Chapter 13

Vivian woke up curled in Alexander’s arms. Staring at his ridiculously handsome face just inches away and feeling that warm hand resting possessively on her waist, she quickly pinched her thigh — hard. What the hell? How did they end up sleeping together? Weren’t they supposed to take things slow? Did slow die overnight? Almost at the same second Vivian opened her eyes, Alexander stirred awake too. "Vivian." His voice carried that low, husky tone unique to early mornings — damn seductive, like warm whiskey sliding down the throat. His eyes darkened, slowly and deeply. Vivian’s eyelid twitched. She knew that look too well. If she didn’t bail now, she’d be devoured whole. And once they crossed that line, what else was there to tease about? He’d treat her like his personal treasure, probably chain her at home 24/7. With that terrifying thought, she shoved him away and darted off the bed. "So, Mr. Brooks... mind telling me why you’re in my bed?" Her guarded expression made it pretty clear she wasn’t buying any nonsense. Alexander stared straight at her, not blinking, and answered shamelessly, "Vivian invited me." Vivian: "..." Yeah, right. What a crock. "You dozed off on the couch. I was worried you'd catch a cold, so I figured I’d move you to bed," he said calmly. "But then… you wouldn’t let go of me." He made it sound like some touching little accident. Vivian had her doubts, but she vaguely remembered getting sleepy while he was blow-drying her hair last night. Then… nothing. She went quiet for a moment instead. She hadn’t slept properly in two years. Ever since Alexander “died,” insomnia became her cruel roommate. Pills only helped a little, and even then, she'd jolt awake from nightmares in just two hours. Eventually, the pills stopped working, and her mind spiraled into chaos from the sleep deprivation. But last night... Her gaze lingered on Alexander’s calm, beautiful face. A soft warmth filled her chest. So that’s it. Alexander… was her cure."Viv, no getting mad, alright?" Alexander had already gotten out of bed, standing tall right in front of her. Though he sounded like he was giving an order, there was an unmistakable trace of urgency in his tone. Vivian snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him with a soft smile. "Mr. Brooks, I'm not mad." That smile carried a quiet warmth, like a gentle wave calming a storm. It made Alexander instinctively swallow hard. "What exactly do you want to know?" he asked, gripping her shoulders lightly, his voice low and steady. If they could just get past this ‘getting to know each other’ phase, love would come naturally. It was a sudden question, but Vivian got it right away. She curved her lips slightly. "Everything about you—what the world knows, and especially what it doesn’t." "Alright," he said without hesitation. He wasn’t in the mood to wait anymore. "I’ll have Ethan put together a file for you." Vivian blinked, then chuckled. "Sure." She doubted he’d actually lay all his cards on the table in a document, but since he was the one showing good faith first, she had no reason to say no. Just then, Alexander's phone rang. He tapped speaker without looking away from her. "Yeah?" "Sir, the Knights just held a press conference..." He’d assumed it was business as usual, but the moment he heard "Knight family," his eyes darkened. Without another word, he ended the call. "What’s your plan now, Viv?" he asked casually as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. Vivian had caught every word. The voice on the other end was Victor Greene, one of Alexander’s top men—tough as nails and always had a chip on his shoulder. Back in her previous life, he’d treated her pretty coldly at the Brooks estate. Probably thought she was just some useless little flower who didn’t deserve someone like Alexander. It wasn’t until her real identity came out that Victor changed his tune and became fiercely loyal to her. But just now… Victor said the Knights held a press conference? That was weird. That didn’t happen last time. "Viv?" Alexander’s voice pulled her back. He was staring deep into her eyes now. Yep. The Knights. Always such a pain. Showing up out of nowhere and pulling her attention away—that ticked him off.