Chapter 15 – A Truth Too Dark

I couldn’t sleep.

No matter how tightly I shut my eyes, no matter how much I tried to force my body to relax, my mind refused to stop spinning.

Alexander had saved me.

But not because he cared.

Not because he wanted me safe.

No, he had kept me here because he refused to let anyone else have me.

I wasn’t free.

I was still a prisoner.

The only difference was that I was locked in his golden cage instead of someone else’s.

I curled into myself, the silk sheets cool against my skin. The room was dimly lit by the faint glow of the moon slipping through the curtains, casting eerie shadows across the walls. It was beautiful, expensive, the kind of luxury most people would dream of.

But it felt like suffocation.

My heart still raced from what happened earlier. The way he kissed me. The way he claimed me. It wasn’t love. It wasn’t affection. It was control.

And the worst part?

A part of me still felt something.

I hated myself for it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the thoughts away. I needed to think clearly. I needed to find a way out of this nightmare. But before I could get lost in my thoughts, I heard it—

A soft creak.

I stiffened.

Someone was outside my door.

I held my breath, listening. The mansion was always silent at this hour, but the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps made my pulse spike.

Was it Alexander?

Or was it someone else?

A shiver ran down my spine as I quietly slipped out of bed. My bare feet met the cold floor, and I moved cautiously toward the door, my body tense.

Then—another sound.

A faint whisper.

I pressed my ear against the wood, straining to hear.

“…she can’t stay here forever.”

A man’s voice. Deep. Unfamiliar.

A second voice responded, lower, more controlled.

“She stays as long as he wants her to.”

I swallowed hard.

They were talking about me.

A heavy pause settled between them before the first man muttered, “If the boss finds out the truth, things will get worse.”

The truth?

What truth?

My fingers curled into fists as I struggled to breathe. Every instinct in my body screamed that I shouldn’t be hearing this, that I should go back to bed and pretend I knew nothing.

But I needed to know.

I pressed closer to the door, heart pounding.

“Alexander has no idea who she really is.”

The air left my lungs.

My blood turned to ice.

What did they mean?

Who was I to them?

I never had the chance to hear more.

Because suddenly—

The door was yanked open.

I stumbled forward, my balance breaking, but before I could hit the ground, a firm grip caught me.

Strong hands. Warm. Unyielding.

And when I looked up—

Alexander.

His stormy blue eyes burned with something dangerous as he held me in place, his jaw tight. He wasn’t surprised. He knew I had been listening.

“Evelyn,” he murmured, voice dangerously soft. “What do you think you’re doing?”

My throat went dry.

Behind him, the two men from before looked uneasy. They avoided my gaze, their posture stiff.

Alexander’s grip on my wrist tightened. Not enough to hurt—but enough to remind me who was in control.

I swallowed, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Who am I to you?”

His expression didn’t change, but his fingers twitched against my skin.

“You’re mine.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I whispered. “They said you don’t know the truth about me.”

A shadow crossed his features.

The air in the hallway grew impossibly thick, tension crackling like electricity.

Then, without a word, he turned to the men.

“Leave.”

The two hesitated before nodding and walking away, their footsteps fading into silence.

Alexander didn’t move. He just stood there, holding me in place, his thumb absently brushing against my wrist.

“I should punish you,” he murmured, tilting his head slightly. “For eavesdropping.”

I swallowed hard.

“But I won’t.” His lips curled into something unreadable. “Not tonight.”

Relief barely had time to settle before he yanked me forward, pulling me into his room.

The door shut behind me with a soft click.

And suddenly, I was alone with the devil himself.

Alexander released me only to lean against his desk, watching me like a predator sizing up his prey. His gaze flickered with something dark, unreadable.

“You want the truth?” His voice was quiet, almost teasing.

I nodded, even as fear crawled up my spine.

His smirk deepened, but his eyes remained cold.

