Alex lay on the scorching floor, his injured leg throbbing with each heartbeat. The pain was nothing compared to the agony tearing through his chest. He watched the stairwell door swing shut, the image of Lisa's retreating figure burned into his mind.She left him. His wife actually left him to die.The flames crept closer, consuming everything in their path. The heat was unbearable now without his mask. Each breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. Alex closed his eyes, feeling the fight drain out of him. What was the point? The woman he'd loved, the woman he'd built his life around, had just chosen another man over him without a second thought.Maybe it would be easier to just... stop trying.Then he heard it. Faint, barely audible over the roar of the fire—a weak cry for help."Please... somebody..."Alex's eyes snapped open. His training kicked in automatically, overriding the despair trying to drag him down. He was a firefighter. People were depending on him. Whatever perso

Chapter 4"And you just happened to be alone with him when the fire started." Alex's voice was sharp as a blade. "How convenient indeed."Lisa's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You're being completely unreasonable. Nothing happened between Ben and me. We were working on the merger with Harrison Industries. That's all.""Fine. Let's say I believe you." Alex sat up slightly, wincing as pain shot through his leg. "Let's say you were just working. Does that excuse everything else?""What are you talking about?""Did your business deal require you to let your husband wait for death in a burning building?" Alex's voice rose, years of suppressed frustration finally breaking free. "Did it require you to redirect every medical professional away from me so your 'business partner' could get VIP treatment for a scratch? Did it require you to spend the entire night by his side while your husband—the man you married, the man who saved your life—lay unconscious and alone?"Each word struck

Chapter 6"No." Lisa's voice was firm. She wrapped a protective arm around Ben's shoulders. "You're not going anywhere. You need rest and proper care, and I'm going to make sure you get it.""But Alex—""Alex will understand," Lisa cut him off, though her tone suggested she didn't particularly care whether Alex understood or not. She turned to face her husband, her expression hard and unyielding. "Ben will be staying here for a while. However long he needs. And since you're home now, you can help take care of him."Alex stared at her in disbelief. "You're joking.""Do I look like I'm joking?" Lisa's eyes were ice-cold. "Ben is a guest in our home. He's been through a terrible ordeal, and we're going to help him recover. That includes you.""Help him recover?" Alex's voice rose. "You want me to play nursemaid to your lover?""He's not my lover!" Lisa's voice cracked like a whip. "And I'm tired of your baseless accusations. This is about basic human decency, something you clearly lack.

Chapter 8Alex's mind raced, but he kept his expression calm. "Be my guest, but I literally just opened the door thirty seconds ago. Haven't even gone inside yet."The men hesitated. Time was wasting, and their prey was getting away. Finally, Scar-face jerked his head toward the stairs. "Fourth floor. Move!"They thundered past him toward the stairwell. Alex waited until their footsteps faded before closing the door quickly and locking it. He engaged the chain and the deadbolt, then leaned against the door, exhaling shakily."Thank you," a breathy voice said from behind him.Alex turned to find the woman attempting to stand, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. She slid down the wall, ending up on the floor with her legs sprawled awkwardly. Her face was flushed bright red, her pupils dilated."Oh no," Alex muttered, recognizing the signs immediately. He'd seen enough bar incidents during his firefighting career to know what he was looking at.He approached carefully, kneeling down beside

"He's about to find out what happens when you mess with the wrong woman." Sherry's fingers flew across her phone screen. "I have friends too. Friends with even better connections. By tomorrow, Victor Rossi is going to wish he'd never heard my name."There was something chilling about her matter-of-fact tone, like she was discussing what to order for lunch rather than planning someone's professional destruction."Revenge is a dangerous game," Alex said carefully.Sherry looked up from her phone, her expression hard. "So is trying to drug and assault someone. They started this game. I'm just finishing it."She finished dressing, checked her appearance in the cracked mirror above the dresser, and grimaced. "God, I look like hell. This is going to take hours to fix.""You could just go home and rest.""Can't. I have a photo shoot at noon." She pulled her hair back into a messy bun. "The show must go on, right?"Alex watched as she transformed before his eyes—from vulnerable victim to hard