Page 137 of Steel Beauty

“Don’t play dumb with me, Alex.” Her smugness hardens into something more cutting. “Imagine the scandal—a staff member breaks up one of their matches and then becomes involved with the client. And not just any client—a rich-as-sin, high-profile one. Soul Sync wouldn’t be able to recover from the scandal.”

She lets out a quiet laugh, barbed with cruelty. “But even if they did, I would make sure your little girlfriend never works in this industry again. My following is large enough to ensure that if I wanted to, I could ruin her with a few carefully placed words.”

“Just go on and say it. What do you want, Celeste?”

She laughs softly, a sound that sends a chill through me. “You’re in luck. I’m feeling generous. Two million dollars should be enough to keep my lips sealed. And let’s be honest—we both know I could ask for far more, given what you’re worth.”

My heart sinks. This is it. There’s no way Alex would hand over that kind of money for me—not that I’d even want him to. And why should he? This problem is mine.

I swallow hard, the cold wave of reality crashing over me. My career at Soul Sync is over. Celeste will destroy me, dragging my name through the mud until there’s nothing left to salvage.

A deep sigh escapes Alex. “Fine. You’ll get the money, but only after you sign a legally binding agreement. No reaching out to Soul Sync about Magnolia. No exceptions.”

Shock ripples through me, my breath catching. He’s going to pay her? I don’t want him paying anything because of me—especially to her.

Her laughter cuts through the air, sharp and cruel. “I thought you might at least ask how I knew you were a client. Surely that’s a question worth asking, don’t you think?”

“I was getting to that. The process is highly confidential. So tell me—how did you find out?”

“Oh… poor… slow… Alex. You really should learn to read your own emails. You never know who might be bought off.”

Why would he have someone else reading his emails?

“This is just like you. Taking something personal, something I can’t control, and twisting it to your advantage. Manipulation has always been your specialty.”

What she’s referring to is something Alex hasn’t shared with me. And the realization stings—a sharp pang of hurt mixed with disbelief. Why hasn’t he trusted me with this?

“I know we weren’t truly matched, so tell me—who did you pay off at Soul Sync? How did you manipulate the system? And better yet, how did you afford the service?”

Celeste’s laugh returns, cold and soulless. “It wasn’t as hard as you might imagine. But I think I’ll keep that little secret to myself.”

My stomach churns. Whatever she’s done, she’s woven her way into places she had no right to be. Her smugness, her confidence—it all makes sense now. She’s had control over this situation from the start.

My stomach turns as the thought sinks in.Two million dollars.The lengths he’s willing to go to protect me, to shield me from Celeste’s cruelty, are overwhelming. It’s too much.

A part of me wants to rush out there, to stop him, to tell him I can’t let him make that kind of sacrifice. But I stay rooted to the spot, paralyzed. Guilt and disbelief churn in my mind, leaving me frozen.

Finally, I peel myself away from the wall, each step back to the bedroom feeling heavier than the last. Slipping under the covers, I draw them close, curling into their warmth. This isn’t how I wanted this night to feel—tainted by Celeste.

I lie there, clutching his shirt, as if holding on to it might steady the storm inside me. The house falls silent again, save for the faint creak of the floorboards as Alex’s footsteps draw closer.

The bed dips slightly as he climbs in beside me, his arm slipping around my waist to pull me close. His warmth seeps into me as he nuzzles into the curve of my neck. “What’s this? You know you’re supposed to be naked in my bed.”

I turn to face him, his features softened by the faint moonlight filtering through the window. My heart stutters, caught between the overwhelming need to cling to this moment and the painful truth of what I overheard.

I take a shaky breath. “Alex… I heard everything.”

His eyes widen briefly, but a faint smirk tugs at his lips. “Eavesdropping, are we? You know what they say—nothing good ever comes from eavesdropping.”

“You can’t pay her. It’s too much. I won’t let you bear that kind of burden.”

His gaze locks on to mine. “I’m doing it to protect you. I have more than enough. No amount is too much if it means keeping you safe.”

I swallow hard, his words settling heavily over me, wrapping around my heart like a shield. Yet, a part of me resists, bristling at the idea. “I don’t like it when other people try to solve my problems for me. I’m used to standing on my own.”

He’s silent for a beat, then gently reaches out, taking my face in his hands and brushing his thumb along my cheek. “This isn’tyourproblem. It’sourproblem.” His words settle over me. “You’ve carried so much on your own for so long. But you don’t have to anymore—not with me.”

His words chip away at the defenses I’ve held on to for years, exposing the cracks I’ve tried so hard to ignore. I let out a shaky breath, my resolve faltering. “Buttwo million dollars, Alex… that’s nothelp—it’s?—”

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