"Can we talk?" came his muffled voice. Elias unlocked the car door, and Alexandre pulled it open, sliding into the passenger seat beside him.
The two sat in silence, an awkward tension settling between them.
From the corner of his eye, Elias stole a glance at Alexandre, taking in the man's striking features: high cheekbones, a sharply chiselled jawline, and thin, pinkish lips that seemed to draw attention without even trying.
He had seen Alexandre from a distance before but having him this close was an entirely different experience.
Elias's heart gave an unexpected flutter as he took in Alexandre's features. There was something almost unfair about how effortlessly handsome the man was, and being seated beside him only made it harder to ignore.
Then, just as Elias was sneaking another glance, Alexandre suddenly turned to look at him. Their eyes met.
Elias immediately felt heat rush to his cheeks, and he quickly averted his gaze, hoping the other man had not noticed his staring. He was not usually so easily flustered, but there was something about Alexandre that left him struggling to maintain his composure.
'Not even Kyle could compare to this guy.' He thought.
"You okay? Your face is red," Alexandre remarked and Elias found himself wishing for the ground to swallow him whole.
Elias quickly looked away and busied himself with his phone. "It's nothing. Anyway, what brings you here?"
Alexandre studied him for a moment before sighing. "I was surprised about the marriage as well, but I don't mind marrying you—"
"You don't mind? Then you must be out of your mind," Elias interrupted, setting his phone aside to face Alexandre, who was clenching his jaw, a vein visible at his temple.
It was impossible for Elias to not be struck by how handsome Alexandre looked, frustration carving deep lines into his face. Elias found himself mesmerised, but he snapped out of it quickly.
'Not now,' he reminded himself, pushing the thought aside.
"Look, I don't know what they told you to get you to agree to this arrangement, but let me make one thing clear: I'm not marrying you, all right? Whatever happened tonight, forget it ever happened—"
"But wouldn't marrying me be the more practical solution?" Alexandre interjected smoothly.
Elias stopped mid-sentence and turned to stare at him in disbelief. Alexandre, however, appeared entirely unbothered. If anything, he looked rather pleased with himself.
"Think about it," he continued. "You already have a position waiting for you at my company. Marrying me would simply come with a few additional benefits. Better pay, better security, and, of course, the advantages that come with being my husband."
Elias stared at him as though he had just grown a second head. "Are you out of your mind?"
Alexandre shrugged his shoulders, "Not that I'm aware of."
"Mr. Marquis," Elias said through gritted teeth, "whatever position you've hired me for on Monday, stick to it. I agreed to work for you, not marry you. And if you think you can use marriage as another means of compensating me, then you've seriously misunderstood the situation."
Alexandre's smile barely faltered. "How unfortunate. I thought you might appreciate the offer."
Elias, "What offer? You make it sound like you're offering me a promotion instead of asking me to marry you!"
Alexandre, "Would you prefer I call it a mutually beneficial arrangement?"
Elias, "No!"
The answer came so quickly that Alexandre almost laughed. Almost.
Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and slipped one between his lips. He lit it with practiced ease, tucked the lighter and cigarette pack away, then drew the cigarette from his mouth just long enough to speak. Though, he never get the chance to inhale its content.
However, the moment Elias caught sight of the cigarette, he pressed the button beside him, lowering the car window before snatching it straight from Alexandre's lips and flicking it outside.
Alexandre froze. For a moment, he simply stared at Elias, seemingly too dumbfounded to react.
"Why the f—"
"Sorry. No smoking in this car." Elias gestured vaguely toward the backseat, his expression utterly unapologetic.
Alexandre followed the direction of his hand. His gaze swept across the empty backseat before returning to Elias, a crease forming between his brows. "You have a kid?"
A smug little smile tugged at Elias's lips. "One of the main reasons I won't marry you."
Alexandre raised an eyebrow.
"I'm already married," Elias added smoothly.
For a fleeting moment, Alexandre appeared to consider the possibility. Then, without warning, he seized both of Elias's hands and turned them over, examining his fingers.
"Hey!" Elias jerked in surprise. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Looking for your wedding ring." Alexandre lifted Elias's left hand, pointing at the conspicuously bare ring finger. "Unless your marriage is so unconventional that you don't believe in wearing one?"
Elias pulled his hands away from Alexandre's strong grip. "Mind your own business."
Alexandre, "How curious. You claim to be married, yet there's no ring, and you've conveniently neglected to mention your spouse."
Elias, "Do I look like I owe you an explanation?"
Alexandre, "Not particularly."
Elias, "Then stop asking."
Alexandre leaned back against his seat, studying him with an expression that suggested Elias had just become considerably more interesting.
"The thing is," Elias continued, seizing the opportunity to put an end to this ridiculous conversation, "I have a son to take care of. I'm not about to drag him into a marriage with someone like you. Besides, I seriously doubt you're even interested in men."
Alexandre, "And what makes you say that?"
Elias, "I've heard the rumours about you fooling around with women all the time, Mr. Marquis. Frankly, I have no intention of raising my child with your reputation hanging over our heads either."
