Page 27 of Fallen Heir

I clenched my jaw and gave Ben a single nod. “Take her.”

His brows lifted just slightly—nothing dramatic, just enough to register the unspoken tension between us. Understanding passed between us without a word. He didn’t ask questions. Just turned to Savannah and offered his arm.

She hesitated for the briefest moment, her eyes flicking to me like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to leave. Then she accepted.

As they disappeared toward the exit, I turned back to the crowd, my fists clenching at my sides.

Something had shifted tonight. And I didn’t like it.

I had the sinking feeling Bruce would know exactly where she was—long before the press ever did.

Chapter 11

Savannah

For a moment, I’d forgotten what fear felt like. It had been hours since I’d checked the exits, since I’d mapped out an escape plan, since my body had been tight with the kind of tension that never quite goes away.

Maybe it was the champagne. It could have been the music, or the way the golden lights reflected off marble floors like the world had finally given me permission to breathe.

Or maybe… it was Jaxson. And Ben. And the simple truth that tonight was dedicated to women of domestic violence—women just like me. Their presence had settled something inside me—quieted the noise, the constant humming of danger. I’d felt… normal. Human. Like I could belong here after all..

I let my guard down.

And now, I was paying for it.

The second the bathroom door closed behind me, I felt it. That prickle along the back of my neck. The shift in the air that only ever meant one thing.

I wasn’t alone.

I looked up to see him waiting. Leaning against the sink like he belonged there, hands in his pockets, tailored suit sharp enough to blend in with the elite. But I knew better.

Alex.

Clean cut. Groomed. Polished enough to fool anyone in this room. But to me, he’d always smelled like a mix of bourbon, cigar smoke, and something far worse. Rotten intentions dressed in silk.

I froze. Every nerve ending in my body flared. My chest tightened so fast, so hard, I thought I might drop right there on the tile.

“Well, well,” he drawled, voice low, eyes raking over me with sick amusement. “Didn’t think I’d see you here. You look... different without the bruises. Guess you’ve cleaned up a little since I saw you last.”

The words hit like a slap. I took a breath, but it caught in my throat. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. Panic scratched at the edge of my vision, but I forced it back. I wouldn’t fall apart. Not here. Not in front of him.

One word from my mouth would do just that. So I stayed silent. Frozen.

He stepped closer—slow, deliberate. The walls felt smaller with every inch he stole from me.

“You really thought you could run forever?” His hand landed beside my head, palm flat against the tile, caging me in. “You’re a long way from home, darlin’... and Bruce? He’s gonna be real pissed when he finds out you’ve been playin’ dress-up in the city. Especially withhim.”

He leaned in, his breath hot against my cheek. “I’m not sure if I should tell him... or keep you for myself this time.”

A pause. A smirk.

“After all… you shoulda been mine from the start. Your daddy knew it. But Bruce weaseled his way in—snaked his way into what was supposed to be mine.”

My pulse roared in my ears. I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw my way out of my own skin. But all I could do was hold my breath and pray no one walked in. Because if they saw me like this—shaking, cornered, exposed—they’d start asking questions.

Questions I couldn’t afford to answer.

So I did what I’d always done. I swallowed the fear.