Chapter Nine
Alicia's POV
Stop racing. Stop beating so fast.
But no matter how many times I said that, my heart kept racing so fast I could hear it beating in my ears. Malachi just flirted with me in front of Jeffery Blackwood. We were lucky he didn't see us or suspect anything.
That brother-in-law of mine was a storm, and I needed to stay away from him. After dropping the tray with the maids, I went straight to my room.
The first thing was to check for texts. There was nothing much aside from a few friends and some business partners.
I smiled. My life had been so peaceful since Travis got unconscious—except the constant thought of Malachi I still had to deal with.
He was slowly getting me intoxicated.
My phone vibrated in my palm as I dropped it. It was a text from an unknown number. I frowned, tapping on the text.
Unknown Number:
You're a terrible liar.
Alicia:
Who is this?
I frowned.
Unknown Number:
The way your hands trembled when you poured his tea. You think no one noticed?
Alicia:
…
Alicia:
Who are you?
Unknown Number:
You know.
(typing bubble lingers, disappears, then comes back)
You've been thinking about me since you left that room.
My breath hitched. I glanced around the bedroom like the walls had eyes.
Alicia:
Stop.
Unknown Number:
Say my name and I will.
I stared at the screen, blood pounding in my ears.
Alicia:
Malachi.
Malachi:
Good girl.
I bit down on my lower lip till I could feel the rust on my tongue.
Malachi:
Open the door.
My eyes widened. The door? The room door? Fuck! What was he thinking?
I took a deep breath, trying to be as calm as I could be.
When I opened the door, I saw him leaning against the opposite wall, his phone still in his hand. He was dressed in a black suit and dashing shoes. His long figure was intimidating as he looked at me.
"Took you long enough." He smirked.
I folded my arms and leaned against the door frame. "What do you want?"
"What do I want? Are you willing to give yourself, Alicia?" He let out a low laugh.
I almost choked on my own saliva. My head quickly turned both sides, making sure no one was watching.
"What? You're scared?" He laughed again.
"What do you want, Malachi?" I frowned.
"Well, we're going to be in the same working space soon. Just thought I should inform you."
My eyes widened, a bit surprised. "What do you mean?"
He separated his back from the wall and walked towards me. My heart raced at the incoming nearness.
His figure towered over me. I had to raise my head to even look at him. His black hair was well combed, and his looks were killing me. The scent of his cologne filled my nostrils, intoxicating my thoughts.
"Well, Alicia," his voice dipped lower—it was like honey mixed with poison. "Travis is… unconscious. So I'm taking over for the meantime."
The words alone should have been simple. But from Malachi's mouth, they weren't an announcement—they were a trap.
My throat tightened. The air between us slowed down until it felt like I couldn't breathe without inhaling him.
His lips curved in that slow, deliberate smirk that made me want to slap him… and kiss him.
"Which means," he tilted his head, his eyes locking on mine, "you'll be seeing a lot more of me. No more running. Not at work. Not here."
I gulped down hard. Was he talking to me or seducing me? At that point, I couldn't even tell the difference.
I had zoned out of the scene.
"Umm… hello." He snapped his fingers in front of me.
"Uh… sorry." I looked away, embarrassed.
Red color had found its way to my cheeks, and I felt my skin burn under his gaze.
"Now, you won't be able to run from me." His hot breath sprayed against my ear as he leaned in.
My heart raced, and my face only got hotter. When I finally looked up, he was gone. I could hear his faint laughter echoing through the hallway.
I couldn't deny that part of me wanted him to kiss me again. But then… he was my brother-in-law.
I quickly closed the door, leaning against it like a hopeless romantic. My skin burned where his breath had brushed, and I hated how much I wanted him to come back.
I told myself to think of anything else—flowers, books, quiet mornings—but it was useless. Every thought circled back to him. To his dark smile. To the way my name sounded in his voice.
I pressed my hands to my face, whispering, "Stop it. Stop it."
But the truth was undeniable. I didn't want him to stop.
I sank onto the edge of my bed, pressing my palms to my face. What was happening to me? Malachi's words echoed in my chest again.
"Now you won't be able to run from me."
My pulse betrayed me, quickening every time I thought of his smirk, his voice, the way he looked at me like he already owned me. I hated it. I hated him. And yet… my body refused to obey the hatred I whispered to myself.
I glanced at my phone again. The last message stared back at me.
Good girl.
My fingers itched to delete it, but instead, I locked the screen and tossed the phone onto the table. I couldn't let him crawl into my thoughts any deeper.
But he already had.
My eyes drifted to the small vase of lilies by my window. They looked so lifeless, nothing like the flowers I used to dream of selling as a little girl. I remembered my mother's voice as she knelt beside me in the garden, guiding my small hands into the soil. "Every flower has a secret, Alicia. It just needs patience to bloom."
Back then, I believed love could be the same—gentle, nurturing, safe. But here? In this house? Love had teeth. It clawed, it scarred, and it consumed.
I pressed a hand against my chest, the ache of longing sharper than I wanted to admit. Peace was the only thing I had ever ever wanted. A quiet life, flowers in the sunlight, and laughter without fear.
So why, when Malachi's shadow touched me, did it feel like the very opposite of peace was pulling me in?