A Ride I Didn’t Choose

Alice’s POV

I started walking into every bank I could find, asking for credit. Unsurprisingly, none were willing to offer that much money to someone still new in her career. One bank was ready to give me $10,000, another $15,000. In the end, I scraped together around $50,000 in total—just enough to barely cover my father’s hospital expenses.

I thought about what else I could sell. We listed the house, but the estate agent said there was no way it would sell in two weeks. He promised to try his best, but I didn’t hold my breath. We put my father’s car up for sale, too, along with my mother’s jewelry. And through it all, Mom did nothing but cry.

I even considered selling the dress and jewelry Anton had bought me for that night. I held them in my hands for a long time. They could’ve brought in thousands. But I couldn’t do it. Maybe I was still clinging to some broken sense of pride. Or maybe to the memory of that night—how beautiful it began before it turned into something else entirely.

By the end of the first week, I had managed to gather $100,000. And I had run out of options.

Meanwhile, I had gone back to the office. I’d found ten highly qualified candidates for Anton. And he shredded every single résumé in front of me, one by one, looking me dead in the eye each time.

“Qualified, Ms. Wonderful,” he said. “I’m looking for qualified people. Not amateurs.”

The last résumé belonged to a woman who had graduated from Harvard and had five years of assistant experience. Apparently, even she didn’t make the cut.

“Okay, Mr. Alonzo. I’ll search for a better candidate,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady while I swallowed the humiliation.

Later that day, I called my mother to let her know I’d be wiring money to cover the hospital expenses, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it. But she told me something unexpected—when she’d gone to the hospital earlier to ask for the final bill, they told her it had already been paid.

They refused to tell her by whom.

On one hand, it was good news. We could now use the hospital money toward paying off the mafia debt. But the not-knowing gnawed at me. The gesture didn’t sit right.

Still, I had a guess.

It must’ve been Matt.

That warm-hearted idiot.

I made a mental note to thank him—eventually.

Anton, of course, hadn’t even asked about my father.

I walked to his office and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” he said.

“Sir, may I leave now?”

He glanced at his watch, then raised an eyebrow.

“There’s still an hour left in your shift, Ms. Wonderful.”

There it was again—Wonderful. His signature insult, dressed in politeness.

“Yes, I know. But as you’re aware, my father is being discharged from the hospital today. The subway ride takes over two hours. I’d like to be there on time.”

He rose slowly from his chair and started walking toward me.

I took a step back without thinking.

It was always the same. The way he moved—quiet but deliberate—was unnerving. He carried tension with him, like an electrical charge in the air. My throat tightened as I swallowed hard.

He watched the movement of my neck like a hawk. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I’ll take you.”

“No, sir. That’s really not necessary. I can manage—”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion, Ms. Wonderful.”

He stopped just inches from me. His voice was low, calm, and final.

“You’re still on the clock. Which means you’re still required to follow my instructions. Gather your things. Meet me at the elevator.”

“…Yes, sir,” I said quietly.

I walked out, grabbed my bag, and stood in front of the elevator—heart pounding, thoughts spiraling.

What did he want now?

He hadn’t even acknowledged my father’s condition until this moment. So why the sudden offer to drive me? Unless… he was trying to see if Matt would be there. Of course. It made perfect sense now. He was looking for an excuse. If he could catch me red-handed, he’d finally have a reason to end my career for good.

I was still lost in thought when I heard someone clear his throat behind me.

I turned—and found Anton standing much too close. Close enough to feel his breath on my skin.

He was in my space again, looming like a storm cloud. I felt like a gazelle frozen under a lion’s gaze, staring into its eyes one last time before being devoured.

His obsidian-black eyes narrowed, unreadable. His nostrils flared slightly—like he was scenting something. Then, for a split second, his eyes fluttered shut. And when he opened them again, there was fire in them.

But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared—wiped away, replaced by the cold, immovable face of Anton Alonzo.

“Finished with your internal monologue?” he asked dryly, clearly referencing my anxious stare.

“Yes, sir.”

“After you,” he said, gesturing to the elevator.

If I didn’t know better, I might’ve thought he was a gentleman.

But I did know better.

While we were going down in the elevator, he kept throwing evasive glances in my direction. I was too lost in my thoughts, bracing myself for nearly a two-hour car ride with Mr. Anton.

But before I could mentally prepare, the elevator dinged.

