Chapter 162

Madison

As we stepped into the penthouse, the silence wrapped around us like a blanket. The lights of Manhattan twinkled beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a backdrop that belonged in a movie, not my real life.

Alexander locked the door behind us with a definitive click that sent a shiver down my spine.

I stood in the vast living room, still clutching the boutique bag with the diamond necklace. Its weight seemed to grow heavier as Alexander’s eyes remained fixed on me.

“Take it out,” he commanded, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the nearest chair.

I carefully removed the velvet box from the bag, holding it in my palm as if it might bite me. The diamonds inside were worth more than my entire year’s salary, likely several years’ worth.

“Put it on,” Alexander said, loosening his tie completely and pulling it free from his collar with a soft hiss of fabric.

I opened the box, staring at the necklace. “Right now?”