"Stay with me... behind Clara," Grayson whispered softly as he reached for Alexis's hand, gazing at her with a hopeful smile. "Once we solve this problem, I'll marry you. You won't just be a hidden love anymore; you'll be my wife, and everyone will know."
Alexis stood frozen, staring at Grayson while imagining Clara, her family's influence, Grayson's own family, and the reactions of everyone around them. It terrified her. She feared that the man before her was offering her nothing but more trouble.
What if he's just playing with me? He won't let me go because I used his money for my father's treatment. It's impossible for him to fall in love with someone like me, especially when his wife is so beautiful and wealthy. They even seem to care about each other. Love could grow between them at any time... And if I fall for him, I'll only end up hurt...
"No..." She shook her head and pushed Grayson away, stepping back. "I can't... I can't be with you!"
"But why?" Grayson raised his voice slightly, frowning.
"Because it's impossible!" Alexis said firmly. "A man like you couldn't possibly fall in love with me... We've barely even known each other."
"But that's how I feel!" Grayson protested, his handsome face reflecting his sadness.
"No..."
"Why don't you believe me?"
"Maybe..." Alexis looked down. "Maybe you're no different from Jerry... You gave me money, and now you want me to be yours. But you're using gentler methods... You're throwing around the word 'love'..." she explained, looking up at Grayson, who appeared stunned.
"Doesn't what I'm saying make sense? How can you claim to want me while caring about your wife? Even if you were single... it's still impossible for someone like you to fall in love with someone like me, to give me money, when there are so many better girls out there..."
"So, that's how you see me?" Grayson interrupted, disappointment etched on his face as he stared at Alexis.
Alexis lowered her head, startled when Grayson suddenly pushed her onto the bed, trapping her beneath him.
"Mr. Whitmore, what are you doing?" she asked, trying to push him away.
"I'm doing exactly what you think I would do!" Grayson whispered with a piercing gaze.
Alexis gasped, turning her face away from Grayson's intense stare. She pushed against him, but he was too strong.
"If you think I'm no better than that bastard Jerry, then fine!" Grayson whispered again, his lips close to her ear, his fingers brushing against her lips. "I'll make sure you can't run from me. I'll prove that I'm even more powerful than Jerry. You escaped him, but you won't escape me!" he declared, clenching his jaw, his breath heavy as he closed his eyes briefly.
Alexis froze in fear, her eyes darting toward Grayson, who had suddenly transformed into someone terrifying.
"I won't give you a choice!" Grayson stood up, turning his back to her as he adjusted his black jacket.
Alexis quickly sat up.
"Get ready," Grayson ordered.
"Why? Do you want me to leave with you?"
"Of course."
"You still want to go through with your original plan? You want me to stay in your mansion, watching you be affectionate with your wife?"
"What's wrong with that?" Grayson spun around, moving closer to Alexis until his face was inches from hers. "As you said, I'm worse—much worse—than Jerry!" he whispered, his eyes cold and piercing.
Alexis swallowed hard, her heart racing as she stared at Grayson, who now seemed like a completely different person. Slowly, she leaned back, avoiding his gaze.
"And anyway, why does it matter to you if I'm affectionate with my wife? Why do you care whether we get divorced or not?" Grayson asked, tilting his head. "Are you hoping we'll get divorced so I can be with you? But you don't even trust me, do you?"
Alexis sighed and averted her gaze from Grayson, pushing against his chest.
"Sorry... Maybe I've judged you unfairly," she admitted anxiously. "I'm just scared... I have trust issues..."
"After everything I've done for you, you still don't trust me? That's insane!"
Grayson stood back up, placing his hands on his hips as he continued to stare at Alexis.
"I'll void the original contract, but I might create a new one. I can't let you leave after everything I've done for you!" he declared.
Alexis frowned and looked up at Grayson. "What? What do you mean by that?"
"I'm doing exactly what you think I would do. If you see me as another Jerry, then fine! I'll trap you in my life for two years as payment for the money I spent on your father's treatment!" Grayson explained, sighing as he turned his face away. I'm sorry... I have to do this... It's the only way to keep you close, because if I let you go, Jerry will come after you again, he thought.
Alexis shook her head.
"Get ready now!" Grayson demanded.
"Why are you doing this?" Alexis stood up, pushing Grayson and grabbing his shirt. She stared at him, her mind flashing back to just moments ago when he had been sweet but was now so cruel. "So, it's true what I thought about you? You're just trapping me like Jerry did?"
Grayson froze.
"If this is how it ends, then you shouldn't have bothered helping me!" she declared, shoving him away.
Grayson quickly grabbed both of her wrists.
"Do you regret it? Don't you realize that this is saving your father? Can't you see the silver lining here?" he asked.
Alexis said nothing, panting heavily.
"It wasn't cheap, and I won't let you repay it in installments!" he added, wrapping his arm around her neck and leaning closer. "I don't want the money... I just want you to be mine. For two years. All you have to do is obey me, and it'll all be over. I'll provide the best treatment for your father until he fully recovers. You won't have to pay me a single penny, and I won't drag you into my family's problems. No one will know," he whispered.
Alexis swallowed hard, tears falling freely from her eyes.
"Doesn't that sound easy?" he asked, his left hand brushing her arm. "You don't have to work hard... You just have to dedicate yourself to me..."
"So... back to the original plan, I become your paid mistress?" Alexis whispered, meeting Grayson's gaze.
He smiled faintly, brushing back her messy hair and tucking it behind her ear.
"It's simpler this way... You won't have to show yourself to my family," he said.
"So... you're giving up on divorcing your wife, but you also don't want your money to go to waste, so you're sticking to your plan to make me your mistress?"
"Hmm... You can think of it like that. What's the problem anyway?"
Alexis was stunned, swallowing hard as she stared at Grayson. She recalled how they had started with sweetness, as if they were falling in love, only to realize that the man before her saw her as nothing more than a temporary distraction.
So, he'll never divorce his wife... Of course. She's beautiful, wealthy... There's no way he'd leave her for someone like me. The affection between us was just a facade, part of his ploy... I should never have believed he'd choose me. How foolish! Alexis scolded herself silently, staring at Grayson, whose charm captivated her even as she realized he was never meant for her. From this day forward, she had no choice but to become his slave for her father's sake.