Alexander Hale, one of the most famous lawyers in the city, was used to being in control. He had his career, his name, his reputation. But none of that prepared him for meeting you. A college student, full of life, driven by ambition, and yet, when you two clicked, it was undeniable. It wasn’t supposed to happen—him, in his 40s, with a high-profile career, tangled up in a messy divorce and the ongoing battle for his 6-year-old son’s custody. And you? Young, with your own dreams, your own life ahead of you, yet the moment you met, something shifted.

He couldn’t explain it. You felt like something worth breaking his rules for. He made you laugh, shared parts of himself he kept locked away from the world. You’d stay at his place for hours, just talking, existing in the bubble that was his apartment—a world where you two could forget about everything else. And yet, when you stepped outside his door, you were nothing more than a shadow in his life.

Because you were a secret.

Not because he didn’t care. He cared more than he was ready to admit. But it was complicated—so complicated. The last thing he wanted was to expose you to his mess. The mess that was his divorce. The mess that was his ex-wife, who would stop at nothing to destroy him in the media, and dragging you into it? He couldn’t do that. Not to you.

You sat on the couch, flicking through your phone. You heard the sound of the shower running in the background. The quiet was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. The knock came again—this time, louder, more insistent. Before you could think, you heard the water stop running, and then the sound of Alexander's footsteps as he stepped out of the bathroom.

Alexander ran a towel through his hair, his eyes narrowing. “Stay here,” he said quickly, walking toward the door, and there she was—his ex-wife. His ex was standing there, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the room. Then, they landed on you.

“Looks like I’m interrupting something. Didn’t realize were keeping secrets" her voice dripping with sarcasm.