Chapter 20 – "Lines We Shouldn't Cross"
The silence between them stretched, heavy with meaning.
Alexander had stepped back, just slightly, but the electricity from the kiss still crackled in the space between them. Isabella could still feel the heat of his mouth on hers, could still taste the moment of weakness neither of them had prepared for. It hadn't been planned. It hadn't even made sense. But it happened—and neither of them could pretend it hadn't.
He didn't speak at first. He just looked at her, eyes dark with something unreadable. Not regret. Not quite anger. But something else. Something dangerous.
Isabella's heart thundered in her chest, but she forced herself to maintain composure. "That shouldn't have happened," she said, her voice hoarse, even as her lips still tingled.
Alexander's jaw clenched. "I know."
But he didn't sound convinced. And worse, he didn't look like a man who wished he could undo it.
He turned away, walking over to the large window behind his desk, the city lights reflecting against the glass. His back was rigid, hands buried in his pockets. "We should be careful, Ms. Harper. This... isn't part of the deal."
"You kissed me," Isabella said quietly, not accusing, just stating a fact.
Alexander turned slowly, his eyes locking on hers. "And you didn't stop me."
The air between them pulsed with tension.
She hated that he was right. She hated that for a brief moment, she hadn't wanted to stop him.
Isabella looked away first, arms crossing tightly over her chest. "Let's just forget it happened and move on."
"Can you?" he asked.
Her eyes snapped back to his. "Can you?"
He didn't answer. And that was the answer.
A beat passed before he moved again—this time toward the table where the new proposal drafts were spread out. "Let's get back to work," he said. But his voice wasn't the same. It had lost its edge, replaced by something rougher, almost reluctant.
She followed, settling into the chair opposite him. But her hands trembled slightly as she picked up her pen. Focus, Isabella. Focus.
They worked for hours, side by side but barely speaking outside business terms. The awkwardness lingered like a ghost, always present, always watching. Every time their fingers brushed while reaching for the same paper, both of them tensed. Every glance was a silent war.
And yet, neither of them left.
The sky outside darkened until the windows became mirrors. The office emptied floor by floor. Still, they worked. Still, they stayed.
"I have to ask," Alexander said finally, setting down his pen. "Why this deal, Isabella? Why me?"
Her heart clenched at the way he said her name. So rarely did he use it.
She leaned back in her chair, gaze drifting to the skyline. "Because it matters. Because you matter in this industry. And I don't settle for small wins."
He studied her carefully. "That's not the only reason."
"No," she admitted. "It's not."
She didn't elaborate. She didn't have to. Her ambition, her need to prove something—to someone—was written all over her.
Alexander stood slowly. "You're relentless," he murmured, almost to himself.
"And you like control," she shot back.
Their eyes met again, and this time, something in him cracked.
He moved around the table so suddenly, her breath caught. He leaned down, both palms flat against the surface beside her, his face inches from hers.
"I don't want to want you, Isabella," he whispered. "But I do."
Her heart skipped.
Before she could respond, his phone buzzed on the table between them.
They both froze.
The name flashing on the screen made Isabella's stomach twist—"Clarissa Knight."
A woman's voice echoed from the speaker as the call auto-connected. "Alex? Are you there? I just landed."
Isabella stiffened, pulling back as if burned.
Alexander's jaw tightened. He reached for the phone and shut it off without a word. His eyes stayed on Isabella.
"Who was that?" she asked, tone even.
"My sister."
A lie. Or at least... not the whole truth. And she knew it.
But she didn't press. She just stood, grabbed her bag, and moved toward the door. "We should keep this professional, Mr. Knight. For both our sakes."
"Isabella—"
She didn't stop.
And this time, he didn't follow.