Alexander’s POV

My heart thundered in my chest as I watched Olivia flee the mansion, her red dress a vivid blur against the polished floors. She ran as if the very air around her was suffocating, and I stood there, rooted, unable to chase after her.

My breath came in heavy, uneven gasps, my pulse racing like a wild stallion. What had just happened? That kiss—it wasn’t just a kiss. It was a collision of everything we’d buried, a fire that consumed every rational thought I had left.

I ...