A Night With The Ruthless Billionaire

Alex slammed the phone down on his desk, the echo of the mysterious voice's words ringing like a haunting refrain in his mind: "Emma might be carrying someone else's child."

His jaw clenched as a relentless fury penetrated his chest. Emma's child, not his? The thought gnaws at him, more than he wants to admit. The idea that someone else could be in her lift - it's making him uncomfortable.

He picks up his phone again, fingers hovering before finally dialing Mark, his informant. The phone rang once, twice, before a hurried voice answered.

"Mark, it's me," Alex says, his voice clipped. "I need you to tell me something, and I need you to tell me the truth. Have you seen any man around Emma recently?"

There was a slight pause on the other end, and Alex can almost feel Mark's nervousness, sensing his impatience.

"Man? Sir, no. I mean, I've kept an eye on her, like you asked, but I haven't seen anyone unusual around her. Mostly it's been her visiting her mother at the hospital."

It's not good enough. Mark's answer felt thin, and his frustration grew. The thought of anyone else being close to Emma is a risk he can't accept.

"Think harder," he demanded, his tone turning darker. "Someone must have been close to her. A man. Someone suspicious."

"I'm certain, Mr. Cardwell, I haven't seen anything. I would've told you. I've been watching her closely," Mark insisted, his voice nearly trembling now. Not good enough. It's never good enough.

"Keep watching her," Alex snapped. "If you miss anything, I mean anything - you'll regret it."

"Yes, sir," Mark breathes, audibly rattled. "I'll find out everything."

Alex hung up, tossing the phone aside, but it did little to ease the tension. His mind whirled with doubts, and he could feel control slipping through his fingers. He built his empire through ironclad control; he's never allowed himself to let anyone break it. But now it feels like he's spiraling.

The next hour found him in his car, driving toward the hospital. He gripped the steering wheel tight, his thoughts still circling around the possibility that Emma might be hiding something. If there's any truth to what the caller said, if Emma's child isn't his…he needs answers. Now!

At the Hospital

As he pulled up to the hospital, he spotted a familiar figure. A flash of platinum blonde catches his eye. Victoria. She's walking through the doors, her heels clicking with that confident, possessive stride. He watched her, his blood running cold.The last thing he needs is her interference. And he's confuse about why she was in the hospital.

He barely made it inside when he heard her voice, cool and cutting.

"Alex. It's nice seeing you here." Her tone was drenched in venom. His back straightened, and he turned to meet her gaze. There she is, eyes bright with something darker than suspicion. Her smile is cold and calculated, her posture one of someone holding all the cards.

"Victoria," he greeted, voice flat. "What are you doing here?"

She raises an eyebrow, stepping closer, eyes flicking over his face as if piecing something together.

"I should be asking you that," she says, smooth but laced with accusation. "I've heard some interesting things, Alex. And I'm happy that you're here to give all the answer s"

"Interesting things?" he countered, crossing his arms. "Like what?"

She lets out a dark chuckle, her lips curling. "Oh, you know," she says, dragging out the words. "Like you've been making frequent visits to this hospital. Visiting… her."

Alex's pulse quickened. He felt his control slipping, but he masked it, expression neutral. "I have business here," he said coolly. "That's all you need to know."

"Business?" She tilts her head, the smirk deepening. "At a hospital? Come on, Alex. You were never a good liar. I know what's really going on. I know about the little maid you've been seeing. Emma, isn't it?"

Anger flared up inside him, and he took a step closer, voice low and dangerous.

"You don't know anything. Don't insult me. How can I stoop low to be dealing with a maid?"

Her eyes flashing with triumph, as if she's won something just by making him react.

"Oh, but I do," she said, her voice dropping. "You've been playing house with her, haven't you? You always did have a thing for the help."

The words hit him like a slap. He felt an inexplicable urge to protect Emma from this venomous woman. He stepped even closer, his tone threatening.

"Careful, Victoria. You don't want to push me."

Her wide smile faltered, but only for a moment before she regained her cold composure.

"Push you?" she echoed. "I'm not the one losing everything here, Alex. You are."

He reached out, gripping her arm tightly, pulling her close enough that she can feel the anger radiating off him.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he growled. "You don't know anything about Emma, and you damn well don't know anything about me."

Her eyes widened briefly, and for a moment, he saw a flash of surprise. But she quickly composed herself, jerking her arm free from his grip.

"Don't I?" She taunted, voice dripping with disdain. "You built your empire on control, Alex. But you can't control this. You can't control her."

Her words echoed in his mind, stirring the insecurities he's tried to ignore. But before he could respond, a figure down the hall caught his attention.

That's me.

I stood at the end of the hallway, watching them, my face pale, my eyes wide with shock and hurt. His chest tightened. I took in the scene - Victoria's mocking expression, his clenched fists, and her face crumpled, a mixture of pain and betrayal flashing in her eyes. Without a word, I turned and walked away.

Alex felt a pang in his chest, something foreign and intense. He stepped forward, ready to go after me, but Victoria's voice stopped him cold.

"You're losing, Alex," she whispered, voice soft but filled with triumph. "And there's nothing you can do to stop it."

He watches me disappear down the hall, helplessness washing over him. For the first time, he feels something he despises - powerlessness. And with it, fear.

As the silence presses down on him, Victoria's words linger. You're losing.

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, steadying himself. No, he thinks, determination hardening within him. I'm not losing anything. Not yet.

Victoria's eyes gleam as she watches him struggle, but he tunes her out, his mind focused only on Emma.

Emma's Perspective

My heart pounds as I hurried down the hospital corridor, away from the scene I just witnessed. I tried to breathe, but it feels like my chest is too tight. Seeing Alex and Victoria together, the cold, cruel gleam in Victoria's eyes, the tension between them… it's like a cruel reminder of the gap that divides my life from theirs.

I thought I could handle being around Alex, but this… this was different. It felt like watching a glimpse of a world I had no place in. The look on Alex's face, the barely veiled anger in his eyes, the possessiveness she hadn't seen before—it all confuses me.

What am I doing here?

The question echoes in my mind, and a new sense of doubt rises within me. Alex has been a whirlwind in my life, turning everything upside down. But seeing him with Victoria reminds me that he is from a world that could crush mine.

I reaches the lobby, my hand over my stomach, a protective instinct kicking in. I need to protect myself, and I need to protect this child. I can't let myself fall into a world that has no room for me.

Back to Alex

Watching my retreating figure, a dark resolve settles over Alex. He's never let anyone have this power over him—not in business, not in life. Yet I, with my defiance and quiet strength, is changing everything. And for the first time, he's beginning to question if there's a place in his life where control doesn't dictate everything.

He turns to Victoria, who still watches him with a victorious smirk.

"Enjoy this moment," he says, his voice low, a hint of something dangerous underneath. "Because soon, it'll be over. I promise you."

Her smirk fades, just slightly, as his words sink in.

As he heads back toward the exit, his mind races. The walls of his controlled world are closing in, but one thing is certain; he's not about to let anyone stand in the way of what he wants. Not Victoria

He will talk to me. He will explain himself on his terms, and make me understand. He won't just let me walk away. Not like this.

But as he steps outside, the crisp night air biting at his skin, a new thought worms its way into his mind, something he hasn't allowed himself to admit until now.

He doesn't just want control. He wants me or the baby.