A soft snicker escaped Alexandre. "So you have been thinking about my proposition after all."
Elias shot him a murderous glare. "Hell no, I haven't!"
He was painfully aware that Alexandre Marquis was no ordinary man. According to his siblings, Alexandre was infamous among the wealthy elite for being one of the cruelest, most ruthless, and self-centred bachelors alive. He had a reputation for treating people as though they were little more than inconveniences, and his complete disregard for anyone beyond himself was precisely the sort of thing Elias found repulsive.
The last thing he wanted was to become entangled with a man like that.
Unfortunately, Alexandre seemed determined to make it happen.
"Think of it this way," he said, entirely unbothered by Elias's hostility. "You get to keep your job and you're being paid well as my husband, I get my family off my back, and neither of us has to deal with any more unwanted interference in our lives. We establish a few ground rules, maintain appearances when necessary, and otherwise go about our business as usual."
Elias stared at him. "You're actually serious?"
"Entirely," Alexandre replied, sounding almost absent-minded.
Elias, "You want me to marry you just so your family will stop pestering you?"
Alexandre, "That's the general idea."
Elias, "And you think I'd agree to something like that?"
Alexandre, "I think you might, given the right circumstances."
Elias opened his mouth, then closed it again, momentarily at a loss for words. 'Who in their right mind proposed marriage as casually as one might offer someone a business deal?'
Before Elias could gather his thoughts enough to respond, Alexandre tilted his head, as though a new thought had just crossed his mind.
"Though, wouldn't it be easier to just hand the kid back to his mother or leave him at an orphanage? Things would be considerably simpler if the child weren't part of the picture. That way, he wouldn't become a burden once he starts living with us." Alexandre said it so casually, as though he was discussing nothing more consequential than getting rid of an unwanted piece of furniture.
A vein throbbed on Elias's forehead. That was the last straw.
Without a moment's warning, Elias's fist connected squarely with Alexandre's face, the satisfying impact releasing a fraction of the anger that had been building inside him. Alexandre barely had time to register what had happened before Elias seized him and shoved him unceremoniously out of the car.
"Get out." The words came through gritted teeth, cold and final.
Elias slammed the door shut, pressed his foot against the accelerator, and sped away without sparing Alexandre another glance. His anger continued to simmer beneath his skin, threatening to boil over with every passing second.
"Jerk," he muttered, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. If looks could kill, Alexandre would have died a hundred times over by now.
Meanwhile, Alexandre remained sprawled on the road, momentarily stunned by what had just happened. Honestly, what was so unreasonable about his suggestion?
He had no intention of spending his nights pacing the floor with a screaming infant in his arms, desperately trying to figure out why the little creature refused to shut up. He had heard enough stories about sleepless nights, endless crying, and parents who could barely remember what a full night's rest felt like. 'Absolutely not. No way.' Alexandre liked his sleep and he would not sacrifice it for the little human.
After a while, he pushed himself upright and settled into a cross-legged position, casually wiping away the trickle of blood running from his nose.
"Wow. He really got me," he chuckled, sounding more amused than offended.
He slowly rose to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes before fishing out the towel he kept in his pocket and using it to wipe his nose.
"Elias, huh…" He smirked to himself.
Rather than feeling discouraged by what had happened, he seemed almost entertained by it. After all, Elias had just punched him. That meant Elias had been angry enough to lose control.
If Alexandre was being perfectly honest with himself, the fact that he could provoke such a reaction out of Elias was rather satisfying.
With that thought in mind, he strolled back toward the manor as though nothing had happened
"We'll get married eventually, whether you like it or not," he vowed silently, his smile growing wider. He had no intention of giving up that easily.
*********************************
Unbeknownst to either of them, someone had been watching the entire exchange from a window above.
A familiar ache twisted in his chest as he watched Alexandre make his way back to the manor, his expression darkening with every passing second. Jealousy and regret gnawed at him, each one cutting deeper than the last.
He had never wanted Elias to find someone new. He had never wanted Elias to smile at someone else, to share private jokes with another person, or to build the kind of future they had once been supposed to have together.
Those moments should have belonged to him. The thought of Alexandre taking his place was unbearable.
He turned away from the window, his mind already beginning to piece together a way to drive them apart. If Alexandre thought he could simply waltz into Elias's life and claim a place beside him, he was sorely mistaken.
"If I can't have Elias, neither can you," he muttered under his breath before walking away with a newfound determination.
*********************************
Elsewhere, another pair of eyes had witnessed the scene from the garden.
Unlike the man at the window, he made no attempt to interfere. He could only stand there, hidden among the shadows, watching as Elias's car disappeared into the distance and Alexandre returned to the manor.
His hands tightened helplessly at his sides. He wanted to do something. Anything, but he could not. Not without risking everything he had been trying so desperately to protect.
A bitter smile touched his lips, though there was no trace of amusement in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his gaze lingering on the empty road. "I promised to protect you…"
He lowered his head, swallowing the guilt that threatened to choke him.
"This is the only way I know how to."