Page 99 of Surrendering to the Obsession

On the other side of the city, Alexander, half-asleep, was holding Mia tightly in his arms. She was curled up against his chest, her face buried against him, his arm wrapped around her securely. The room was quiet and peaceful—until his phone buzzed again.

Annoyed, Alexander reached out lazily and grabbed the phone from the bedside table. He squinted at the screen. An unsaved number. There were several missed calls from the same number.

“Who the hell keeps calling me?” he frowned.

The phone buzzed again. Irritated, he finally picked it up.

“Hello?”

A woman’s voice came through:

“Alexander… you… you are really living together with that woman?”

Alexander’s face tightened instantly, his sleepy expression turning cold. He looked at the number one more time, trying to recall the number—but nothing clicked. No recognition. No memory.

His tone dropped, sharp and curt. “Who are you?”

Silence.

Alexander frowned and looked at the phone screen to check if the call was still connected. With zero interest and even less patience, he simply hung up—then blocked the number.

Beside him, Mia stirred slightly, her eyelashes fluttering as she woke up from the sound of him talking. Her sleepy little noises filled the room, and she sat up halfway, eyes still closed, and wrapped her arms around him from the side.

“Mr. Graves… who is it?” she mumbled, leaning her head weakly against his shoulder, still half-asleep.

Alexander immediately slid his arm around her waist, pulling her fully onto him. He lifted her gently, settling her against his chest. She relaxed instantly, melting into his warmth.

“Mr. Graves,” she whispered in a small, sleepy voice, “I don’t want to wake up yet. I just fell asleep… I want to sleep more.”

Alexander hid a small smile at her sleepy words, realising how deeply she had gotten accustomed to him not letting her sleep until he was satisfied, taking her again and again through the night.

Throughout the last two nights, he had made sure to erase every trace of James from her body. Every inch of her skin James had touched, every place he had held—Alexander had kissed, claimed, and marked as his own.

There wasn’t a single part of her left untouched by his lips.

And now, the only presence lingering on her skin and in her mind… was him. Not that bastard.

He held her even tighter, pulling her into his chest. Then he slid down onto the bed with her, settling beside her and wrapping both arms around her. Her face was buried in his neck as he hugged her close. His hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers slowly running through her hair.

“Go to sleep,” he murmured softly.

Mia smiled faintly, then wrapped her arms around him, her whole body curling into his.

***

Janet stumbled out of the office building. Cars passed by, horns blaring, people walking—but she didn’t see or hear any of it. Her body was shaking. Her eyes remained fixed on the phone screen, Alexander’s number still flashing as she whispered to herself in disbelief.

“I don’t believe his marriage is real,” she whispered shakily. “He’s definitely not really married. Is he pretending? To make me feel bad for leaving him?”

Her breath was ragged. She tightened her grip on the phone, staring at his number as confusion and fear tangled inside her.

“Was he avoiding my calls to make me feel something for him?” she muttered. “I have to ask him in person. I need to talk to him personally.”

Her voice dropped lower, uncertain, confused.

“I’m different to him. I have always been different to him.”

She shook her head firmly. “I don’t care if he’s married,” she said under her breath, her jaw tight. “I don’t care. Whether he is married or not has nothing to do with me.”