Luna's POV
The morning came with a heaviness I couldn't shake. After last night's encounter in the piano room, I had been restless, my thoughts consumed by the vulnerability Alexander had shown. It was fleeting, but it had been real.
I tried to focus on my breakfast, but the air in the mansion felt charged. Helen had laid out fresh croissants and coffee, but I barely touched them. My thoughts drifted to the woman in the photograph and Alexander's words. You remind me of her.
The quiet was broken by the doorbell ringing sharply. I glanced toward the entrance, hearing Helen's footsteps as she moved to answer it. Moments later, a voice echoed through the hall—a man's voice, warm and familiar.
"Luna?"
My heart jumped as I recognized the voice. It was Jake, an old friend from my life before this arrangement.
I stood quickly, my chair scraping against the floor, and hurried to the foyer. There he was, standing just inside the door, drenched from the rain outside but smiling warmly. His sandy blond hair was plastered to his forehead, and his blue eyes lit up when he saw me.
"Jake, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice filled with equal parts surprise and concern.
"I was passing through the city and thought I'd check on you,only to be informed by Ava that you are not home and she gave me this address" he said, his smile faltering slightly. "You kind of… disappeared, Luna. No calls, no texts. I was worried."
Guilt clawed at me. Jake had always been a good friend, someone I could rely on when times were tough. But I hadn't told him or anyone about my arrangement with Alexander. How could I?
"I'm fine, Jake," I said quickly, glancing nervously down the hallway. "It's just…you know what I will come see you later its complicated."
"Complicated?" he asked, his brows furrowing. "Luna, what's going on? Are you in trouble?"
"No, I'm not—"
"What's going on here?"
The deep, commanding voice cut through the conversation, sending a chill down my spine. I turned to see Alexander standing at the end of the hall, his expression thunderous. He was dressed impeccably, as always, but his usual calm composure was gone, replaced by something darker.
"Who is this?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Jake.
Jake straightened, meeting Alexander's gaze. "I'm a friend of Luna's. And you are?"
"I'm the one responsible for her now," Alexander replied coldly, stepping closer. His tone was sharp, almost territorial.
"Responsible?" Jake repeated, his confusion giving way to suspicion. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Alexander said, his voice dropping dangerously low, "that she's under my protection. And I don't take kindly to uninvited guests showing up at my home."
"Alexander, stop," I said, stepping between them. "This is Jake. He's an old friend. That's all."
Alexander's jaw tightened, his eyes never leaving Jake. "Old friend or not, he doesn't belong here."
Jake bristled at Alexander's tone, his fists clenching at his sides. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but Luna doesn't belong to anyone. If she wants me here, I'm staying."
The tension in the air was suffocating. I could feel Alexander's possessiveness radiating off him in waves, his body taut like a predator ready to strike.
"Jake, please," I said, my voice pleading. "It's not a good time. I'll explain everything later, I promise."
Jake hesitated, his eyes searching mine. "Are you sure? You don't have to stay here if you don't want to."
"I'm sure," I said firmly, though my heart ached at the concern in his voice.
With a reluctant nod, Jake stepped back toward the door. "Alright. But if you need me, you call, okay?"
"I will," I promised.
He gave me one last look before leaving, the door clicking shut behind him.
The silence that followed was deafening. I turned to Alexander, who was standing rigid, his eyes still fixed on the door as though Jake might reappear at any moment.
"What was that about?" I demanded, my frustration bubbling over.
"That man had no right to be here," he snapped, his tone as sharp as a blade. "And you had no right to invite him into my home."
"I didn't invite him!" I shot back. "He came to check on me because he's my friend. Not that it's any of your business."
Alexander's eyes darkened, his expression twisting with something I couldn't quite place. "It is my business, Luna. Everything about you is my business."
The weight of his words hung in the air, and I stared at him, my chest tightening. "You don't own me, Alexander," I said, my voice trembling. "This arrangement doesn't give you the right to control who I see or speak to."
He stepped closer, his towering presence overwhelming. "You don't understand, do you? That man doesn't belong in your life anymore. He's a distraction—dangerous even. I won't allow it."
"Won't allow it?" I repeated, anger flaring in my chest. "You don't get to decide who I care about!"
"Care about?" he hissed, his voice low and laced with venom. "Do you care about him, Luna? More than me?"
His question took me off guard, and I faltered, unsure how to respond. The possessiveness in his eyes was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It wasn't just anger—it was fear.
"I… I care about him as a friend," I said finally. "That's all."
Alexander exhaled sharply, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. For a moment, he looked as though he might say something, but instead, he turned abruptly and walked away, leaving me alone in the echoing hallway.
That night, I couldn't sleep. The argument with Alexander replayed in my mind, his possessive words clashing with the vulnerability I'd seen in him the night before.
Part of me wanted to hate him for the way he tried to control me, but another part couldn't ignore the depth of his emotions. Beneath the cold, calculated exterior was a man who felt deeply—too deeply, perhaps.
I didn't know what to make of it. All I knew was that this arrangement was becoming far more complicated than I had ever anticipated.