Chapter 206: Love Is a Weakness
"Honestly, it’s not a big deal—"
"I insist," Kade said firmly. "If you don’t let me, I’ll feel guilty all day. Seriously, just let me make it right."
Alexander hesitated for a moment. He had a little time before his next meeting, and yeah, his screen was pretty messed up...
"Fine," he said, giving in. "But I’m kind of in a rush."
"Of course, no problem!"
They walked over to the repair shop, a tiny spot wedged between a coffee shop and a dry cleaner. The bell jingled when they walked in.
A middle-aged man behind the counter looked up. "Can I help you?"
"Need a screen replacement," Kade said, grabbing Alexander’s phone and handing it over. "How long will it take?"
The shopkeeper took a look at the phone, and for a split second, his eyes darted to Kade, but it was so quick that Alexander almost missed it. "Fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty."
"Awesome," Kade said, pulling out his wallet.
Alexander started to say something, but Kade waved him off. "My fault, my responsibility. Seriously."
While they waited, Kade chatted about the weather, traffic, and all that usual New York small talk. Alexander gave short answers, his mind elsewhere.
In the back room, the shopkeeper worked fast. Sure, he replaced the screen, but he also slipped in a tiny chip, smaller than a grain of rice, into the phone’s circuitry. You wouldn’t even notice it unless you tore the whole thing apart.
When they got the phone back, the screen looked brand new and worked perfectly. Alexander gave it a quick test. Everything was working great.
Kade paid the bill, and the amount made Alexander raise his eyebrows. Then they shook hands and said their goodbyes on the street.
Alexander didn’t suspect a thing.
*****
Now, in the club, Alexander sat across from Alpha, completely unaware that everything he said was being sent straight to Leo, Zayden, and Aylin.
"I never met her mother," Alexander said in reply to Alpha’s comments about Selina. "And I haven’t really interacted with Selina, so I can’t say if she’s a pain or not. But if you say that, I trust you. So what’s your plan?"
Alpha’s expression turned icy and calculating. "My plan is simple. Take out Hazard King with Maksim and Selina’s help. Then get rid of Maksim. And finally, get rid of Selina."
Alexander narrowed his eyes a bit. "That’s pretty ambitious."
"I’ll take Selina out the same way my mom died," Alpha went on, his voice dripping with hate. "Torture. Depression. Mess with her head until she breaks. Then I’ll finish her off the way my dad got rid of her mom. My dad did what needed to be done. They’re both the same, like mother, like daughter. They’re both whores."
Alexander nodded slowly, not saying anything right away.
In Zayden’s tower, Leo really had to stop himself from hitting the screen.
"Alex, you really don’t need to respond to that," Alpha said after a moment. "But I want you to get that Selina is just a tool to achieve a goal. Nothing more."
"Got it," Alexander said.
"And about your daughter," Alpha continued, changing his tone a bit, "let’s talk about that."
Alexander’s body tensed up slightly.
"Don’t forget, she’s the child of my betrayers," Alpha warned, keeping a close eye on Alexander’s expression. "Don’t get any ideas about getting attached. I’ve seen how you spoil her and how you care for her. She’s not your daughter, Alexander. She’s—"
He paused, noticing something shift in Alexander’s composed face.
"Don’t tell me you actually love her," Alpha said, half-teasing and half-incredulous.
Alexander took a second to respond. The silence stretched out between them, heavy with tension.
Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty.
Finally, Alexander said, "Look, Alpha. I raised her like she’s my own kid. She knows nothing about her parents; she’s totally clueless. I don’t want to drag her into this mess. Once everything is settled, I plan to move somewhere far away from my past. I want to keep her from finding out the truth. If she does..." He hesitated. "She would hate me, and I can’t handle that."
Alpha leaned forward, a slight smirk on his reconstructed face. "What if she finds out anyway? The truth always has a way of coming out. Remember what we talked about when I suggested you adopt her? You told me—"
Alexander nodded slowly.
"And here you are, saying you love her. You were the one who said you wouldn’t get attached. You made it clear that this was just a practical thing—a way to manage the situation, to keep tabs on her for any info her parents might have passed down."
Alpha let out a harsh laugh. "Looks like the great Alexander Kane fell for his own cover story."
"Even when we live with animals, we get attached," Alexander replied quietly. "And she’s a human kid. I cared for her when she was sick. I helped her with her homework. I celebrated her birthdays. I taught her to ride a bike. Those moments create bonds, whether you plan on it or not."
"Having feelings makes you weak," Alpha shot back.
"Maybe," Alexander admitted. "But people like Emma, smart and observant people, start to get suspicious when they don’t get love. They think the worst. They question everything. By giving her a normal, loving childhood, I made sure she never had a reason to doubt me or feel like she had to dig into her past."
"Is that really why you did it?" Alpha challenged. "Or are you just trying to make excuses for your feelings?"
Alexander fell quiet for a moment. "Does it really matter? The outcome is the same. She trusts me completely. She has no clue about her real parents or any of this. That was the plan, and I pulled it off."
"By falling for her like she’s actually your daughter."
"By giving her the childhood she deserved," Alexander corrected. "There’s a difference."
"Is there?" Alpha swirled his whiskey.
