CHAPTER 33: 33: THE DISTRACTING KISS

Alexander’s words hung in the air, a thinly veiled threat disguised as a business philosophy. The entire ballroom, a gilded cage of wealth and rivalry, seemed to hold its collective breath, recognising the shift in tone from professional pride to something far more possessive.

His eyes didn’t leave Adrian, who stood paralysed between Sebastian and the eager Nolan. Adrian’s bruised face, framed by the flattering new shirt and Sebastian’s proprietary stance, was a visual affront to Alexander’s ownership.

Sebastian, recognising the challenge, raised his champagne glass to Adrian in a mocking toast, pulling Adrian slightly closer to his side.

Alexander’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t going to allow this public performance to continue.

"Tonight, we are unveiling a concept that represents the ultimate expression of control," Alexander continued, his voice gaining volume and intensity, drowning out the murmurs of the crowd. "A concept that, like any valuable asset, must be protected from distraction, from unauthorised use, and from theft."

The curtains behind him slid open to reveal a breathtaking black-and-silver supercar — sleek, predatory, perfection on wheels. Gasps filled the room, but Alexander didn’t look at the car. He looked at Adrian.

He slowly set the microphone back on the stand, the action deliberate and final. He didn’t wait for applause or questions. He bypassed the new model car displayed on the stage and stepped down, his tall, imposing figure slicing through the space between the stage and the crowd.

The room parted for him.

He walked straight past Mr. Vincent and the bewildered Nolan, his entire focus locked on the three-person cluster near the back wall.

Adrian watched him approach, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He didn’t dare move, knowing any attempt to escape would only provoke a worse reaction.

Alexander stopped directly in front of them, his shadow engulfing Adrian. He didn’t look at Sebastian; he looked only at Adrian, his eyes burning with a dangerous mix of anger and proprietary demand.

"I found him, Mr. Cole," Nolan informed, clearing her throat.

Alexander barely gave a short nod to her words.

"The show is over, Mr. Cole," Alexander commanded, his voice barely audible over the remaining party noise, yet carrying absolute authority. "I relieved you of your duties at the office, yet, you disobeyed me and went to Mr. Vale. Whatever for?" He questioned darkly.

Adrian gulped. That situation right there was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"Sir... I..." he trailed off, darting his eyes away toward the chatting crowd.

Sebastian smirked, stepping forward. "You misunderstand, Alexander. You see, Adrian doesn’t only work for you. Let’s say, we have a little contract where he would spend his time outside work with me for a week. And your employee just confirmed he’s staying."

Alexander finally shifted his gaze to Sebastian, his eyes cold and utterly ruthless. "He is mine. My employee. And, trust me when I tell you that Mr. Cole’s everything—his job, his debt, his mother’s bills—is managed by me. As for your contract with him, he is no longer on an hourly rate, Vale. He is on salary, my salary, and his performance is dictated by my exclusive control."

He reached out, his hand sweeping past Sebastian and fastening around Adrian’s wrist. This time, the grip was firm, non-negotiable, and public.

Adrian bit his lip, feeling Alexander’s hand around his wrist in public kind of triggered some kind of wild thoughts that were in no way appropriate for the occasion.

As stupid as it sounded, a sick, silly part of him really wanted him to take him away from Sebastian.

"You had your fun, Vale. I will have my accountant wire a full week’s pay, plus a thirty per cent inconvenience fee, to Maison Nocturne. Consider the contract bought out." Alexander stayed, his hold tightening around Adrian’s wrist.

Adrian gasped, shocked.

’So, he knows?’ He pondered in surprise.

He began to pull Adrian away.

Sebastian’s smile disappeared. He reached out to grab Adrian’s other arm. "Adrian, you don’t have to go with him! He’s just doing this out of spite!"

Adrian, pulled taut between the two most powerful men in the room, winced. His gaze darted to Alexander, who was now pulling with dangerous intensity.

Alexander, seeing Adrian’s pain, suddenly stopped fighting the tug-of-war. He released Adrian’s wrist and took a deliberate step back. He looked at Sebastian, then at Adrian, and finally back at the hundreds of watching eyes in the hall.

He knew he couldn’t afford a scandal of two billionaires fighting over an escort.

Nolan smiled, oblivious to the tension cutting through the air like a wire. She stared from Alexander to Adrian, admiring the men responsible for bringing such beautiful cars to life.

