Alexander
The ballroom felt tighter after the promotions. Applause, handshakes, congratulations, it was routine, predictable. Until my phone buzzed with a private line. Theo wouldn't dare disturb me during the event unless it was urgent.
I slipped out through the back entrance, into the crisp night air. Away from music, chatter, and Vivian's endless clinging.
The call was quick. A matter handled. But as I ended it and turned my head back, impact. Someone collided with my chest, stumbling against me. I steadied them instinctively, looking down.
Anastasia.
Her wide eyes met mine, shimmering beneath the faint garden lights. For a moment, the world muted. Her perfume, clean, almost intoxicating, clung between us.
And then, she stepped on my shoes. Her face went red instantly, words spilling from her lips. "I-I'm sorry, sir-I didn't..."
I laughed. Out loud. The sound startled me as much as it startled her. I rarely laughed. Rarely found reason to. But watching her flustered expression, it slipped out before I could stop it.
I pointed at her forehead. "Does that hurt?"
She blinked. "Huh?"
"Your head," I clarified, suppressing another laugh. "You ran into me. Does it hurt?"
Her mouth opened, then closed again. "No, sir."
"Why are you nervous? Ms Carter." I tilted my head, studying her. "I certainly don't eat people. The last time I checked."
Her eyes widened. "No! Of course not. I wasn't…I mean- sorry, sir."
"Hmm." I let the silence stretch, amused by the crimson spreading across her cheeks. Then, I finally said, "Congratulations."
Her lips parted, words caught in her throat, I guess. She was blushing even deeper now, red blooming across her skin like fire.
"Red suits you."
Her eyes widened, and my chest tightened. I had to look away before I said more. I can't help but utter nonsense whenever I feel exhilarated.
Before she could respond, we were interrupted by my nephew's caretaker, who seemed out of breath, and I already sensed trouble.
"Sir!"
"Sir! Creigh is nowhere to be found," he said, rushing toward us.
"I checked the hall, the corridors. He's gone, and I've been searching for twenty minutes. If anyone notices…"
"Don't tell anyone," I cut him off sharply. "I'll handle it."
He nodded, vanishing just as quickly as he appeared. If my family knows, especially my mother, she will freak out, and Lil also, she adored him, this will be best if they don't know anything.
I looked back at Anastasia. She was still standing there, as if rooted to the stone path. "Go back inside," I told her evenly. "It was a pleasure meeting you."
I adjusted my tie, heat suddenly pressing against my throat. Too tight. Too suffocating. My chest clenched. Breath caught.
Not now.
Damn it.
The pressure built until I staggered, leaning against the wall, desperately trying to anchor myself in the reality that was rapidly dissolving, every muscle locked in a silent, primal scream.
My vision blurred at the edges. My hands trembled.
Panic Attack
Anastasia
I watched his hands grip the wall, the white turning to deep purple as his knuckles strained. An instant wave of panic threatened to pull me under, but I forced myself to breathe, focusing only on him.
"Sir!" My heart shot up to my throat as I crouched beside him. His breath was shallow, his jaw locked tight.
"Breathe," I urged, my hands hovering near him. "In and out, slowly, like this. Focus on my voice."
For a terrifying few seconds, he looked like a man drowning. Then, little by little, his breathing steadied. His chest rose and fell more evenly, the rigidity in his shoulders loosening.
"Can you name five things you can see right now? Just five. Start with the flower." I said, and he named all.
"Okay," I said out of breath myself.
I felt the tension slowly release from my own shoulders as he leaned back. He looked at me, and his eyes, still wide and raw, were filled with a humility I had never seen in my formidable boss.
He exhaled, eyes closing briefly. "…thank you."
"You're welcome," I whispered, though my heart was still racing. The silence that followed was heavy with mutual understanding, the kind that binds two people who have faced a crisis together. He offered a slight, shaky nod, a silent acknowledgment that I had seen the most vulnerable part of the man who ran everything.
He straightened, adjusting his cuffs as if nothing had happened. "You should return to the party."
"Not a chance," I muttered. "I'm tagging along." I don't know where I got the sudden bravery from, but I stood my ground. And for once, he didn't argue.
This is quite fascinating, Anastasia, I said to myself.
We searched the grounds quietly; tension coiled between us. Every shadow, every corner, I expected to see some sign of whoever this mysterious Creigh was. Then, footsteps hurried toward us-Talia, dragging Kyle behind her.
"There you are!" she exclaimed. "We've been looking everywhere. What happened?"
"No time," Alex said curtly. "Help me search."
He told them the details.
The four of us scoured the garden paths, past the manicured hedges and ornate fountains, until the muffled sound of voices reached us. Children's voices.
We followed it to the park beyond the venue.
And there. Sitting on a low bench was a boy. Six years old, maybe younger, cheeks flushed, surrounded by a circle of adults. Women in gowns, their voices sharp, their words cutting.
"That's bad of you, sweetheart," one crooned. "Where are your parents?"
"They don't deserve you if they left you here," another added, shaking her head.
The boy's lips trembled. His small fists clenched. He was on the verge of tears.
I froze. My chest ached just looking at him.
But before I could step forward, Alexander stormed past me.
The air changed.
His aura, cold, commanding, furious, hit like a storm. Conversations cut off mid-sentence. The women backed away instinctively, parting like water before him.
"Creigh."
The boy turned, his face crumpling. But instead of running to him, he turned his head sharply away, sulking.
"CREIGH MADDISON BLACKWELL," Alexander's voice cracked like thunder. "Don't disappear like that ever again."
The boy flinched, shoulders trembling. But he didn't move. Didn't look at him.
One woman, braver or stupider than the rest, tilted her head. "Hey, handsome," she purred at Alex. "Don't leave your child alone again…"
"Enough." The word was a blade. His glare sliced through her pretense. She retreated instantly.
But the boy remained stubborn, tiny chin jutting away from his uncle.
And that's when I moved.
I knelt in front of him, softening my voice. "Hey, kiddo."
He peeked at me from the corner of his eye but said nothing.
"Don't be angry. Your uncle was just worried, that's all. He was scared something might happen to you. And when people are scared, sometimes they sound… a little too loud."
His lip quivered. I smiled gently, brushing away a tear that had slipped down his cheek. "But I promise, it doesn't mean he doesn't care. He cares so much that he ran here just for you."
The silence stretched.
And then, suddenly…
He launched forward. Straight into my arms.
I froze, stunned, as his small frame pressed against me, his sobs muffled into my gown. I held him instinctively, my hand smoothing over his dark curls, whispering soothing words I didn't even realize I knew.
Alexander stood there, motionless, eyes wide in disbelief.
He hadn't expected this.
Neither had I.
But in that moment, with Creigh clinging to me like a lifeline, I realized something that shook me more than his sudden hug.
For the first time… Alexander Vale wasn't just the untouchable CEO.
He was human.
And I wasn't sure if I was ready for what that meant.