AMARA'S POV
The jet landed smoothly in Singapore, and as we made our way through the airport, I found myself focusing on the usual whirlwind that came with being around Alexander. The constant flow of calls, meetings, and the ever-present pressure to keep everything running smoothly. I didn't think much about the room we'd be staying in.
We share different rooms at home anyway, so it didn't really cross my mind that things might be different on this trip.But the concierge handed Alexander a single key card — one key for a room.
I stopped in my tracks, confusion creeping in. "One key?"
He didn't answer immediately, just turned to walk toward the elevator, his pace never slowing. "Yes, one key."
I caught up to him, my mind racing. "We're sharing a room?"
He didn't look at me. "Yes. We are."
I couldn't help but scoff. "I didn't think we were supposed to share rooms, Alexander. Not for business."
He slid the key into the elevator card slot without missing a beat. "Business is business, Amara. But that doesn't mean we can't share a room."
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my irritation at bay. "You think this is some game? Do your previous assistants sleep in the same room as you before?"
He finally glanced at me, the tiniest hint of an eyebrow raise. "They're my assistants, Amara. Why would they?"
I clenched my jaw, heat rising to my face. "So I'm just your assistant, then?"
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me fully, his expression now colder, harder. "You are my wife, not just my assistant. Use your brain, Amara. I didn't know you were this dumb, Mrs. Voss."
The words hit harder than they should have. His tone was a sharp slap to my pride, and I couldn't just stand there and let him talk to me like that.
"I'm not your damn pawn," I said through gritted teeth, my voice shaking with frustration. "I didn't agree to be your property."
His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something — anger, maybe? He stepped toward me, his presence overwhelming as always. "You didn't agree to this? You're my wife, Amara. You knew this is how it would be."
I shook my head, my temper flaring. "No. I knew I was marrying you for business, but I didn't know I'd be treated like a tool. Like I don't matter."
"You're not just an accessory," he said, his voice low. "But in this world, there are things you need to understand. People expect us to act a certain way, Amara. And for now, that means sharing a room."
I turned away, not trusting myself to speak, but the frustration I felt had nowhere to go. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door, muttering under my breath, "I'm not some damn trophy to be kept in a cage."
His hand shot out to stop me before I could walk past him. "You think you're a trophy? You think I'm controlling you?"
"Yes!" I snapped, spinning around to face him. "You control everything. You decide everything for me — where I sleep, what I wear, how I act. I'm not your property, Alexander. And I'm not going to let you treat me like one."
He took a deep breath, like he was forcing himself to stay calm. "I'm not treating you like anything, Amara. I'm trying to make this work. I'm trying to keep things together."
"By controlling me?" I shot back, incredulous. "You think controlling me is 'making things work'?"
He didn't flinch at my words. Instead, he looked at me with that familiar coldness, but now there was something else in his eyes — frustration, maybe regret, or even something deeper. But I didn't care about what was in his eyes.
I grabbed the key from his hand and shoved it into my pocket. "I'll sleep on the couch if it's that important to you. But don't think I'll just accept everything you throw at me without question."
For a moment, the silence between us was thick. Then he sighed and looked away, clearly frustrated.
"Do what you want," he muttered. "But we're here for business. Don't forget that."
ALEXANDER'S POV
I should've been angry. I should've told her to stop questioning me, to fall in line like every other person who worked for me. But instead, I just stood there, listening to her voice — loud, defiant, angry.
Her words stung, but I wasn't sure why. I shouldn't care. I shouldn't care that she was challenging me, but damn it, I did.
She wasn't backing down. And for the first time, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a problem.
I ran my hand through my hair and turned toward the bed, trying to push away the feeling that was slowly crawling up my throat. I wasn't sure if it was frustration or… something else.
She was my wife. This was business. Nothing more.
But when she looked at me with those eyes — full of fire and challenge — I couldn't just push her away. I couldn't just make her disappear into the background.
I had to deal with it, whether I liked it or not.
And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure if I was in control anymore.
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Author's Note 💌
🔥 Amara is challenging Alexander in ways he didn't expect. How will he handle this newfound defiance?
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