Chapter 5 - FIRE AND ICE
Alex didn't hesitate. Within sixty seconds, Emily was being rushed down the private executive elevator, flanked by Alex and four heavily armed private security personnel.
They climbed into a black armored SUV, its engine roaring as it tore through the snowy Boston streets toward Brookline, sirens blaring.
Emily sat in the backseat, her hands icy cold. "My home... everything I worked for..."
Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight against his chest. "I’ve already dispatched my primary security team to your building. If he touched a single brick of your home, Emily, I will burn his world to the ground."
When they arrived at Emily’s street, blue and red emergency lights illuminated the dark avenue. Two fire trucks and police cruisers were parked outside her condo building.
Emily gasped, pushing open the SUV door and running through the light snow.
The front lobby windows of her building were shattered, black smoke billowing into the freezing air. Firefighters were actively dragging hoses into the entrance.
"Ms. Thomas!" one of Alex’s security team members ran up to them. "The blaze was contained to the lower lobby and utility room. It was an incendiary device. Someone threw a Molotov cocktail through the glass front doors twenty minutes ago."
Emily stood frozen on the sidewalk, watching the smoke rise. Her sunny two-bedroom condo—the place she had bought at thirty-one with her own hard-earned savings, her sanctuary—was currently unlivable due to smoke damage and safety evacuations.
Alex stepped behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, offering steady, physical support.
"Everyone was evacuated safely," the security guard added. "No casualties."
Emily let out a shaky breath, nodding silently. Property could be replaced. Lives could not. But the reality of Richard Vance’s vendetta was terrifying.
"You're coming with me," Alex said firmly, turning her around to face him. His eyes were fierce with absolute protectiveness. "You are not staying at a hotel, and you are not staying anywhere near this neighborhood until Richard is behind bars."
"Alex, I can't just move into your penthouse—"
"I’m not asking, Emily," Alex cut her off softly, his thumbs gently wiping away a trace of soot from her cheek. "I brought this danger to your doorstep. It is my responsibility—and my privilege—to keep you safe. Please."
Emily looked at the scorched lobby of her building, then back at Alex’s intense, earnest eyes. She realized that walking away from him now wouldn't keep her safe anyway. She was already in the center of the storm.
"Okay," she whispered.
Half an hour later, the armored SUV pulled into the private underground garage of a secure luxury estate in Chestnut Hill—a sprawling, gated stone mansion surrounded by dense evergreen trees and high security fences.
"I thought you lived at the Ritz penthouse?" Emily asked as Alex led her through the massive grand foyer.
"The Ritz is where I work when I’m being the Chairman," Alex said, taking her heavy winter coat. "This is my family’s estate. No one knows this property exists on public records. It’s built like a fortress."
The interior was warm, filled with soaring timber ceilings, grand fireplaces, and walls lined with ancient leather-bound books. It felt less like a billionaire’s showpiece and more like a private, cozy sanctuary.
Alex guided her to a massive master guest suite featuring a roaring fireplace, a king-sized bed covered in plush cashmere blankets, and a private balcony.
"There are fresh clothes in the wardrobe," Alex said softly, standing in the doorway. "My head of security has stationed six guards around the perimeter. You are completely safe here, Emily."
Emily looked at him, feeling an overwhelming wave of exhaustion and gratitude. "Alex?"
"Yes?"
"Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?"
May you like
Alex’s expression softened into an exquisite tenderness. He walked over to the bed, sitting beside her on top of the covers. Emily leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart.
For the first time in days, the chaos faded away.