Maya's pulse thundered in her ears as Alex's footsteps echoed up the stairwell. She was trapped—nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Her breath hitched as his voice grew louder.
"Maya," he called again, his tone sharper, more demanding.
She forced herself to move, stepping out from the shadows of the corner. Her heart clenched at the sight of Alex's face—tension etched into his features, his jaw tight, his eyes dark with frustration. Kara stood behind him, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, his voice a careful mix of concern and irritation.
"I was just… I needed air," Maya stammered, trying to sound casual. "I didn't mean to overhear, but—"
"But you did," Kara interrupted, stepping forward. Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity. "And now we have a problem."
"Kara, stop," Alex said, his voice low and warning.
"Stop?" Kara laughed bitterly, her gaze never leaving Maya. "This isn't a game, Alex. She's in over her head, and you know it."
Maya's eyes darted between them, confusion and fear swirling in her chest. "What are you talking about? What's going on?"
Alex sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "It's not what it seems," he began, but Kara cut him off with a scoff.
"Of course it's not," Kara snapped. "But it's about to get a lot worse if you don't tell her the truth."
"Kara, enough!" Alex barked, his voice echoing through the stairwell.
The intensity of his tone startled both women into silence. Alex turned to Maya, his expression softening, though his eyes still burned with something unspoken.
"Maya," he said, his voice quieter now, "you need to trust me. This isn't something I can explain right now, but I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe."
"Safe from what?" Maya demanded, her frustration boiling over. "That man from last night? You? Or her?" She gestured toward Kara, who rolled her eyes.
"Safe from everything," Alex said firmly. "But you have to stay out of this. Let me handle it."
"No," Maya said, surprising even herself with the strength in her voice. "I'm not just some damsel waiting to be rescued, Alex. If I'm in danger, I deserve to know why."
Alex opened his mouth to respond, but Kara spoke first.
"You're right," she said, her tone sharper than a blade. "You do deserve to know. But you're not going to like it."
"Kara," Alex warned, his eyes narrowing.
"Shut up, Alex," she snapped. "You've coddled her long enough. The truth is, Maya, Alex isn't who you think he is. He's dangerous."
Maya froze, her heart lurching in her chest. "What do you mean?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Don't listen to her," Alex said quickly, stepping closer to Maya. His hands reached out as if to comfort her, but she instinctively took a step back.
"Let her finish," Maya said, her voice trembling but resolute.
Kara smirked, her eyes flicking to Alex as if daring him to stop her. "He's been lying to you since the day you met. That man last night? He's not the only one who's after Alex. There are others—people who want to settle scores. And if you stay close to him, you're just collateral damage waiting to happen."
"That's enough!" Alex roared, his voice cracking like a whip.
But Kara wasn't deterred. She stepped closer to Maya, her gaze piercing. "Ask him about the deal he made. Ask him what he owes—and what he's willing to do to pay it back."
Maya's stomach churned as she turned to Alex. "Is that true?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alex's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. For a moment, he looked as if he might deny it—but then his shoulders sagged, and the fight drained from his eyes.
"It's… complicated," he said finally.
"Complicated?" Maya repeated, her voice rising with disbelief. "You've been keeping secrets from me this whole time, and now you're saying it's complicated? Alex, what the hell is going on?"
He took a step toward her, his expression pleading. "Maya, I never wanted to drag you into this. I thought I could keep you safe—"
"Safe from what?" she snapped, cutting him off.
Alex hesitated, glancing at Kara, whose smirk had faded into a grim expression. He looked back at Maya, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and something else she couldn't place.
"From me," he said finally, his voice heavy with regret.
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She stared at him, her mind reeling. "What do you mean?" she asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Alex took a deep breath, his hands trembling at his sides. "There are things about me you don't know," he said slowly. "Things I've done… things I'm capable of. And if you knew the whole truth, you'd never look at me the same way again."
Maya's legs felt weak, and she gripped the stairwell railing for support. "What are you saying, Alex?"
"I'm saying," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "that I'm not the man you think I am. And if you stay with me, you'll be in more danger than you can imagine."
Silence filled the stairwell, heavy and suffocating. Maya's mind raced, trying to process his words, but nothing made sense.
"Let her go," Kara said suddenly, her voice cutting through the tension. "She deserves a chance to walk away before it's too late."
Maya turned to Alex, her chest tightening. "Is that what you want?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Alex's eyes met hers, and for a moment, she saw the depth of his turmoil—the war raging inside him. "No," he said finally. "But it might be what's best for you."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence, and Maya felt her heart shatter. She didn't know what scared her more—the secrets Alex was hiding or the thought of losing him forever.
Before she could respond, a sudden, sharp noise echoed from the floor above—a loud crash that made all three of them whip their heads toward the source.
"What the hell was that?" Maya whispered, her voice trembling.
Alex's face darkened, and he grabbed her arm. "Stay close," he said, his voice low and commanding.
But as they ascended the stairs, Maya couldn't shake the feeling that the danger wasn't coming from above—it was standing right next to her.