I just couldn't shake the feelings and I felt the need to call my friends for a meet up, Celine and Serena. They are my best friends and I haven't even told them about my situation yet.I sat across from Celine and Serena at our usual table, nursing a cup of coffee that had long gone cold. The café around us buzzed with chatter, but it all felt distant, like background noise to the storm brewing in my head. My two best friends were locked in conversation about something trivial—Celine's latest work drama or Serena's new fitness obsession, I wasn't sure—but I could barely focus on their words.
They hadn't asked yet, but I knew they could tell something was wrong. I'd been quieter than usual, distracted, and I knew the moment was coming when I'd have to spill everything. It had been eating at me for days, the weight of the deal I'd made with Alex volkov,the fear that I'd just handed over my company, my life's work, to a man I barely understood. And worse than that—how he made me feel, how I couldn't stop thinking about him despite everything.
I took a deep breath and finally spoke up, cutting into their conversation. "I need to tell you guys something."
Both of them turned to me immediately, eyes widening with concern. Celine leaned forward, her perfectly manicured hand resting on mine. "Emma, what's going on? You've been off all day."
Serena, ever direct, didn't bother with pleasantries. "It's about your company, isn't it? What happened?"
I nodded, biting my lip as I tried to figure out where to start. They didn't know everything—not about the trouble I'd been in, not about how close I'd come to losing everything, and certainly not about *him*. But now it was all bubbling to the surface, and I couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Yeah. It's… it's not good," I said, my voice low. "Things have been really bad. Worse than I let on."
Celine's brow furrowed in concern, and Serena's eyes narrowed, always ready to jump into problem-solving mode. "Bad how?" Serena asked.
"I've been having serious financial issues with the business for months. I tried to fix it myself, but nothing worked. I was running out of time, out of money, out of options." I could feel the tension rising in my chest as I spoke. "So, I did something… something I'm not sure I should have."
Celine squeezed my hand gently, her voice soft. "What did you do?"
I glanced down at the table, my fingers tracing the rim of my cup as I gathered the courage to say it out loud. "I signed a deal with Alex Volkov ."
The silence that followed was thick and immediate. Serena blinked first, her sharp gaze cutting through the quiet. "Alex Volkov ? As in *the* Alex Volkov ? The billionaire?"
"Yeah," I muttered, rubbing my temples as if that would ease the tension that had been building there for days. "That Alex Volkov."
Celine looked between me and Serena, her face a mixture of confusion and concern. "Wait, hold on. How did you even get a meeting with him? And why him, of all people?"
I sighed. "It wasn't like I had a lot of options. His reputation—yes, I know, it's not great—but he's known for turning companies around. And I needed help. Desperately."
Serena's expression darkened, her tone turning cautious. "Emma, I've heard stories about him. He's ruthless. You sure this is the right move?"
I shook my head, feeling the weight of those words settle over me. "I'm not sure about anything anymore, Serena. But I was running out of time. The company was on the verge of collapse. I didn't have a choice."
Celine leaned in, her voice laced with concern. "What kind of deal? What did you agree to?"
"That's the problem," I admitted, feeling a pit form in my stomach as I thought back to the contract. "He practically owns me now. I gave him control over the company's finances, operations… everything. It's like I've handed my whole business over to him."
Celine gasped softly. "Oh, Emma…"
"And it's not just that," I added, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's him. Alex Volkov . There's something about him. He's cold, calculated, and impossible to read, but there's this… I don't even know how to explain it. It's like he's always two steps ahead, like he knows exactly what I'm going to do before I do it."
Serena crossed her arms, her jaw tightening. "So he's manipulative. That's what people like him do. They get inside your head."
I shook my head, frustrated that I couldn't quite put it into words. "It's not just that. It's more complicated. He's dangerous, but I can't stop thinking about him. It's like he's always there, in the back of my mind, no matter what I do. And I hate it."
Celine's eyes widened. "Wait… are you saying you're *attracted* to him?"
I groaned, sinking back into my chair. "I don't know! Maybe? God, this is so messed up. He's the last person I should be drawn to, but I can't help it. There's this pull between us, and I don't know how to deal with it."
Serena's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a knife. "Emma, this guy doesn't sound like someone you can trust. If he's got that much power over your company—and over *you*—you need to be careful. Really careful."
"I know," I said, feeling the weight of Serena's words. "But I'm in too deep now. I signed the contract. There's no backing out."
Celine's face softened as she reached across the table, squeezing my hand. "We're here for you, Em. Whatever happens, you don't have to go through this alone."
Serena nodded, her tough exterior cracking just a little. "Yeah. We'll figure this out. Together."
I looked at them, my two best friends, and for the first time in days, I felt a small flicker of hope. The situation with Alex was a mess, but at least I wasn't completely alone in it. Maybe, somehow, I'd find a way to navigate this storm.
But deep down, I knew that dealing with Alex Mercer was like playing with fire—and I wasn't sure how long I could keep from getting burned.