*Chapter 8: Complications*
Alexander's eyes locked onto Sophia's, his expression unreadable. For a moment, Sophia wondered if she had overstepped, if she had pushed him too far.
But then Alexander's face softened, and he took a step closer to her. "Let's talk," he said, his voice low and husky.
Sophia's heart skipped a beat as Alexander led her to a nearby couch. They sat down, their legs touching, and Sophia felt a spark of electricity run through her body.
"Okay," Alexander said, turning to her. "Let's talk about us. What's real, and what's not."
Sophia took a deep breath, her mind racing. "I don't know," she admitted. "I feel like I've been living in a dream world, pretending to be someone I'm not."
Alexander nodded, his eyes understanding. "I know what you mean," he said. "But for me, this arrangement has been... complicated."
Sophia's ears perked up, intrigued. "Complicated?" she repeated.
Alexander nodded, his jaw clenched. "Yes. Because I didn't expect to feel... this way about you."
Sophia's heart skipped a beat. "What way?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alexander's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze intense. "Like I care about you," he said, his voice low. "Like I want to protect you, and be with you for real."
Sophia's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected Alexander to feel this way.
As they sat there, their eyes locked, Sophia felt like she was melting into his gaze. She felt like she was falling for him, hard.
But then reality kicked in, and Sophia remembered the arrangement. She remembered that this was all just a ruse, a way to boost Alexander's image.
"Alexander," she said, her voice shaking. "We can't... we can't do this. It's not real."
Alexander's face fell, and Sophia saw the disappointment in his eyes. But then he nodded, his expression resolute. "You're right," he said. "We can't complicate things further."
Sophia felt a pang of sadness, but she knew Alexander was right. They couldn't afford to get tangled up in each other's emotions. Not when their arrangement was just a facade.