Chapter 5
684words
"Isn't this a bit excessive?" Marcus asks as we watch King Enterprises signs being installed across the street.
I sip my coffee, pretending indifference. "He always did have a flair for the dramatic."
Inside, my emotions churn like a storm. Every day brings new attempts at contact. Flowers delivered hourly until I instruct security to refuse them. Emails I delete without reading.
Leo comes into my office with a new toy helicopter. "Look what Mr. King gave me, Mommy!"
My blood runs cold. "When did you see Mr. King?"
"At school pickup." Leo flies the helicopter around my desk. "He said he was an old friend of yours."
I call the school immediately, adding Alexander to the banned list. That evening, he's waiting beside my car in the parking garage.
"That was unnecessary." His voice echoes in the concrete space. "I would never harm Leo."
I clutch my keys tightly. "Stay away from my son."
Alexander steps closer, his familiar scent making my heart race traitorously. "Is he mine, Elise?"
The question catches me off guard. "What?"
His eyes burn with jealousy. "Is Leo my son, or did you and Lane start your little family the minute you left me?"
Rage boils inside me. "How dare you!"
"It's a simple question." Alexander's voice is dangerously quiet. "The timing is suspicious."
I unlock my car door. "I don't owe you any explanations."
Alexander blocks the door before I can open it. "I have a right to know."
"You forfeited any rights when you threw me out for Victoria Sullivan." My voice remains steady despite my trembling hands.
His eyes flash with frustration. "I never wanted to marry Victoria."
I laugh bitterly. "Yet you did. The wedding photos were quite lovely."
He doesn't deny it. Can't deny it. The wedding photos were splashed across every magazine cover.
"Things aren't always what they seem." His hand reaches for mine, but I pull away. "The company was failing."
I drive away, his figure growing smaller in my rearview mirror. My phone buzzes with a text from him: "I'll prove I've changed."
The next day, I discover he's invested five million dollars in my upcoming design exhibition. His name appears prominently on the sponsor list.
"Should we return it?" my financial director asks nervously.
I consider it for a moment. "No. Let him waste his money."
Marcus warns me to be careful. "He's watching Leo too closely. He suspects."
I reassure him with more confidence than I feel. "Let him suspect. It changes nothing."
But Alexander King is nothing if not persistent. He appears at every industry event I attend. Always respectful, always keeping his distance, but undeniably present.
The gossip columns have a field day: "Love Triangle: Entertainment Mogul and Business Tycoon Fight Over Jewelry Designer."
Marcus finds it amusing. "Should I challenge him to a duel for your honor?"
I don't laugh. The situation grows more complicated each day. Leo asks questions about the man who looks like him. My heart betrays me with unwanted flutters when Alexander is near.
The final straw comes during a livestreamed charity auction. Alexander outbids everyone for a dance with me. As cameras roll, he doesn't lead me to the dance floor.
Instead, he drops to one knee before the stunned crowd. "Elise Morgan, I publicly apologize for the pain I caused you."
The room falls silent. Hundreds of phones record the moment. My face burns with embarrassment and rage.
"I'm asking for a second chance." His eyes hold mine, sincere and pleading. "One chance to make things right."
I lean down, whispering so only he can hear. "Back then, you chose family and money. Now, I choose freedom and dignity."
I walk away as flashbulbs explode around us. The clip goes viral within hours. #ExHusbandKneelDown trends nationwide.
Later that night, Alexander sends a text that chills my blood: "Leo has my eyes. My smile. How long did you think you could hide the truth?"
