Chapter 288

“Take care of her, or else…” Alexander Ellis left the rest unsaid, but the meaning couldn’t be clearer. “Theodore Chambers, you’re crossing the line.” Theodore’s face was cold as he looked at Alexander, his tone flat but heavy with warning. The subtext? With the kind of relationship Alexander had with Victoria, he had no business lecturing him. “Victoria’s my friend. Of course I’ll look out for her. If you can’t protect her properly, then I will.” Alexander didn’t back down one bit. Theodore glanced sideways at Victoria, silently questioning, “Since when are you two such good friends?” Seeing the tension heating up between them, Victoria quickly stepped in. “Guys, enough already,” she interjected. “Today was on me—I wasn’t careful, and I walked right into a trap. But Alexander, thank you. Really. Things could’ve gone south fast if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” Her gaze landed on Alexander, full of genuine gratitude. She meant it. She could’ve handled the situation on her own to an