I resist, because Lucian is staring at the two of us, his eyes twinkling. I look at him through narrowed eyes, trying to convey that he needs to knock it off, but he continues to smirk at us. I know he’s seeing things that aren’t there—Luce is like that. He’s a hopeless romantic, and he’s falling for his brother’s theatrics.
“Buttercup,” Alexander says, sighing. “I need to head back to the office. Something came up.”
I nod, and he gently pushes my hair out of my face. “Come with me,” he says. “Come to the office with me. I don’t know how long this’ll take, but we can grab some food after? Or if you’re hungry now, I can just order you some food to my office?”
I look at him with raised brows. If we aren’t putting on a show, why do we need to spend any time together?
The mildly impressed look on Lucian’s face tells me that Alexander taking me to his office instead of just cancelling our date is unusual, and I hate that it gets my hopes up just slightly… I hate that it makes me wonder if maybe, just maybe, he wants to spend time with me as much as I want to spend time with him.
Chapter 28
E lena
All eyes are on us as we walk into the office. I’m nervous and try to pull my hand out of Alexander’s, but he holds me tighter instead. He leans into me, his lips brushing over my ear. “Back straight, chin up. You’re Mrs. Kennedy,” he whispers.
I look up at him, and he grabs my chin, pinching gently as he leans in for a kiss, right in the middle of the lobby. He smirks as he pulls away, and I’m certain my cheeks are scarlet. Lately he’ll kiss me in public as often as he can, ensuring we end up in tabloids every week. He seems to revel in making me blush, seeing me flustered. I guess it’s yet another game for him.
I look away and catch Luce rolling his eyes despite the smile on his face. Alexander throws his arm around me as we walk towards the elevator. “Remind me why you’re here?” he asks Lucian.
I see the flash of panic in Lucian’s eyes, but he gets it under control within seconds and smiles at his brother. “I’m meeting a friend,” he says, getting off at a lower floor than us.
I wink at him as he walks away. “Have fun,” I tell him, and his cheeks redden just slightly as he rushes off.
Alexander frowns, but thankfully, he doesn’t ask any questions. He holds my hand as we walk toward his office, and Alice seems surprised to see me. Her eyes drop to our joined hands in confusion, and it takes her a couple of seconds to smile at me.
“I need to attend the Willis meeting,” Alexander says, leading me into his office. Alice follows us in and he nods at her as he pulls out his desk chair for me. “Make sure my wife is well taken care of. Get her some takeout menus too.”
Alice nods, but her expression displays disbelief. “I… you’re leaving her in your office? Alone?” she asks, clearly trying to be somewhat discreet, and failing.
Alexander straightens his tie, nodding. “You were there the day I married her, weren’t you? She’s my wife . What is she going to steal from me? She owns everything already.”
I tense. Alexander has never mentioned it, but Lucian told me that Jennifer stole corporate secrets and handed them to my brother, losing Alexander a deal he’d been working on for years. I bet attempting to explain a data breach like that, on top of the lost expected revenue, can’t have been easy. I can’t even imagine how his grandfather and their shareholders must have responded, how hard he’s had to work to make up for it.
It surprises me that he’s willing to leave me alone in his office. In his eyes, I’m a Rousseau, after all. But then again, he’s right. He owns me.
Alexander turns to walk away, but then he pauses and turns back. He pulls me up and out of his chair, his hands around my waist. He kisses me roughly, quickly, and then he pulls away, leaving me standing there in a daze, startled. He brushes my hair behind my ear. “I’ll be back soon, Buttercup,” he says. He leans in for one more kiss and then walks away, leaving me staring after him. Why is he behaving this way? There’s no need to put on a show for his secretary, is there?
I’m not the only one that’s dazed—Alice is staring at the door too, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. It visibly takes her a minute to pull herself together, and when she looks at me, she struggles to meet my eyes. I sit back down in Alexander’s chair and glance at his desk. It’s as tidy as our bedroom always is.
“Can I offer you a drink?” Alice asks, and I nod, asking for a coffee.
She walks away, smiling tightly, and I stare after her. Alexander made it clear from the start that we’d be exclusive, but I can’t help but worry nonetheless. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not good enough for him. That I never will be. When I was younger, I was bound to inherit my mother’s company, but that’s now under my father’s control. I can’t help but wonder about my mother’s company’s performance. Is it doing well under my father’s control? I bite down on my lip and click on the keyboard in front of me. I’m not surprised to find it locked. I hesitate and then decide to text Alexander.
Elena Kennedy: Could I use your computer?
He texts me back almost immediately, startling me.
Husband: Use the fingerprint scanner on the keyboard.
I frown at it and carefully place my index finger on it. Much to my surprise, his computer unlocks.
Elena Kennedy: How is that possible?
Husband: All our security is tied to biometrics. One of my friends, Elliot Everson, implemented it for me. The guy is a whiz. I’ll introduce you at some point.
I sit up when his email inbox appears on the screen, filled with dozens of emails with my father’s company as the subject line. I frown and click on one of the emails curiously. I blink in disbelief as I read through it. He appears to be purchasing company shares from all shareholders that are willing to part with theirs, and he’s paying quite handsomely for them.
Why?
Why would he do that?
I read through the entire thread, shocked at the amount of money he’s spending to acquire my father’s shares.
I’m still reading through the correspondence when Alexander walks back into the office, looking stressed out. He runs a hand through his hair but pauses when he sees my expression. I look up at him, unsure of how to even ask the endless questions I’ve got.
“What happened?” he asks, his brows raised.
“I… you got an email.”
He glances at the screen and runs a hand through his hair. Alexander pulls me out of his seat and sits down, pulling me back onto his lap.
“I’m buying as many shares as I can. It might take some time, but every single thing your father took from you, I’ll return to you. Everything, Elena.”
He kisses my neck and my eyes shutter closed. “A hostile takeover?” I ask, my voice tinged with disbelief.
He nods. “You’re a Kennedy now, Elena. More importantly, you’re mine now. Your father is a fool for messing with us. Shit like buying his stepdaughter bullshit bags instead of helping you save your mother’s life? Fuck that. The mere thought of what you almost resorted to because of that asshole has me seeing red. I’ll take every single thing from him, the way he took it all from you until he’s begging for mercy at your feet. And once you’ve got him there, I want you to walk away from him the way he walked away from your mother and you.”
I turn in his arms to look at him. “You don’t have to do that for me,” I say, my voice trembling. I’ve already asked so much of him. I don’t want to be indebted to him even further. “I only really care about my mother’s company. I don’t need my father’s financial empire. We can’t mess with him, Alexander. We’re just asking for trouble if we do. Besides, this isn’t part of our agreement. I don’t want to inconvenience or bother you.”
He turns me in his lap, so I’m forced to look at him. He cups my cheek and looks into my eyes, his expression serious. “Elena, who am I?” he asks.
“You’re Alexander Kennedy.”
“Indeed. And who are you?”
“I… I’m your wife.”
He nods. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Anyone that messes with you—messes with me . And I? I’m not someone to be trifled with.”
He pulls away and looks into my eyes. “That company wouldn’t exist without your mother funding it. It’s rightfully yours, and I’m going to make sure it ends up in your hands. Besides, I can’t wait to see the look on Matthew’s face when I take everything from him.”
There it is. There’s the real motivation. I never asked him for my father’s shares. I only ever wanted my mother’s. He’s going after them because of Matthew.
Just like Matthew said, Alexander is using me. This time, he’s using me as an excuse. I’m tired of being used, but I’m even more tired of being helpless.