We’d reached… the rooftop?

At least, that’s what I realized when the doors slid open and revealed the helipad.

“What is hap—” I started, but didn’t need to finish the sentence. The roaring sound gave it away.

The helicopter’s blades were spinning with a deafening pata pata pata…

I had to shout to make myself audible.

“What are we doing here?!”

“Follow me. Keep your head down!” he shouted back, completely ignoring my panic.

“There is no way I’m getting in that!”

“Don’t you want to see your father as soon as possible?”

“Well, yeah—but this is too much!”

“Shut up and walk,” he snapped—and grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the helicopter.

With each step, it became scarier. When we got closer, I panicked and dropped into a squat right where I stood. He kept pulling, but I refused to move.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, annoyed.

“I’m scared! There is no way I’m getting into that thing!”

“Yes, you are. Because I say so.”

And then, the most unbelievable thing happened.

He bent down, grabbed me by the waist, and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

It was one of the most humiliating things that had ever happened to me.

I shrieked and kicked and pounded his back with my fists, screaming like I’d lost my mind. He didn’t flinch. He carried me all the way to the helicopter, threw me into the back seat, and slid in next to me like he did this kind of thing every day.

I was still screaming when he fastened my seatbelt and shoved a headset over my ears. The sudden drop in noise almost made me dizzy—but at least I could finally hear.

The pilot spoke first.

“Please relax, miss. This isn’t going to be nearly as bad as you think. Just breathe. I’ve been doing this job for years.”

Anton sent the pilot a dark glare.

The man went dead silent.

Then Anton turned to me.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be easy. In fact, once you get used to it, you’ll never want to travel any other way.”

I still wasn’t convinced, but at least I’d stopped screaming.

Then he extended his hand.

“Here. Hold my hand. I’ll be right here the whole time. You’re safe.”

Without thinking, I reached for him.

His warmth wrapped around my fingers, and somehow that did more for me than any soothing words. He was the most unpredictable man I’d ever known—but in that moment, I felt like nothing could touch me while I was with him.

I gripped his hand tightly.

He squeezed back.

And the helicopter began to lift.

“Now close your eyes. We’re taking off. Don’t worry—we’ll be there in no time.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, still clinging to his hand like my life depended on it. But once we lifted off and the helicopter steadied, the fear began to ease. Anton’s warmth began to seep into me. It was comforting in a strange way—made me feel safe.

Eventually, I managed to open my eyes.

And the view stole my breath.

It was like seeing the city from heaven. The scene was breathtaking. All the skyscrapers, roads, cars, even the people—they looked like they were made of cardboard. My fear melted into awe.

I didn’t know how long I stared out of the window, mesmerized. Maybe Anton was right—once you got used to this, how could you ever enjoy a car ride again? Let alone the subway, with its piss-stained stations and handsy passengers.

I turned to look at Anton. He was still holding my hand, staring straight ahead.

His profile was flawless. A jawline sharp enough to cut glass, obsidian-black eyes, and that perfectly combed jet-black hair that made women want to run their fingers through it and pull. It had been a long time since we were this close.

It reminded me of Hawaii.

The day he took my hand and gave me one of the best days of my life—until Matt ruined it.

I looked at his bold face and wondered, When did we fall so far apart? After he kissed me, after he made me laugh, after he punched Daryl for me—how did we end up like… this?

As if he heard my thoughts, he turned to me.

Our eyes met—and for a second, time stopped.

He wasn’t my insufferable boss. And I wasn’t his disappointing assistant.

I was Alice.

He was Antonio.

The man who made my stomach twist and my skin heat up with just one look. And now, he was looking at me like if he blinked, I might disappear.

I felt it. The pull.

Our lips were magnets, drawing toward each other. The air thickened. My breaths became shallow. His eyes dropped to my mouth, and my stomach flipped with anticipation. I remembered how he kissed me once—in that corridor—like I was oxygen and he was suffocating. I remembered his tongue trailing from my collarbone to my ear.

Heat bloomed inside me. My face flushed.

He licked his lips. And I knew—we couldn’t hold back much longer—

“Hold tight, passengers. We are descending into New Jersey, St. Joseph’s Hospital.”

The pilot’s voice yanked us out of the forbidden dream we had drifted into.

Anton shot daggers at him with his eyes and grunted in displeasure.

I wasn’t much different.

And that realization terrified me.

What the hell was wrong with me?