Emily leaned back against the overstuffed cushions, reading a novel.
The past few weeks had been a monotonous loop. She slept, woke, ate, and read until the words blurred. Her only escape from the suffocating silence of the penthouse was her morning run. That was the only time she never felt her life was void of purpose.
Chime.
She sat up as the elevator doors slid open. Alex stepped out, looking like he'd just walked through a storm.
"Alex?"
He flinched, his shoulders snapping tight before he realized it was her. He forced a breath out, trying to ease the tension.
"Hey," he muttered, an attempt to sound like his usual self. But he failed.
"So, How did it go?" Emily stood up.
Alex looked at her, and a wave of guilt hit him so hard. All he saw was an innocent woman he had failed.
"It went well," he clipped out.
Emily weighed him. "You don't sound like you saw something terrifying."
"No. No," Alex struggled for the right word. "Everything is fine. Okay? I'm just stressed out," he hurried up the stairs before she could see through him.
Tony walked in, his loud voice booming into his phone.
"He finally rose to the responsibility." He laughed. "Sometimes all they need is a little tough love… Yes, my brother."
Tony stopped when he saw Emily. He didn't say a word, but his eyes raked over her with a smirk that made her skin crawl.
He started up the stairs, throwing a final remark over his shoulder. "He's a Torredo. Torredos don't shy away from their responsibilities."
Emily sank back onto the cushions, the silence of the room suddenly feeling strong enough to suffocate
***
The Hart Estate was a monument, a sprawling fortress of glass and marble designed to broadcast wealth to the heavens. Inside, crystal chandeliers dripped from the soaring ceilings like frozen tears, casting a cold, fractured light over the elite. The air was heavy, thick with the cloying scent of lilies and the sharp, acidic sting of hundred-dollar champagne. It was a double celebration: the 'Deal of the Century' and the formal announcement of Alex and Victoria's engagement.
Alex, looking every bit the charming gentleman in his tailored suit, stood on the raised dais. Victoria was an angel in white lace at his side, her fingers clamped firmly around his bicep.
"Smile, darling," Victoria whispered, her lips barely moving as she waved to the guests across the room. "The cameras are everywhere tonight."
"I'm smiling, Vic," Alex gritted out, though his jaw felt like it was carved from stone.
The moment they descended the stairs, Alex didn't wait. He snatched a glass of bubbling wine from a passing waiter's tray and downed it in one gulp.
"Alex! There's my boy!"
Louis Torredo's voice boomed across the ballroom as he strode toward them, flanked by Tony. The two brothers looked identical in their tailored tuxedos. They could pass for twins, only that Louis was a bit shorter.
Alex set his empty glass on a passing tray just as his father reached him. "Father."
Louis grabbed him. He kissed Alex on both cheeks before holding him at arm's length, his eyes raking over his son with pride.
"I always knew you had the Torredo steel in your blood," Louis declared, his voice thick with satisfaction. He then turned his heavy gaze toward Victoria. "And this must be the lovely Victoria I've heard so much about."
Victoria beamed. "Thank you, Louis. It's such an honor to finally meet the man who raised such a wonderful partner for me."
Louis let out a short, sharp laugh and looked at Tony. "I love her already. She's got spirit."
The three of them erupted into a chorus of easy, practiced laughter. Alex joined in, but the sound felt hollow in his chest.
Alex' eyes instinctively searched the room, scanning the sea of men and women until they landed on a corner near the grand staircase.
Emily.
She was wearing an emerald green silk dress that clung to every curve. Her hair swept up, exposing the vulnerable, elegant line of her throat. She looked breathtaking, and utterly alone. As a waiter drifted by, she reached for a glass.with grace, her eyes darting around the room as if looking for an exit. Then their eyes met. It was electrifying.
A smile formed at the corner of Emily's lips. Alex felt a tight pull in his chest. There was something about her smile that made him desperate to want to bridge the distance between them. He smiled back and was halfway through an excuse to slip away when a heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Alex! Just the man I wanted to see!"
