Chapter 5
The Blackwell mansion loomed like a dark, silent predator as Alex walks up the marble steps and pushed through the heavy doors.
The house was grand-but it felt nothing like a home.
Dinner here wasn’t about family bonding; it was a calculated performance, one Alex hated but endured because his mother and brother were involved. The only two people who ground him to this dysfunctional circus. Well… them, and Zoe.
He walked into the dining room, his steps echoing against the polished floors. His family was already seated, the tension visible before a single word was spoken.
“What’s this nonsense I hear about you and Zoe?” his father, Charles Blackwell, demanded without so much as looking up. His tone was sharp and cold, like a blade slicing through the air.
Alex didn’t falter, didn’t blink. He slid into his seat with a practiced ease, his face carefully neutral. “Good evening, Father,” he replied smoothly, ignoring the obvious jab.
“Did you ice that cut, darling?” His mother, Esther, leaned forward, her soft features tight with concern. Her gaze flicked to the small wound on his temple from his most recent underground fight.
Alex waved her off. “It’s fine, Mother.”
“I can’t believe you let a rookie do that to you,” Charles sneered, his voice filled with disdain.
“I won, Father,” Alex said, his voice edged with amusement. “That’s what matters, isn’t it?”
Charles’s lips curled into a snarl. “You think this is a joke? I told you to postpone your fights for the week. Investors are flying in tomorrow, and you’re moving around, looking like some street thug. Do you realize the stakes? We could lose millions!”
Alex leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed. “And yet I made sweet money last night from fighting. Your priorities are not mine, Father.”
Charles’s gaze darkened. Without warning, he grabbed Julian’s wrist and slammed it onto the table.
Alex stiffened.
Julian, his older brother, winced, his lips trembling as he fought to suppress any sound of pain. Alex’s stomach twisted as he watched the familiar scene unfold.
Charles Blackwell wasn’t a father. He was a tyrant, a monster! A manipulator who thrived on power and control, and when Alex pushed his limits, it was always Julian or his mother who bore the brunt of his wrath.
“Do you think this is a game, Alexander?” Charles hissed, pressing harder on Julian’s hand.
Julian’s eyes were shut tight, his breath uneven, but he didn’t cry out. He never did.
Once, Julian had been Alex’s hero-the older brother who could do no wrong. Now he was a shadow of that man, a hollowed-out shell who survived on drugs.
Alex’s jaw clenched, rage boiling beneath the surface. His mother’s wide, pleading eyes locked on him, silently begging him. to do something.
Alex forced himself to keep his tone calm. “I’ll handle the investors,” he said, his words precise and deliberate. “It won’t affect the meeting. You’ll get the contract.”
Charles finally let go of Julian’s hand, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.”
1/2
Chapter 5
Julian pulled his hand back quickly, cradling it under the table. His face was pale, but he didn’t say a word.
Alex wanted to slam his fist through the table, but he didn’t. That’s what Charles wanted-to provoke him, to control him.
Instead, Alex picked up his phone and scrolled aimlessly, pretending to care about the plate of food in front of him.
“Fix whatever mess you’ve made with Zoe,” Charles added, his tone icy. “Her father and I are already discussing the wedding. date. I won’t have your antics ruining our alliance.”
Alex smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, Father,” he said, not looking up. He couldn’t exactly tell Charles the truth”
His mind drift to that server girl
Turner-the fiery server girl who’d told him off at the bus stop. He hated to admit it, but her rejection had stung. Most people in Willowcrest would’ve jumped at his offer, yet she’d turned him down without a second thought.
Something about her had gotten under his skin.
“Did you hear me, Alexander?” Charles barked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Alex slipped his phone into his pocket and stood abruptly. “Loud and clear, Father. Enjoy your dinner, Blackwells.”
Without another word, he strode out of the dining room.
T
The cold night air hit him like a slap as he stepped outside. He leaned against his sleek car, running a hand through his hair. He needed to cool off.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen, his heart drops. It was a text message, and it was from Turner.
‘I’ll do it.’
Alex stared at the message, his heart thudding in his chest. For a moment, he didn’t move, didn’t breathe.
He loves challenges but getting entangled with a Turner is a challenge he had no interest in taking part in.
He wished she had said no.
