The rain fell heavily that night, soaking through my thin dress as I ran barefoot along the empty street.
My heart was racing.
Not from the cold… but from him.
"Stop running, Amara!" his deep voice echoed behind me.
I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
If I stopped, everything would change.
If I stopped… I would fall right back into his world.
And I promised myself I would never go back.
Just a few hours ago, my life was normal.
Or at least… I thought it was.
I was just a simple girl trying to survive in Lagos. Working two jobs, struggling to pay rent, and avoiding trouble at all costs.
Then he walked into my life.
Alexander Blackwood
Rich. Powerful. Dangerous.
The kind of man every woman dreams about… and fears at the same time.
I remember the first time I saw him.
I had been serving drinks at a high-class event I wasn't supposed to even be in. My boss warned me to stay invisible.
"Don't talk too much. Don't make mistakes. These people are not like us," she said.
I nodded.
But fate had other plans.
As I turned around with a tray of champagne, I bumped into someone.
The glass slipped.
Everything shattered.
And before I could apologize, a strong hand grabbed my wrist.
Firm. Possessive.
I looked up—and my breath caught.
It was him.
His dark eyes locked onto mine like he had been waiting for this moment his entire life.
"Who are you?" he asked quietly.
My lips parted, but no words came out.
Because in that moment…
I felt something I had never felt before.
Danger.
Desire.
And something far worse—
Connection.
"I'm sorry, sir," I finally whispered, trying to pull my hand away.
But he didn't let go.
Instead, his grip tightened slightly.
"You don't look sorry," he said.
My heart skipped.
What did that even mean?
"I—I didn't mean to spill the drink," I stammered.
Still, he didn't release me.
People around us had started watching.
Whispers filled the room.
But he didn't care.
And for some reason…
Neither did I.
That was the beginning of everything.
The moment my simple life collided with his complicated world.
The moment I made the biggest mistake of my life.
Because I didn't know then…
That meeting him would cost me everything.
A loud thunderclap pulled me back to reality.
I slipped and fell hard on the wet road, pain shooting through my knee.
Before I could stand up, I felt it again.
His presence.
Slow footsteps approached.
Then he stopped right in front of me.
I didn't need to look up.
I could feel his eyes on me.
"You really thought you could run away from me?" he said calmly.
I swallowed hard.
My body trembled—not from fear… but from something deeper.
"I don't belong to you," I said, forcing strength into my voice.
Silence.
Then suddenly—
He crouched down.
His fingers lifted my chin gently, forcing me to meet his gaze.
"You were mine the moment you touched me," he whispered.
My breath hitched.
"No," I shook my head, tears mixing with rain. "That was a mistake."
A dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"A mistake?" he repeated softly.
Then his face moved closer to mine.
Too close.
"You're about to find out," he murmured,
"that I don't let go of what's mine."
And in that moment…
I knew.
Running away was never going to save me.
Because Alexander Blackwood wasn't just a man.
He was a storm.
And I had already been caught in it.