Alec stood frozen in the hallway, watching helplessly as Maddy disappeared into the night. Her words echoed in his mind, sharp and unforgiving, like a constant drumbeat that rattled his every thought.
"I can't do this anymore, Alec."
He couldn't blame her. How could he? He had deceived her, spun a web of lies so intricate that even he could barely see the way out. She had trusted him, loved him for who she thought he was. And now, with everything exposed, he had nothing left but the cold, unrelenting truth.
"Alec," the woman said, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "You should go after her. But know this—it won't matter. Not anymore."
Alec turned slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. The woman stood there, her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. The man beside her was silent, his gaze unwavering. He hadn't moved an inch since they'd entered, his expression one of quiet calculation.
"What do you want from me?" Alec demanded, his voice barely more than a rasp.
The woman's lips curled into a cold smile. "What I want is irrelevant. What matters is what you're willing to sacrifice. You can't undo what's been done, Alec. But you can choose to fix it. To make sure she doesn't find out more than she already has."
Alec's pulse raced. "What are you talking about? How much more can she find out?"
The woman raised an eyebrow, a mockery of surprise on her face. "You really think it's just about the lies you've told her? You're a fool, Alec. Your father has his eyes everywhere, and I'm here to make sure you don't ruin everything he's worked so hard for. You've got one chance to make the right decision. Choose wisely."
Alec's mind was reeling. His father, always pulling the strings, always watching. But it wasn't just that anymore, was it? The woman had made it clear—this wasn't just about his family. There was something much bigger at play here. Something Alec couldn't even begin to understand.
"You want me to give up Maddy," Alec said slowly, trying to make sense of it. "That's your plan. Force me to choose between her and... everything else."
The woman's smile faded, replaced with a cold, steely expression. "Not exactly. You're missing the point. Your choice is not about Maddy. It's about your place in all of this. The life you were born into, Alec. The power, the wealth. You think you can escape it, but you can't. Not really."
Alec clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over. "I don't want that life. I never wanted it."
"And yet," the woman said, her voice laced with venom, "here you are, trying to keep everything you've built on a lie. You think you can have both worlds. But the truth is, you can't. If you want to keep Maddy, you'll have to walk away from the life you've been pretending to live. And your father... well, he'll never let that happen."
Alec's breath caught in his throat. Was she right? Was this his only choice? Let everything go, walk away from the empire his father had built, and hope that Maddy would take him back despite everything?
"I never asked for any of this," Alec muttered, more to himself than to her. "I just wanted to be with her. The real me."
The woman's gaze softened slightly, but the sympathy in her eyes was feigned. "That's the problem, Alec. You've been trying to be someone else for so long that you don't even know who you are anymore. And that's why you need me."
Alec shot her a sharp look. "What are you offering me? A way out? A chance to fix it all?"
She nodded, her eyes cold and calculating. "Yes. But you have to act quickly. Maddy isn't the only one in danger. If you don't make the right move, there will be consequences—ones you can't undo."
Alec felt a shiver run down his spine. The weight of her words hit him like a ton of bricks. He had been playing a dangerous game, and now, the stakes had escalated beyond anything he had imagined.
"What do you mean, 'consequences'?" Alec demanded, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger. "What are you threatening me with?"
The woman stepped closer, her voice low and venomous. "I'm not threatening you, Alec. I'm warning you. Your father's plans are already in motion. If you don't comply, you'll lose everything. Your position, your future, Maddy—everything you think you have. It'll all be gone."
Alec's chest tightened. He felt like he was drowning, caught between two worlds he didn't belong to, and neither offered him a way out. He had no choice but to face the truth. He had to make a decision, and fast. But what was the right choice?
"You're asking me to choose between my family and the woman I love," Alec said, his voice barely above a whisper. "How am I supposed to do that?"
The woman's eyes flashed with something cold and unreadable. "You don't have a choice, Alec. The decision has already been made for you. It's just up to you to accept it."
Alec's mind raced as he thought about Maddy, about the woman who had come into his life and shown him what it meant to live honestly. How could he turn his back on her now? Could he live with himself if he did?
The woman, sensing his hesitation, pressed on. "It's simple, really. You walk away from Maddy, and you walk into a future of power, wealth, and control. You continue the legacy your father has worked so hard to build. You can have everything you've ever dreamed of. But it comes at a price. Maddy won't be part of that future. She'll be nothing more than a distant memory."
Alec felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Could he really do this? Could he give up the one person who had ever made him feel like he was more than just the sum of his father's money and legacy?
But the woman wasn't done. "Of course, there's another option. But it's not as easy. If you choose Maddy, if you defy your father... then you'll be cut off completely. No money, no support, no future. You'll have to start over, alone. It'll be the hardest thing you've ever done. And you might lose her, too."