Alexander hated wasting time, not when he had made up his mind.
The meeting was necessary.
The conference room on the forty-sixth floor of Reid Holdings was designed to intimidate, floor-to-ceiling glass, steel accents, a table carved from a single slab of Italian marble.
It overlooked Manhattan like a throne overlooked a kingdom. The city sprawled beneath it, alive, restless, obedient.
Alexander stood by the window, hands in his pockets, suit immaculate, expression unreadable.
Collins would arrive any second.
Alex didn't need to look at his watch to know that. Collins was many things, arrogant, ruthless, obsessive, but he was never late. Power respected punctuality.
The elevator doors slid open behind him.
"I see you're still pretending this city belongs to you."he said
Alex didn't turn. A slow smile curved his lips. "And I see you're still mistaking noise for authority."
Footsteps approached, measured, deliberate. Collins Vale moved like a man who knew rooms would bend to him if he stayed long enough. He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in charcoal grey, his presence sharp and commanding. His eyes were cold, calculating, the kind that weighed people like assets.
Partners.
Rivals.
Enemies wrapped in contracts and handshakes.
Alex finally turned to face him.
For a moment, the air shifted.
Two alphas. Two empires. Neither willing to lower their gaze.
Collins' lips curled faintly. "You called this meeting. I assume it's important. You don't usually enjoy my company."
"What about him?"Alex turned in the direction of the man that had followed Collins into the room uninvited.
He hesitated before dismissing him
"Leave" he gestured with his hands
Alex gestured calmly to the chair opposite him. "Sit."
Collins raised a brow.
"You don't give orders in my presence."
Alex leaned against the table, unbothered. "You're in my building."
A flicker of irritation crossed Collins' face before he sat anyway, folding his hands on the table. "Fine. Say whatever you have to say"
Alex didn't sit.
He never did when he wanted control.
"I've been reviewing our joint ventures," Alex said evenly. "Your logistics wing has been… distracted lately."
Collins smiled thinly. "I run a complex operation. You wouldn't understand."
Alex's eyes sharpened. "Try me."
Silence stretched, thick and heavy.
Then Alex spoke again, casually. "There's a woman."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Collins' smile didn't falter, but something dark moved behind his eyes. "Careful."
Alex stepped closer. "Tessa Smith."
There it was.
The flicker. The possessiveness. The unmistakable reaction of a man who believed ownership meant entitlement.
Collins leaned back slowly. "You don't say her name like you know her."
Alex's jaw tightened. "I know enough."
"That's unfortunate," Collins replied coolly. "Because she's not your concern."
Alex placed both hands on the table, leaning forward now. The air between them crackled. "She became my concern the moment you put a price on her head."
Collins' eyes hardened. "That was a family matter."
"She's being hunted in Manhattan," Alex snapped. "This is my territory."
Collins chuckled. "Ah. There it is. The king defending his streets."
Alex's voice dropped. "You don't hunt women to prove dominance."
Collins leaned forward too now, their faces inches apart. "I do whatever is necessary to retrieve what belongs to me."
Alex's lips twitched—not in humor, but in something colder. "She doesn't belong to you."
"Her parents do," Collins shot back. "And their debt binds her whether you like it or not."
Alex straightened. "How much."
Collins blinked once. "What?"
"How much do her parents owe you?" He repeated the question
Collins laughed outright now. "You think you can buy your way into this?"
Alex's eyes were steel. "Answer the question."
"No," Collins said flatly. "That information isn't for you."
Alex nodded once. "Then this meeting ends."
He turned toward the door.
"Four hundred million dollars."
Alex stopped.
Slowly, he turned back.
Collins' jaw was tight now, his composure cracked just enough. "Four hundred million," he repeated. "Accumulated interest. Missed timelines. Breach penalties."
Alex stared at him, incredulous. "That amount doesn't justify a bounty."
"It does when leverage is the point," Collins replied.
Alex exhaled sharply through his nose. "You inflated it."
"Of course I did," Collins said unapologetically. "Power isn't about fairness."
Alex was quiet for a long moment.
Then he said, "I'll pay half."
Collins' eyes widened before he masked it. "You'll do what?"
"Two hundred million," Alex said calmly. "Today."
Collins stood abruptly. "You're out of your mind."
Alex didn't flinch. "And you'll take her face off the streets."
Collins scoffed. "You think I'd let her go for half?"
Alex stepped closer, towering now. "You're not letting her go. You're cutting your losses."
"You don't dictate my decisions," Collins snarled.
Alex leaned in, voice low and lethal. "You're bleeding resources chasing a woman who despises you. I'm offering you an exit that saves face."
Collins stared at him, breathing hard. "Why do you care?"
Alex didn't answer immediately.
That was the most dangerous part.
"Because," he said finally,
"I don't like watching men like your typemistake fear for loyalty."
The room went dead silent.
Collins studied him carefully now, suspicion creeping in. "This isn't about money."
Alex's gaze didn't waver. "Take the deal."
Minutes passed.
Finally, Collins laughed bitterly. "You always did enjoy interfering."
"And you always enjoyed control," Alex replied.
Collins straightened his jacket. "Fine. Two hundred million. Her parents' debt is cleared proportionally."
"And the bounty?"
Collins' lips thinned. "Gone."
Alex picked up his phone immediately. "Wire transfer. Now."
Within minutes, confirmation chimed.
Alex locked eyes with Collins. "It's done."
Collins clenched his jaw. "She's free."
Alex nodded once. "Good."
"Make sure you get rid of her pictures from the street"
He turned away, already dismissing him.
But Collins' voice followed, sharp and dangerous. "Just remember this, Reid."
Alex paused.
"You didn't save her," Collins continued. "You just stepped into something that doesn't belong to you."
Alex glanced back over his shoulder, eyes dark.
"She was never yours to begin with."
Collins watched him leave, rage burning behind his calm.
And somewhere across the city, Tessa's freedom had been bought by the man she despised the most.