"Mr. Cole, we need to leave. I need to speak with you. Coming?" Alexander pinned Adrian with a heated gaze, casually pushing his hands into his pockets.

Sebastian smirked, still holding Adrian’s wrists, "You don’t have to go with him, he’s not your boss for tonight –"

"Actually, Mr. Vale... I’m sorry," Adrian looked from Alexander’s furious, demanding face to Sebastian’s mocking, challenging one.

He knew defying Alexander publicly would be career suicide and worsen his debt.

"Mr. Devereux has already paid back your expenses. My duty is now to him" Adrian sighed, finally nodding. He pulled his arm from Alexander’s grip, stepping away from both men. He looked at Sebastian with genuine apology. "I’m sorry, Mr. Vale, my contract with my boss... is non-negotiable."

He turned to Alexander, "I will go with you, Mr-oh!" He gasped as Alexander suddenly pulled him away from the prying eyes of the crowd and toward a thing corridor.

"Mr. Devereux, b-boss, where are you, where are we going?" Adrian questioned breathlessly as he struggled to keep up with Alexander’s pace.

Alexander didn’t respond, he didn’t trust himself not to let out the strange anger brewing within him.

He focused on leading Adrian farther away from any prying eyes or ears.

"Boss, c-can we stop-um..." Adrian paused as Alexander led him right inside the last door of the long corridor, startled as the door slammed shut.

He looked around him and noticed that the small space was a store room or a laundry room where the hotel stored freshly washed towels and a few cleaning equipment.

He dug his nails into his hands. He hated small spaces.

But he could manage, the lighting on there could compete with the sun. As long as there was light, he was fine.

Adrian’s breath hitched as Alexander turned away from the door to face him. Now, he could see the anger in his eyes.

Slowly, he backed away to the shelves holding the towels, there wasn’t quite enough room in the already small space for him to go.

"Boss, actually..." he pressed his back on the wooden shelf behind him, heart pounding loudly as he saw Alexander stop right in front of him, his hands in his pockets, but his eyes bore daggers into him.

"Yes, Mr. Cole, I’m listening," Alexander’s calm voice doubled the tension in the room and in Adrian’s body.

"Go ahead," He moved, leaning very slightly toward Adrian, "Tell me why you went to Maison Nocturne instead of my penthouse. Tell me why you accepted Sebastian’s offer without consulting me –"

"Because you don’t own me!" Adrian burst out, his eyes widened in shock as he sucked his trembling lower lip between his teeth, heaving his chest as he realised what he’d just done.

He had shouted at his boss, he had shouted at the man who cleared his mother’s bills, he had shouted at the man who for some reason, had promised to look into his stepfather’s fraudulent activities.

He had fucked up.

He suddenly clutched Alexander’s shirt, shaking his head at him as he stared up into his blue eyes, "I’m sorry, Mr. Devereux... I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I’m just a little, a little messy right now, and I –"

"You’re right, Mr. Cole..." Alexander raised his hands to place them over Adrian’s holding the front of his chest, his face leaning closer so he was at eye level with Adrian.

"I’m... right? You understand my explanation?" Adrian was surprised at how calm Alexander was looking and sounding, he could feel that something was wrong, or about to be wrong.

"Yes, Mr. Cole. You’re right. I do not own you... Yet," Alexander smirked, his eyes darkening, "But, trust me, I’m about to tie you to me that the last thing on your mind would be a relationship with my rival," he smirked, tskung Adrian’s hand away from his shirt.

Adrian shook his head, "I’m not dating Mr. Vale, boss. I was just his escort for a week. I... I needed money to give those loan sharks because I knew they’d come for me tonight –"

"Well if you went to my penthouse, you could have been safe!" Alexander slammed his hand on the shelf right beside Adrian’s face.

Adrian stiffened, his eyes widened as he stared at Alexander’s angry face. His breath turned hitched as he parted his trembling lips.

He was scared.

"Shit," Alexander turned away and raked his hair.

Adrian just witnessed a traumatic experience with a gang, any form of violence would trigger those memories, hurting his psyche.

Alexander inhaled deeply and turned. His chest tightened as he saw Adrian, still shaken from the violent display.

He could see Adrian shaking as he leaned closer but he didn’t stop. He lowered his face and stared into Adrian’s eyes, his hand reaching to cup Adrian’s cheek.

"Hey, breathe, Adrian. I admit, the violence wasn’t necessary. I just –" a loud gunshot cut him short, followed by the shouts and screams of the people in the hall.