“The truth is…” He leaned in slightly. “You were never supposed to exist.”

My breath caught.

The room spun for a second, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I shook my head. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Alexander exhaled, his fingers tapping against the desk.

“You think I kidnapped you out of nowhere?” His voice was lower now, more dangerous. “That you were just unlucky?”

I clenched my fists. “Wasn’t I?”

“No.” His gaze locked onto mine. “You were chosen.”

The weight of his words crashed into me.

I felt sick.

I took a shaky step back. “Why?”

His expression was unreadable, but I saw it—the hesitation, the war flickering in his eyes.

Then, finally—

“Because you’re the key to destroying everything.”

---

I stared at Alexander, my entire body numb.

The key to destroying everything?

The words echoed in my head, refusing to make sense.

“You’re lying,” I whispered.

Alexander didn’t move. He just watched me, his sharp blue eyes unreadable. “Am I?”

A lump formed in my throat.

Nothing about this situation made sense anymore. I thought I was just some unfortunate girl who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. But now… now he was telling me there was more to this?

That I was important?

That I was a threat?

I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.”

Alexander let out a soft chuckle, but there was no humor in it. “Believe what you want, Evelyn.” He leaned back against his desk, his fingers tapping against the polished wood. “It won’t change the truth.”

Frustration boiled inside me.

“Then tell me!” I snapped. “Tell me what the hell is going on! Why am I here? What do you really want from me?”

Silence.

Then, in a slow, deliberate motion, Alexander pushed off the desk and walked toward me.

I took a step back on instinct, but he was faster. Before I could react, he gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him.

His touch wasn’t painful, but it was firm.

Unyielding.

Dangerous.

“You ask a lot of questions,” he murmured.

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my chest.

“Do you really want to know the answer, Evelyn?” His thumb brushed against my jaw, his touch featherlight, almost teasing. “Because once you do, there’s no going back.”

I clenched my fists. “I don’t care.”

His gaze flickered with something unreadable. “Brave.”

Then, just as suddenly as he touched me, he let go.

I took a shaky breath, my skin still burning from where his fingers had been.

Alexander turned away, his shoulders tense. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to say anything else. That he was just going to leave me hanging.

But then—

“You were never meant to be part of this world,” he said quietly.

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “It means someone has been lying to you your entire life.”

The floor beneath me felt like it was shifting.

My stomach twisted.

“Who?” I whispered.

Alexander’s jaw tightened. “Your family.”

I felt the air leave my lungs.

“No…” I shook my head, stumbling back. “That’s not possible.”

I thought about my mother. My father. My brother. They weren’t good people. They had hurt me, ignored me, made me feel like I was worthless…

But they wouldn’t lie about who I was.

Would they?

I met Alexander’s gaze, desperate for him to say something—anything—that would make this make sense.

But he just watched me.

Waiting.

Daring me to figure it out on my own.

My mind raced, memories flooding in.

The way my mother used to look at me—like I was a burden. The way my father barely acknowledged my existence. The way my brother always seemed to hate me for no reason.

The way I always felt like I didn’t belong.

“No,” I said again, but it was weaker this time.

Alexander tilted his head. “Still don’t believe me?”

I pressed my hands to my temples, trying to push away the dizziness creeping in. “Why would they lie? What would they gain from keeping something like that from me?”

Alexander’s lips curled into something almost pitying. “Power.”

I blinked. “What?”

He exhaled, his expression unreadable. “You think your family is as simple as they seem?”

I clenched my fists. “They’re not powerful people.”

He chuckled, dark and knowing. “No, they’re not.” He took a step closer, his presence suffocating. “But you are.”

I felt sick.

I didn’t feel powerful.

I was just a girl who had been abused, tossed aside, and forgotten.

How could I be important?

“I don’t believe you,” I whispered again, but even I didn’t sound convinced.

Alexander studied me for a moment, then reached into his pocket.

He pulled out a folded piece of paper.