Richard Hart beamed at them. Before Alex could protest, Richard was steering the entire group toward a circle of high-profile investors.
"Come, come," Richard insisted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "There are some people you need to impress tonight."
Alex looked back one last time, but Emily was already being swallowed by the crowd.
Alex felt like a puppet on a gold string. He played the part, shaking hands and smiling. While Victoria's possessive touch burned his skin, his soul was across the room, fixed to the woman in emerald silk.
***
Halfway through the night, Emily sat alone, the glittering party fading into a blur of boredom.
"Ms. Emily…" a thick baritone voice rumbled.
She looked up to find a stranger looming over her.
"Do I call you Lawson or Torredo?" he asked, a sharp edge to his tone.
Emily stiffened. Only a handful of people knew her maiden name. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I see. A Torredo on paper, but a Lawson at heart." A thin, knowing smile cut across his face.
Emily didn't return it.
"Dave Cosgrove," he said, extending a hand that felt like a threat. "The silent partner who made this entire deal possible for your husband."
Emily forced a polite smile,. stretching out her hand, though a chill raced down her spine. 'A partner?' She thought, 'Alex didn't mention a third party.'
Cosgrove held her longer than he should. Tony appeared, his hand sliding possessively onto Emily's waist.
"I see you've met my wife," Tony said, his voice smooth but his eyes flashing with a warning.
"Yes," Cosgrove replied, his smile never wavering. "You do have great taste in women, Tony. I must applaud you."
Tony clearly hated the interaction, but he forced a tight grin. "I've always believed in surrounding myself with only the best, Dave. Whether it's business partners or romantic partnerships. Why settle for anything less?"
"I like that. And I believe with that mindset, we will do great things with Project Titan."
"We will. Well, the couple is about to make a toast. Shall we?"
"After you," Cosgrove gestured,
Tony led the way, his grip on Emily firm, while Cosgrove trailed behind them.
***
An hour later, Emily found Alex smoking in the shadows of the estate's rose garden.
"Alex."
He turned, his face illuminated by the silvery light. The mask he'd been wearing all night finally wore off. "Emily." He quickly threw the cigar to the ground and crushed it under his feet.
"I never knew you smoked," Her eyes scanned the place.
"I hardly do. I was bored and overwhelmed. I needed it badly tonight."
"It's your engagement, Alex."
"And here I am, wishing it wasn't." He let out a dry, bitter breath. "I guess I finally know how you felt at your wedding."
A weak, pained smile appeared on her face. For a moment, the only sound was the distant hum of the ballroom music.
"I met him," she whispered, "Dave Cosgrove. You never mentioned him. Why, Alex?"
Alex stepped closer, his heart beating rapidly. He couldn't tell her Cosgrove was a kingpin and the deal was a money laundering scheme. She'd panic.
"He's just an investor, Emily," he lied. He reached out, his thumb grazing the soft skin of her jawline. "Nothing that can affect the plan, I promise."
"Okay." she breathed, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into his palm, her eyes searching his. "You've been distant, why?"
"Because it's hell," he rasped, his eyes dropping to her lips. "Being in a room with the woman my soul is yearning for, and yet I can't have her because she belongs to someone else."
Emily swallowed hard.
He slid his hand into her hair, "Sometimes I wonder if there is any world where you are free and we are for each other."
"If such a world existed, I would never want to leave there," Emily whispered.
Alex tilted her head back as he crushed his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss but sent sparks through Emily's body. She kissed him back desperately yearning for more. She let out a soft, broken moan in between.
"Alex…" she whimpered, moving her lips inches away from his. "This isn't that world."
Alex nodded. He pulled back, taking her hands into his. "Let's make that world for us then."
"Alex?"
The sharp, feminine voice sliced through the air. They both froze, their eyes widening as they turned.