"Alexander," Adrian’s shaky voice called out, his hands clutching Alexander’s shirt once more, and this time, for a good reason.

Alexander froze at first.

Hearing Adrian call him by his name surprisingly undid something in him. Adrian’s voice had been so soft, so vulnerable, so... beckoning.

He shook his head and focused on the scared man in front of him.

"Adrian, look at me. Look into my eyes, Adrian," he cupped Adrian’s face, gazimg into his grey eyes, "we’re going to be just fine, my security team is already on the matter, we’ll be out soon. Okay?" He tried to sound calm for Adrian’s sake.

Adrian gasped, nodding his head as no words could come out of his parted lips. His mind was slowly drifting to the genesis of his problems, unravelling his buried traumas.

He pulled Alexander closer, shaking his head as the gunshots kept firing in the hall.

"I hate... I-I hate, gunshots... make it stop, m-make it stop, p-please, Alexander, help me," he stammered, his fingers that clutched Alexander’s shirt started to tremble, loosening on the shirt.

Alexander was stunned once more. He never knew that his name could sound so perfect on someone’s lips, and he realised that once again, his thoughts weren’t related to the situation.

He was about to say something when the lights went off, followed by a scream by someone before a shot was fired off.

"Oh, god!" Adrian gasped as darkness enveloped them, his knees gave out and he almost fell to the floor if Alexander hadn’t caught his waist, pressing him plush against himself.

"Adrian, you’re going to be fine, alright?" Alexander whispered, hoping that Adrian’s gasp would stop before it would lead those criminals straight to them.

Adrian shuddered, "I..." he choked, gasping, "I’m claustrophobic and nyctophobia..." he gave a strained chuckle, "I’m losing my breath, Alex." He choked out, his hands holding onto Alexander’s arms for support.

Alexander shut his stupid mind from focusing on that ’Alex’ and rather focused on his dying secretary.

He left one hand on Adrian’s waist while the other had snuck behind Adrian’s head to tilt his head upward.

He could feel Adrian’s warm breath on his face and he suddenly didn’t give a fuck about those criminals outside. All that mattered to him was to stabilise his secretary.

He pressed his forehead against Adrian, "Feel my breath, Adrian, breathe with me, I’m here for you," He whispered, his thumb caressing the back of Adrian’s ear.

Adrian paused, as if he was first calming down, but then, he heard a door being busted and a short, scared gasp escaped his lips.

"They’re coming –"

"Shh..." Alexander shushed very softly, gently pressing Adrian’s back against the shelf as his hand tightened on his waist.

"Adrian," Alexander called huskily.

Adrian inhaled shakily, "Y-yes, boss." He answered, trembling.

His breath suddenly hitched as he felt the tip of Alexander’s nose on his, his breath was fast and hitching, while Alexander’s was deep, shallow and fucking hot.

"I’m going to distract you from your fears, do you agree?" Alexander’s husky whispered sending a different shiver down Adrian’s spine, slowly blocking the fear he was feeling, so, he was curious to see what Alexander would do next.

Adrian gulped "...Yes," Adrian managed, his voice barely a tremor in the darkness.

He didn’t have time to process the agreement before Alexander’s lips claimed his.

The kiss was fierce, demanding, and utterly consuming. It was not a gentle distraction, but a total sensory takeover.

Alexander’s mouth was hot and commanding, silencing Adrian’s gasps of fear and replacing them with gasps of something else entirely—shock, heat, and a terrifying, unwanted exhilaration. His hand left Adrian’s waist and moved up, cupping the back of his head, deepening the kiss with an intensity that obliterated the surrounding chaos.

Adrian’s hands, which had been clutching Alexander’s arms, instinctively shot up to grasp his shoulders, grounding himself against the sudden, violent current that surged between them. The sounds of distant gunshots, the screams, and the claustrophobic darkness receded, replaced entirely by the sound of their ragged breathing and the dizzying sensation of Alexander’s body pressed against his.

Alexander finally pulled back, resting his forehead against Adrian’s, their breaths mingling in the dark.

"Is the fear gone, Mr. Cole?" Alexander whispered, his voice rough with residual passion and control.

Adrian was speechless, his mind blank, his body trembling for a new reason. He shook his head, unable to form a coherent thought.

A sudden, sharp beam of light sliced through the darkness, illuminating their faces. A flashlight.