All Chapters of After Our First Kiss, He Begged to Own Me : Chapter 21 - Chapter 27

Alex couldn’t breathe properly after Jamie said it.The words lingered heavily between them.Too raw.Too honest.Jamie seemed to realize that too because his expression tightened slightly afterward, like he regretted letting the truth slip out so openly.But Alex barely had time to process any of it.Because midnight was getting closer.And Elijah was still missing.Jamie turned away first.Control snapping back into place almost immediately.“We have less than two hours.”Alex watched him move around the security room gathering weapons, checking ammunition, loading extra magazines with cold efficiency.Like he had done this before.Far too many times.“You really planned for things like this?” Alex asked quietly.Jamie didn’t look up.“I planned for worse.”That answer unsettled him deeply.Alex leaned against the desk slowly.“So what’s the actual plan?”Jamie handed instructions through his earpiece to various security teams before finally answering.“I go inside alone.”“No.”Jam

“Jamie!”Alex tried to follow him immediately.Elijah grabbed him hard before he could move.“Don’t.”Gunfire exploded across the underground garage.Jamie moved through it like someone already prepared to die.Precise shots.Controlled breathing.Cold efficiency.Even bleeding heavily.Alex’s chest felt like it was being crushed.“He can’t stay there alone!”Elijah dragged him toward a concrete hallway hidden behind the parking structure.“He’s buying time.”“That’s suicidal!”Elijah’s expression darkened sharply.“You think my son doesn’t know that?”The answer hit hard.Too hard.More bullets ricocheted through the garage.One of Jamie’s guards collapsed nearby.Alex flinched instinctively.Elijah shoved open a steel door leading into a narrow underground tunnel.Emergency lights flickered overhead.Old.Hidden.Secret.Alex stumbled inside reluctantly.Every instinct screamed at him to go back.To stay with Jamie.But Elijah pulled the door shut behind them just as another explosi

The media exploded within minutes of the board vote.“Jamie Reed Reinstated as CEO.”“Reed Holdings Scandal Collapses.”“Victor Hale Removed From Internal Operations.”Every business network replayed footage of Jamie leaving the boardroom beside Elijah.Cold.Untouched.Victorious.But what truly caught public attention—Was Alex.Because this time Jamie didn’t hide him.Not once.Photographers swarmed outside Reed Holdings headquarters as security escorted them toward the waiting cars.Questions flew aggressively from every direction.“Mr. Reed, are the engagement rumors true?”“Were the allegations against you fabricated?”“What’s your relationship to the Vale family?”Jamie ignored every question smoothly.Until one reporter shouted—“Is Alex Vale connected to Project Orpheus?”Everything stopped for half a second.Alex felt it instantly.The shift.The danger.Jamie’s expression became terrifyingly calm.Security immediately moved forward.But Jamie raised one hand slightly.Stopp

Nobody spoke for several seconds after Miranda’s warning.The tension in the lobby felt suffocating.Alex stared at his mother like if he blinked too long she might disappear again.Alive.After all these years—Alive.Miranda looked older than he remembered.More tired.Like survival itself had worn pieces of her down slowly over time.But her eyes—They were exactly the same.And somehow that hurt most.Jamie remained slightly in front of Alex instinctively.Protective even now.Miranda noticed immediately.A faint sadness crossed her face.“You really do love him.”Jamie’s expression didn’t change.“That’s not your concern.”Alex finally found his voice.“You left me.”The words came out rougher than intended.Miranda flinched visibly.“I know.”“No,” Alex snapped quietly.“You don’t.”Silence.Painful silence.Security discreetly moved further back, sensing this was no longer their conversation.Miranda swallowed slowly.“The night of the warehouse fire, Adrian realized I stole th