Chapter 2 Bound by Desire and Deception

Maya Brooks had taken many rash decisions in her life, but none were like the one she made tonight.

She had signed the marital deal.

She was seated in the backseat of Alexander Knight's sleek black Bentley, fingers gripped in her lap, resisting the temptation to demand that the driver turn around. The car felt too small. The gap between them was overly dense, laden with unsaid words, and silence hung heavy in the air. Every fiber of her skin shouted for escape, yet the thought of fleeing was quickly rejected.

She could not leave now. Not when everything transformed in an instant.

Alexander stood motionless beside her, a solid barrier of quiet. The dark city lights danced across his keen attributes, casting shadows that made him appear more distant and untouchable than before. His eyes, those chilly gray eyes, lacked warmth and gave no clue of what he was contemplating. He was so dead and in charge that he could have passed for a statue.

Maya broke the quiet first, her voice firm despite the tempest of emotions that sought to burst forth.

"I need to understand something," she continued without looking at him. Her hands trembled slightly on her lap.

Alexander did not look at her. His eyes remained fixed on the view ahead, outside the window, like the question was irrelevant. "Go on."

Her nails slid into her hand. "Why did you force this marriage on me?"

His lips slightly moved, and his tone was frigid and disconnected as usual. "Because I needed to."

Maya scoffed. "That's not a suitable response."

He did not answer immediately, and the silence got awkward. Finally, he moved towards her, his grey eyes burning into her. She saw a glimpse of something unspoken, but it vanished in an instant, devoured by his stone-like control.

"Maya, you were in danger." "Whether you realized it or not," he continued, his tone low but firm.

Her stomach wrenched. "From who?"

Silence.

Frustration gnawed at her. "You cannot simply force me into a marriage and choose not to tell me why."

"I didn't push you into it."

Her gaze directed toward him, and rage rushed through her chest. "Are you teasing me?" You backed me into a corner, Alexander. You made sure I had no choice."

His fingers gently tapped against his knee, the only motion in an otherwise still moment. The tapping was slow and deliberate, as if he was attempting to calm himself or comprehend her remarks. "You had an option." You made it."

Maya ground her teeth together. "Oh, you mean the choice between losing everything or signing my life away to you? Some choice."

Alexander's lips twitched slightly, almost like a grin. "You're my wife now."

The way he said it so casually made her core twist. Like it was an unbreakable contract. Like he had marked her as his possession.

Her breath caught. "Let's be clear-I don't belong to you."

His hand moved faster than she could respond. His fingertips touched her jawline gently yet purposefully. The touch was casual, even taunting, but it caused her pulse to quicken. It was as if he knew just how to break her grip.

"Are you sure about that?" His voice was a faint, frightening whisper.

Her skin prickled at the enormity of his words. "Don't."

He didn't pull away. "Don't what?"

"Don't handle me like that."

His thumb touched the edge of her jawline. She fought to catch her breath, to restore some sense of control. "Like what?"

"Like you've got a right to."

Alexander leaned in just slightly, allowing her toto sense the heat emanating from his body. "I've got every right, Mrs. Knight."

The name impacted her like a punch in the gut. Her body stiffened, and a shiver came over her. The name he had just used, Mrs. Knight, felt like a sentence. A reality she was trapped in.

She backed away from his physical contact, her pulse racing. This was dangerous. He was dangerous. Her instincts told her to push him away and sever the touch, but she couldn't. Her mind was whirling and confused.

Before she uttered anything, the car pulled to a halt in front of the massive Knight estate.

Maya's gut twisted at the sight. She'd noticed the house from a distance, looming above the city like a monument to extravagance. But standing in front of it, approaching it, and stepping into it felt like she was heading directly into a trap.

Alexander exited first, as always. The door unlocked for her, and he extended his hand as if it were normal.

She glanced at it for a bit before shaking her head. "I can walk," she mumbled under her breath, moving outside without his assistance.

He chuckled but did not respond.

As they stepped inside, the mansion towered above her. Maya felt the weight of luxury bear down on her-polished marble floors, chandeliers that gleamed like distant stars, and the vast space that made everything feel chilly, well planned.

However, it wasn't the luxury that made her worried. It was quiet.

The employees glided like shadows, never catching her eyes. The walls appeared to mutter secrets, and each footstep in the marble corridor reverberated loudly enough, like it were intended to remind her of how strange she was here.

The sound of heels cracking against the marble floor caused her to sway.

Alexander's mother, Victoria Knight, climbed down the grand stairway. Her glittering blue eyes locked on Maya as she got closer, her lips twisting into an inappropriately harsh smile.

"Well," Victoria said, her voice silky with barely concealed scorn, "Perhaps pleasantries are necessary."

Maya urged herself to rise up, regardless of the anxiety that had accumulated in her chest. "Thank you."

Victoria's smile was distorted, not welcoming at all. "Don't thank me yet."

Maya flinched at the gentle caution in her tone. Alexander's voice broke through the rising tension.

"Mother."

Victoria lifted an eyebrow. "Do not seem so uptight, sweetie. I'm just welcoming your wife home."

Alexander didn't say anything, keeping his gaze fixed forward, but Maya could observe the barely concealed dissatisfaction in the contours of his jaw.

Victoria turned her attention back to Maya. "I hope that you stay longer than the previous one."

The words struck like ice, frigid and harsh.

"The last one?" Maya asked, her tone stern as the fingertips twisted inside her dress.

Victoria's lips curved into a broad grin that did not extend to her eyes. "Didn't he share with you?" My son has a habit of gathering things that he does not know how to preserve.

Maya's pulse raced a beat, and she gazed at Alexander, waiting for a reaction. But there was nothing. His expression was unreadable.

Something was wrong. Something deeper than she understood.

Before she could speak, Victoria stretched out and brushed a finger across Maya's shoulder. The light touch served as a heads up in itself.

"Be cautious, my dear," she spoke softly, her voice sweet yet serious. "You could be displeased with what you discover."

Maya's skin crawled at the proposal, and Victoria strode away with a smile, leaving Maya glancing after her, heart racing.

"I'll clarify later," Alexander muttered quietly, evidently angry.

"No," Maya yelled, her chest squeezing from fury. "You'll explain now."

His eyes became darker, and he made a step closer. "Not here."

Maya's pulse raced. There was a considerable lot of secrecy, and many questions remained unanswered. She loathed feeling helpless.

He held her hand softly, tight but not rough. His expression softened somewhat, prompting her chest to tighten.

"I understand you resent me at this particular moment," he told me. "But I meant what all my words."

Her throat tightened. "Which part?"

"That I'll protect you."

The words felt hollow. She wanted to pull away, wanted to fight him-but then-

A loud bang on the door interrupted, and one of Alexander's security guards entered, his countenance stern.

"Sir," he continued, hesitating briefly. "It's urgent."

Alexander tensed. "What is it?"

The guard looked at Maya before turning back to Alexander. "They found something."

Alexander's body became rigid.

Maya had little time to reflect as he gripped her and strengthened his grip gently.

"You must maintain your position close to me," he said in a low, terrifying voice.

And just like that-

Maya knew this wasn't just about a marriage anymore.

This was about something far more dangerous.