Alexander stood in the hallway looking like he hadn't slept at all.
He was already dressed in suit pants and a white dress shirt, though he hadn't bothered with the tie yet. His hair was damp from a shower, and he looked both exhausted and somehow more handsome than ever.
"I'm not supposed to see you before the wedding," Sophia said. "Bad luck, isn't it?"
"We're not exactly a traditional couple." He held up two coffee cups. "Peace offering? I thought you might want better coffee than whatever Margaret brought."
Sophia accepted the cup, recognizing the logo from her favorite coffee shop in Brooklyn the one near her old apartment that she'd mentioned in passing days ago. He'd remembered.
"Thank you," she said softly. "Come in. Unless that's also bad luck?"
"I think we make our own luck." He entered her room, his gaze taking in the wedding dress hanging on the closet door, the shoes waiting by the window, the subtle evidence of a bride preparing for her big day.
They sat on the small couch by the windows, the city waking up below them. For a moment, neither spoke, just sipped their coffee in comfortable silence.
"I got a text," Sophia finally said. "From Vanessa."
Alexander's expression darkened. "What did it say?"
Sophia showed him the message. He read it, his jaw tightening.
"She's trying to get in your head," he said. "Ignore her."
"How did she even get my number?"
"Vanessa has ways of finding information when she wants it. I'll have Margaret handle it get your number changed, increase security."
He set down his coffee. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with her."
"What does she want?"
Alexander was quiet for a moment, staring out at the city. "Probably to cause trouble. Make you doubt this arrangement. Maybe she thinks if she can scare you off, I'll…" He trailed off.
"You'll what? Take her back?"
"I wouldn't. Ever. But she doesn't understand that. In her mind, everything's transactional. If she can remove the competition, I become available again."
"I'm not competition," Sophia said. "This is a contract."
"Tell that to Vanessa." He looked at her, something intense in his expression. "Or tell it to yourself, if you still believe it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means this stopped being just a contract somewhere between the hospital waiting room and dinner with my grandfather. You know it. I know it. We're just both too stubborn or scared to admit it."
Sophia's heart hammered in her chest. "Alexander"
"I know the terms," he interrupted. "One year, then we're done. I'm not trying to change that.
But I'd be lying if I said I still thought of you as just a business arrangement." He ran a hand through his hair. "God, I'm doing this all wrong. It's your wedding day. I should be saying romantic things, not confusing you more."
"You're not confusing me. You're just saying what we've both been thinking."
"And what are we going to do about it?"
Sophia took a breath. "We're going to get married today. We're going to keep our promise to your grandfather. And we're going to figure out the rest as we go. No pressure, no expectations beyond what we already agreed to. Just… honesty. About what we're feeling."
"Honesty," Alexander repeated. "Even if what I'm feeling terrifies me?"
"Especially then."
He reached for her hand, threading their fingers together. His touch sent electricity through her, the same spark she'd felt when he kissed her at the rehearsal.
"I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you," he admitted quietly. "I'm not good at this at feelings, at relationships. Everything I touch either turns to profit or falls apart. I don't want you to be another casualty of my inability to connect."
"Then don't make me one." Sophia squeezed his hand. "I'm not Vanessa. I'm not going to betray you or use you. But I'm also not going to let you push me away when things get difficult. That's not how partnerships work."
"Is that what we are? Partners?"
"I think we're becoming that. Whether we meant to or not."
Alexander lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The gesture was achingly tender, so at odds with his Ice King reputation that Sophia felt her defenses crumbling.
"I should let you get ready," he said, though he didn't release her hand. "The glam squad will be here soon, and Margaret will kill me if I interfere with the timeline."
"Alexander? Thank you for the coffee. And for being honest."
"Thank you for not running away screaming when you had the chance." He stood, still holding her hand, reluctant to let go. "I'll see you at three. At the altar."
"I'll be the one in white."
"I'll be the one trying not to have a panic attack."
Sophia laughed, and the sound seemed to ease something in Alexander's expression. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gentle, reverent, nothing like the controlled CEO the world knew.
Then he was gone, and Sophia was alone with her racing thoughts and a wedding dress that suddenly felt less like a costume and more like a promise she wasn't sure she was ready to make.
The next few hours passed in a controlled hurricane of activity. The glam team arrived exactly at nine three women with rolling cases full of makeup, curling irons, and opinions about everything from her skin tone to her nail shape.
"We're going for romantic, timeless elegance," the lead stylist, Priya, announced. "Nothing too dramatic. You should look like yourself, just elevated."
While they worked, Sophia's phone kept buzzing with messages. Jenna, her best friend from college, sent a string of texts:
GIRL. You've been holding out on me!
When were you going to tell me you were dating Alexander freaking Sterling?
I saw the wedding announcement in the Times. THE TIMES.
Call me immediately or I'm showing up at your door
Sophia winced. She'd been so focused on Ethan and the logistics of the wedding that she'd completely forgotten to tell Jenna. Some best friend she was.
She typed back: I'm so sorry. Everything happened so fast. I'll explain everything soon. Promise.
You better. I want ALL the details. Every. Single. One.