Chapter 15 THE CHESSBOARD ~ ALEXANDER'S POV ~ The sapphire engagement ring catches the light as I slide it from her finger . Claire stands motionless in our penthouse bedroom , city lights painting her skin in shades of silver and shadow . She's breathtaking .... always is .... but tonight there's something different . Something distant . Something that doesn't belong to me . I have undressed countless women . Made them arch and beg and forget their own names . But with Claire , it's never been about conquest . It's been about worship . About earning the right to touch something so perfect it makes my chest ache . Tonight feels different . I trace the zipper of her white dress , the one that made every man at the party stare like wolves in tuxedos . I remove the material from her shoulders with slow , respectful fingertips . She should melt into my touch . Should turn in my arms and let me chase away whatever shadows are haunting her . Instead , she flinches . Not from fear - I had recognized that instantly and stopped . This is something else . Something that makes my jaw clench and my control slip another notch . " You're not here with me , are you ? " The words come out rougher than I planned . Claire blinks slowly , like she's rising from underwater . " I'm tired , " she says , but her voice lacks belief . " That's not an answer . " Her lips curve in something that might be a smile if it had any warmth . " It's all you're getting . " She turns away , sliding beneath the cotton sheets without looking back . Dismissing me . In my goddamn bedroom . I stand there , watching her pretend to sleep . Rage and something uglier burn in my chest . I can smell it on her - not perfume , not champagne . Something else . Someone else . ' Richard Blackwood . ' The name sits in my mind like poison . I've spent months building the perfect life for her . Giving her everything she could want . Protection . Love . A future without limits . And she's still thinking about the man who destroyed her . The next morning , I met Desmond in a private room at the Carlyle . The coffee is perfect . The privacy , absolute . He slides a thick folder across the mahogany table like he's dealing cards . " Blackwood Industries is losing a lot of money , " he says , his voice flat . " The international growth was just an illusion . " " They're highly leveraged . " 1/3 Chapter 1s +15 Bonus I browse the papers , taking in the figures . It's even worse than I imagined , Richard has been stealing from Joshua to settle with Connkr , managing loans and investors like a desperate circus performance . " How long before it collapses ? " " Six months , maybe less . Unless they find a major investor willing to throw good money after bad . " " What about Mercer Holdings ? They're his biggest backer . " Desmond's smile is predatory . " Funny you should ask . Word is they're getting nervous . Stock prices , missed payments , whispers about instability . They're looking for an exit plan . " " Buy them out . " " Sir ? " " Buy out Mercer's stake in Blackwood Industries . Quietly . Use shell companies , offshore accounts .... I don't care what it costs . " Desmond raises an eyebrow . " That's a significant investment in a failing company . " " It's not an investment . " I close the folder with intentional accuracy . " It's strategy . " Because if Claire insists on playing with fire , I'll make sure I control the flames . By midday , things are already moving . From my corner office , I watch the city below while the team quietly follows the plan . No big announcements - just the usual shifts in control that happen every day in meeting rooms across Manhattan . My phone buzzes with updates : Mercer shares bought through our Cayman branch . The Blackwood team's getting nervous . Richard Blackwood is calling last - minute meetings as his investors start to worry . It should feel satisfying . Instead , all I can think about is the way Claire looked last night . The distance in her eyes . The way she pulled away from my touch like it burned . I've given her everything . Made her the envy of every woman in New York . Built her a life of luxury and devotion that most people only dream of . And it's still not enough to erase the ghost of Richard Blackwood . My assistant's voice crackles through the intercom . " Mr. Hayes ? Your car is ready . " " Cancel my evening appointments , " I say . " I'm going home . " I return to the penthouse after dark . She's in the living room , glass in hand , the hem of a short navy evening gown resting just above her thighs . She's barefoot . Hair pinned up carelessly . The firelight dances on her skin . She doesn't look up as I enter . " How was your day ? " she asks , her voice carefully uninterested . 2/3 Chapter 15 +15 Bonus " Eventful . " I move behind her , my hands finding her waist and pulling her back against my chest . " Yours ? " I don't wait for her answer . My lips find the sensitive spot where her neck meets her shoulder , and I feel her sharp intake of breath . My hand slides down to her thigh , fingers tracing the hem of her dress . She lets out a soft moan that goes straight to my groin . " Did you see the news about Mercer Holdings ? " I murmur against her skin , my hand caressing higher . She nods , lost in what I'm doing to her . " Mmm . " " Blackwood Industries might not survive it . " I wait , watching her face in the reflection of the glass Window . " Richard's company will suffer . " She says nothing , and I'm about to test her further when she surprises me completely . She turns in my arms , wraps her arms around my neck , and kisses me with a desperation that steals my breath . When she pulls away , I search her face for some clue to what she's thinking . " You talk too much , " she whispers , her fingers threading through my hair . " I don't care if Blackwood Industries falls . I don't care if Richard has a heart attack . " Her eyes meet mine , fierce and determined . " Take me to bed , Alexander . Make love to me . " I smile , my hand cupping her cheek . " That's my girl . " She's almost to the door when my phone chimes . A text from an unknown number : ' You're playing with fire , Hayes . Don't get burned . ' I read it twice , a slow smile spreading across my face . No signature needed , I recognize the arrogance , the veiled threat dressed as wisdom . Richard Blackwood thinks he's playing chess . He has no idea I've already won . " Alexander ? " Claire's voice is hesitant . " Everything alright ? " I slip the phone into my pocket , turning to give her my most charming smile . " Perfect , darling . Just business . " But as she disappears into the bedroom , I'm already planning my next move . Because if Richard wants to play games with what's mine , I will show him exactly what happens to men who overestimate their position . The king is about to fall . And I'm the one holding the board .