison Kingsley. Alexander's uncle.

When Alexander was seven, his father's private jet went down over the Atlantic. The Kingsley empire should have collapsed, but his father had transferred all assets weeks before the crash - a move that saved them from vultures.

Now Fairhaven Group answered to Harrison. Though Alexander was the rightful heir, his uncle had seized control during their family's vulnerable period.

The same uncle who'd wept louder than anyone at the funeral. The same uncle who pretended to care while plotting against him.

His fragile mother and naive sister Evelyn remained blissfully unaware.

As patriarch, Alexander bore this burden alone. Not even his closest friend Nathaniel knew the truth.

"Pathetic," Alexander murmured. "Do you really think sentimentality will save you?"

The wine glass shattered against the floor. The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

The traitor's forehead thudded against the rug in desperate supplication.

"Betrayal is expected. But stupidity? That's unforgivable. Had you committed to your treachery, you might have lived another day."

Meanwhile, in another section of the VIP lounge...

Evelyn had hacked into the club's surveillance system, projecting the feed onto a massive screen for her friends' amusement.

Their entertainment? Isabella Sinclair - lost and panicking like a startled fawn in the pulsing crowd.

Evelyn's posse howled with laughter, drinks sloshing over crystal glasses.

"She hasn't changed since high school!" Evelyn shrieked, pointing at the screen. "I swear she's mentally stunted!"

Below, Isabella desperately searched for her missing teddy bear, getting jostled by intoxicated partygoers. Each time she dodged a grabby stranger, crude insults followed.

The group found it more entertaining than any comedy special.

"Vanessa," Evelyn gasped between laughs, "where did you stash it?"

Vanessa whispered in Evelyn's ear, sending the entire group into fresh hysterics.

"Genius! She'll never—"

Their mockery was cut off as club lights shifted to strobe mode.

Confetti rained from the ceiling, coating the dance floor in colorful paper.

The crowd roared, moving as one intoxicated organism.

"My bear...where's my bear..."

Isabella remained singularly focused, oblivious to the chaos around her.

Then—impact.

Her sweat-slicked face collided with something warm and solid.

Stars exploded behind her eyelids. Pain radiated from her nose as tears spilled over. "I'm sorry!"

She tried to retreat, but the "wall" moved to block her path.

"Please, I didn't mean—"

"Isabella?"

Her heart jackhammered against her ribs. Slowly, she lifted tear-filled eyes.

And found herself staring into Alexander's face - his normally sharp gaze softened by alcohol, yet still impossibly deep.

"This isn't a dream...it's really you."

Without warning, Alexander pulled her into his chest. One arm banded around her waist, the other cradling the back of her head protectively.

The dance floor was no place for someone like her. Too many drunk idiots who wouldn't notice if they crushed her.

Isabella's pulse raced. Her trembling hands fisted in his dress shirt.

She should push away. But after hours of wandering lost, his embrace felt like sanctuary. Just for a moment. Just until she caught her breath.

This was wrong. So wrong.

He was kind. But he was Evelyn's brother.

Around them, clubgoers gasped as they recognized Alexander. His sudden appearance caused more excitement than the DJ's set.

That face launched a thousand tabloid covers.

Those hypnotic eyes were legendary across Manhattan - capable of melting resolve with a single glance.

Right now, those famous eyes were locked onto the girl in his arms.

Lights. Music. Chaos. None of it existed in this bubble.

"You came here alone?" His voice was low, for her ears only.

She nodded. Then shook her head.

"What happened?" Though his expression darkened, his tone remained gentle.

"I lost my teddy bear."

The words tumbled out before she could stop them. Fresh tears followed. "Alexander, it's gone. My sister-in-law gave it to me. It was my favorite."