CHAPTER 5 — Catty's POV
(Trapped With Him)
The party was over.
The guests had filtered out, leaving the penthouse a silent echo of laughter, clinking glasses, and whispered secrets. I should have felt relief, returning to my quiet, safe life as a temporary assistant—but I didn't.
Not when Alexandre Knight was walking beside me, dark eyes scanning the empty hallways like a predator ensuring nothing could touch me.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low, almost dangerous.
"I… I'm fine," I whispered. My stomach still churned from the tension of earlier. Vivian's words, her smirk, her presence… it had left a mark I couldn't shake.
He glanced at me, clearly reading the unease I tried to hide. "Don't think about her. Not tonight."
"I can't help it," I admitted softly. "She… she's intimidating."
His jaw tightened. "She's nothing."
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my racing heart. The hallway stretched endlessly ahead, lined with glass walls reflecting the dim light. It was too quiet. Too empty. Too… close.
We stepped into the elevator to head down. The doors closed, and immediately, the lights flickered.
Then the elevator shuddered violently.
I gasped. "What—what's happening?"
Alexandre pressed buttons, tapped the panel. Nothing. The lights dimmed further, and the elevator jolted to a stop.
I grabbed the railing instinctively. My pulse thundered in my ears. "Oh no… oh no."
He immediately stepped closer, his presence like a wall of safety around me. "It's okay," he said, voice calm but commanding. "It's just a power fluctuation. We're stuck temporarily."
"Temporarily?" My voice trembled. "How long?"
He shrugged slightly, though his hand brushed against mine—deliberately, I was sure. "Could be minutes. Could be longer. We'll wait."
The confined space made my chest tighten. The air felt thick. Every breath, every heartbeat sounded amplified.
I wanted to step back. But I couldn't. Not with him so close.
"I… I'm sorry," I said nervously, twisting my fingers. "I feel… trapped."
He didn't move. He just looked at me. That look… the one that made my knees weak. "…You're not alone," he said softly.
I swallowed. His voice, so low and intimate in the small space, made my cheeks burn. "I know… but I—"
"Catty," he interrupted gently, stepping even closer. Our shoulders brushed. My breath hitched. "You're trembling."
I wanted to protest. I wanted to tell him I wasn't. But the truth betrayed me. "…I am," I admitted.
His hand hovered near mine, brushing the back of my hand lightly. "It's okay. You don't have to be brave with me."
Heat rushed to my face. His touch—light, almost accidental—sent shivers down my spine. My pulse raced. I felt exposed. Vulnerable. Alive.
I looked down. "…Alex…"
His dark eyes pinned me in place. "…Don't say my name like that," he whispered. "…Not here."
I couldn't explain the effect he had on me. The confined space, the darkness, the stolen intimacy of being trapped together—it made every heartbeat feel like it could explode.
We stood in silence for a moment. I could hear his controlled breathing, the quiet hum of the elevator machinery, and the rapid rhythm of my own pulse.
"I shouldn't… be feeling like this," I whispered. "It's… wrong."
He chuckled softly, almost a growl. "Wrong?" His hand brushed mine again, this time more deliberately. "…I think it's exactly right."
I froze. "…Alex…"
"Not Alex," he corrected, voice low, dangerous. "…Not here. Not now."
My body betrayed me. My pulse raced, my lips parted slightly. The small space, the way he leaned subtly toward me… it was intoxicating. Dangerous. Irresistible.
"You're… impossible," I breathed.
He smirked faintly, stepping just close enough that our shoulders touched fully. "And you're… irresistible."
My cheeks burned hotter than I thought possible. I wanted to step back, but my feet felt rooted to the floor. The tension between us was thick, palpable, almost unbearable.
Then he whispered something that made my heart nearly stop:
"Catty… do you have any idea what it does to me, being this close to you?"
I swallowed hard. "…No…"
"Because I don't usually feel… like this." His breath was warm near my ear. "I don't usually want anyone this much."
I could feel him. So close. His presence was overwhelming. And yet, terrifying.
The elevator jolted slightly, the lights flickered again. I panicked and stepped back—only for him to gently take my hand. "…Don't move," he said, voice calm but commanding. "I've got you."
My heart pounded painfully in my chest. "…Alex… what are we doing?"
"Surviving," he replied simply. "…And maybe… testing something."
I wanted to ask what he meant. But when our eyes met, dark and intense, all words left me.
Minutes stretched, each second heavy and drawn-out. My thoughts swirled. The earlier tension with Vivian—the way she had claimed to know him, the warning in her eyes—haunted me.
I wanted to ask him about it. About her. About the past. About why he looked so guarded every time he mentioned her.
But the closeness, the intimacy of the moment, made me freeze. Afraid. Excited. Conflicted.
Then, a small jolt. The elevator hummed. The lights flickered brighter. Movement. Relief washed through me, but part of me… didn't want it.
Alexandre leaned slightly closer. "…We're moving," he said quietly, voice almost regretful.
I looked up at him, chest still tight. "…I know," I whispered.
And then, just for a moment, our hands lingered together—fingers brushing, holding, almost… claiming.
The doors opened. The normal hum of the building returned. The spell broke.
I stepped out, slightly shaken, heart racing, and glanced at him. He gave me that impossible look—the one that made me feel seen, wanted, and trapped all at once.
"Stay close," he said, his voice low. "…Always."
I nodded, words failing me. And as we walked toward the exit, one truth struck me harder than the cramped elevator walls ever could:
I was already lost.
And Alexandre Knight… was never letting me go.