Chapter 53

• Melanie staggered back, her breath catching in her throat as if the mere sight of him had punched the air out of her lungs. Her heart pounded so loud she could barely hear the sound of the elevator doors sliding shut behind him. Alexander Steel stood there, tall and calm, his jaw clenched and his eyes burning. But there was no smile on his face. Not even a trace of one.
• He took a step forward. Then another.
• Melanie moved back in reflex, her feet struggling to stay grounded as she kept retreating. Her spine met the cold wall behind her, and she froze, trapped between past and present. Her voice barely rose above a whisper as she said, “Alex? What are you doing here?”