Alex stormed back to the room, fury radiating from him. His men had failed to catch Maya, and his patience was wearing thin. As he entered the room, he noticed a person lingering near the doorway. Without thinking, he grabbed the person by the arm and pushed her towards him, his anger bubbling over.
To his shock, the person stumbled and fell into his arms. As their eyes met, Alex felt a jolt of recognition. It was Maya. She had somehow circled back and ended up in the very place she had escaped from. Alex's mind raced as he quickly decided to pretend not to know her.
Maya's eyes widened as she looked up and saw Alex's face. She realized with a sinking feeling that the man who had ordered her capture was Alex, the same Alex she had once know . Her heart pounded, and confusion clouded her thoughts. Why was he doing this? Why was he pretending not to know her?
Alex forced himself to remain calm, masking his recognition with a look of indifference. "Who are you? How did you get here?" he demanded, his voice cold.
Maya's mind was in turmoil, but she knew she had to stay focused. She couldn't let him see her fear. She tried to pull away from his grasp, but Alex's grip tightened. She turned her head, looking for an escape route, but found none.
"Answer me!" Alex's voice was harsh, but there was an underlying tension that Maya could sense. He was pretending, but why?
Desperately, Maya made a sudden move, trying to break free. Alex stumbled backward, still holding her arm. The force of their movements caused her to slip on the smooth floor. She fell, but Alex's grip on her arm prevented her from hitting the ground. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and time seemed to slow.
In that fleeting, almost dreamy moment, memories of their past together flooded Maya's mind. She saw the Alex she once know, t But now, here he was, a stranger cloaked in menace.
Alex felt a pang of guilt as he looked into her eyes. He knew he was hurting her, but he had to maintain his facade. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way. Not now.
Maya, still grappling with the shock of seeing Alex in this new light, took a deep breath. "Please," she whispered, "let me go."
For a split second, Alex's resolve wavered. He wanted to let her go, to explain everything, but he couldn't. Not yet. He forced himself to stay in character. "You're not going anywhere," he said coldly, pulling her to her feet.
He called for his men, his grip on Maya never loosening. "Take her back to the holding room and make sure she doesn't escape this time," he ordered.
Maya's heart sank as she was dragged away, but she couldn't help but steal one last glance at Alex. In his eyes, she saw a flicker of something—regret, pain, maybe even love. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the steely determination of a man she barely recognized.
As the door closed behind her, Maya vowed to find out the truth. She needed to understand why Alex was doing this, and more importantly, she needed to find a way to escape—for good this time.