Alexander sat in his car, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. A mischievous grin spread across his face as an idea popped into his head. He could get ire to help him with that statement he needed to make, even though he knew they''d end up arguing like always. For some reason, that warmed him a little. Their bickering had be some weird form offort. ire was stubborn, sharp-tongued, and irritatingly good at winning arguments, but she was also reliable. And if there was one thing Alexander loved, it was pushing her buttons. Without a second thought, he turned his car toward ire''s office. Night had fallen, and the city lights glowed like stars as he drove through the streets. He smirked to himself, imagining the look on ire''s face when he showed up unannounced.


    When he finally arrived at the office building, he parked and headed inside. The ce was almost deserted at this time of night, the only sounds were the asional hum of a distant printer or the soft murmur of ate-night worker. As he reached ire''s office, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Curious, he stepped forward to knock, but something made him pause.


    Peeking through the gap, he spotted ire inside, standing close to Adrian. Very close. Before he could make sense of it, he saw them leaning toward each other. And then-were they kissing?


    His eyes widened. "What the hell is going on?" he blurted out, pushing the door open without a second thought.


    Both ire and Adrian jumped back, startled. Adrian nearly knocked over a chair, while ire''s eyes shot toward the door, narrowing when she saw Alexander standing there.


    "What are you doing here, Alexander?" ire demanded, her voice edged with irritation.


    He ignored her question, still processing what he''d just seen. "Why were you kissing Adrian?" he asked, his voice sharp with usation.


    ire blinked, looking genuinely confused. "Kissing? What are you talking about?" She crossed her arms, looking more annoyed than flustered.


    "You were leaning forward, right into each other''s faces! I saw it!" Alexander wasn''t about to back down. He had seen something he just wasn''t sure what.


    ire rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh my God, Alexander. I wasn''t kissing anyone. Something got in my eye, and Adrian was just helping me. That''s all." Alexander frowned, not entirely convinced. "What?"


    Adrian, who had been quiet until now, finally stood up straight and faced Alexander. "She''s telling the truth. Something flew into her eye, and I was helping her get it out. We''re having dinner-why would we be kissing?" Alexander''s frown deepened as he nced between the two of them. He didn''t know whether to believe them or not. ire was looking at him like he was an idiot, which wasn''t new. And Adrian? Well, Adrian just looked awkward.


    Alexander huffed, feeling more embarrassed by the second. But he couldn''t back down now, could he? He still wasn''t convinced. "I don''t know. You were leaning awfully close," he muttered, crossing his arms.


    ire groaned. "Oh, for crying out loud, Alexander. It was just something in my eye! Are you going to keep using us of kissing all night, or are you going to tell me what you''re doing here?"


    She had a point, and Alexander could feel his argument crumbling. But admitting he was wrong? That wasn''t exactly his style. So, he did what he did best-he dodged the question. "I wasn''t here for anything important," he lied, hoping to salvage what little dignity he had left.


    ire raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "You showed up at my office at night, barged in like some crazy person, and interrupted dinner... for no reason?"


    Alexander shifted ufortably. He felt his face flush. "Yeah. Forget it. I''m leaving."


    ire, on the other hand, just looked annoyed, her patience clearly wearing thin.


    Once he was outside, he took a deep breath of the cool night air, feeling his embarrassment subside a little. Why did he always end up looking like a fool in front of ire? Every time he thought he had the upper hand, she knocked him down with


    her quick wit or her with


    responses. And tonight had been no different.


    Annoyance filled Alexander as he sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel a bit too tightly. What is Adrian doing having dinner with ire? he wondered, shaking his head.


    It felt like Adrian was always in the


    middle of everything, like a pesky fly buzzing around when you''re just trying to enjoy a nice meal.


    Alexander revved the engine andmet


    drove out of ire''s office parking


    lot, his mind racing with thoughts of the evening. He decided to head to the club, hoping to shake off his irritation.


    With a frustrated sigh, he decided to head to the club. Maybe a drink would help him forget about Adrian and ire.


    As he navigated through the city streets, his phone buzzed with an iing call from an unknown number. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to answer it anyway. After all, who knew? It could be important. "Hello?" he said, trying to keep his tone casual, but the tension in his voice betrayed him.


    "Alexander." The voice on the other end was familiar, sending a shiver down his spine. He''d heard it before.


    Alexander rolled his eyes, in irritation "udia Wright. What do you want? I''m not in the mood to talk right now."


    She chuckled softly, the sound dancing in his ears. "Oh, you remember my voice so well. I can tell you''ve missed me."


    "Not exactly," he shot back, but there was no real bite in his words. "What do you want, udia?"


    "Meet me at the club. I have something important to talk about," she said before the line went dead.


    "Great," Alexander muttered, staring at his phone as if it had betrayed him. "Just what I needed. What''s the use of a phone if not for talking."


    The drive was short, and in twenty


    intir


    minutes, he arrived at the club. The bass thumped through the walls, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. He pushed through the heavy doors and scanned the crowded space. The air was thick with alcohol and a hint of sweat, and the shing lights. made everything feel surreal.


    Just as he was starting to feel lost in the crowd, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around, and there she was-udia Wright, looking all too confident with a sly smile on her face. "Follow me," she said, her tonemanding.


    udia led him to the VIP section, where the music was muffled but still vibrated in his bones. She slid onto a plush couch, crossing her legs over one another and fixing him with an intense stare. "So, what do you want?" he asked, slipping into business mode. "I''m a little busy tonight."


    "Busy?" she repeated, tilting her head.


    "Just get to the point udia. You said you wanted to talk." Alexander catching ire and Adrian together turns his mood sour and he is not in the mood conversing with people. She leaned forward, her expression serious. "You have two options, Alex. You can negotiate with me or... marry me."