CHAPTER 3: Dangerous Attention

Daniella barely slept.

Every time she closed her eyes, she felt Alexander’s hands on her waist again.

Steady, protective and warm.

And that was the problem.

She was supposed to hate him.

For thirteen years, hatred had been the only thing keeping her alive. Every skill she learned. Every lie she perfected. Every step that brought her into Alexander Knight’s mansion had been built on revenge.

So why did her body betray her every time he looked at her?

Daniella sat near the edge of the enormous guest bed staring at the rain sliding down the windows of the mansion bedroom she’d been placed in after the shooting.

The room was beautiful.

Too beautiful.

Soft gold lights glowed against dark walls while the fireplace crackled quietly nearby. Everything about the space felt expensive, masculine, controlled.

Like him.

A quiet knock sounded at the door.

Daniella stiffened immediately.

“It’s Marcus,” a deep voice said from outside.

She relaxed slightly before opening the door.

Marcus stood there holding a tray with coffee and food.

“You should eat,” he said calmly.

Daniella looked surprised. “You brought me breakfast?”

“You almost got shot yesterday.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

Marcus stepped inside anyway, placing the tray carefully on the small table near the fireplace.

Unlike Alexander, Marcus carried danger differently.

Colder and sharper.

Like a man who trusted absolutely nobody.

Especially her.

“You’ve been staring at security cameras all morning,” Daniella noticed quietly.

Marcus glanced toward her. “Part of my job.”

“You think someone inside the mansion helped the shooter.”

Not a question.

Marcus didn’t answer immediately.

Which was the answer.

Daniella folded her arms. “You think it was me?”

Marcus finally looked directly at her.

“I think Alexander Knight doesn’t normally risk himself protecting strangers.”

Her heartbeat shifted painfully.

Before she could respond, another voice spoke from the doorway.

“Maybe she’s not a stranger.”

Daniella turned instantly.

And it was Alexander.

Her pulse betrayed her immediately.

He stood leaning lightly against the doorway dressed in dark gray trousers and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled slightly upward. His hair was still damp from a shower, making him somehow look even more dangerously attractive.

Which irritated her a lot.

Marcus straightened immediately. “Sir.”

Alexander’s eyes moved toward Daniella first before anything else.

Always toward her first.

And Daniella was beginning to notice that.

“Did you sleep?” he asked quietly.

The softness in his voice unsettled her more than coldness ever could.

“A little.”

His gaze lingered on her face for a second too long.

“You look exhausted.”

The concern sounded genuine.

That confused her.

Marcus cleared his throat lightly. “I’ll continue checking the security reports.”

Alexander nodded once.

The moment Marcus left, silence settled heavily inside the room.

And suddenly Daniella became painfully aware they were alone again.

Alexander walked slowly toward the fireplace while loosening the cuff of his sleeve casually.

Every movement he made looked controlled without trying.

Dangerous men shouldn’t be this attractive, she thought bitterly.

“You should eat something,” he said.

“I’m not hungry.”

“That’s becoming a habit.”

Daniella frowned slightly. “You notice too much.”

A faint shadow of amusement touched his face.

“I’ve noticed that about you too.”

The tension between them shifted instantly.

Subtle but there….Daniella looked away first.

Because it allowed her thoughts to wander toward things she absolutely should not be noticing:

the deep roughness in his voice

the scar near his mouth

the way his shirt fit against his chest

how calm she felt whenever he stood close

She hated this.

Alexander poured himself coffee before speaking again.

“You were searching my office last night.”

Straight to the point.

Daniella’s chest tightened slightly.

“I told you. I got lost.”

“You picked the lock.”

Her pulse stumbled.

Alexander leaned lightly against the table watching her carefully now.

Not angry.

That somehow felt worse.

“You don’t seem like someone who gets lost easily, Anna.”

The way he said her fake name felt too intimate.

Too personal.

Daniella forced herself to remain calm. “Maybe I was curious.”

“About what?”

You.

The answer nearly slipped out before she stopped herself.

Alexander waited patiently.

Dangerously patient.

Daniella swallowed slowly. “About the man everyone fears.”

Something unreadable crossed his face.

“And what did you discover?”

Her heartbeat quickened unexpectedly.

Too many things.

That he was calmer than she expected.

Softer than she expected.

More dangerous than she expected.

And somehow lonely beneath all that control.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she answered quietly.

Alexander stared at her for several seconds.

Then slowly…He smiled.

Not fully.

Just enough to completely ruin her ability to think properly.

Now she understood why women looked at him the way they did.

The man barely smiled and it still felt unfair.

“You’re honest in strange ways,” he murmured.

Before Daniella could respond, thunder shook the windows outside.

The storm had grown heavier.

Alexander glanced briefly toward the rain before looking back at her again.

“You should stay here for now.”

Her guard immediately returned. “Why?”

“Because someone tried to kill me yesterday.”

“That has nothing to do with me.”

His eyes darkened slightly.

“The bullet almost hit you.”

The roughness in his voice made something warm twist painfully inside her chest.

Alexander stepped closer slowly.

Close enough that Daniella stopped breathing normally again.

“You were frightened,” he said quietly.

“I was fine.”

“No.”

His gaze held hers completely now.

“You were trying very hard not to be.”

The words landed too softly.

Too personally.

Daniella suddenly felt exposed in front of him in ways that had nothing to do with secrets.

Alexander noticed too much.

About her emotions.

About her reactions.

About him affecting her.

And that was becoming dangerous.

“You shouldn’t pay so much attention to me,” she whispered before thinking.

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

“Why?”

Because I came here to destroy you.

Because every time you look at me I forget what I’m supposed to feel.

Because hating you is becoming harder than it should be.

Daniella looked away first again.

“I’m just a servant.”

The silence that followed felt strangely heavy.

Then Alexander stepped even closer.

So close now that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body.

“No,” he said softly.

His eyes moved slowly across her face.

Carefully and Intimately.

“There’s nothing ‘just’ about you.”

Her heart slammed violently against her ribs.

And before Daniella could recover…Alexander reached out slowly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

The touch was gentle and devastating.

Her breath caught instantly.

Alexander noticed.

His gaze darkened slightly at her reaction.

The air between them suddenly felt dangerously charged.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them looked away either.

And for one reckless terrifying second…Daniella forgot she came here for revenge.