The Unknown; Hellbent

It was deep into the night, but the three figures on the expansive balcony showed no signs of sleepiness. Ezekiel stood motionless, the city sprawled out beneath him like a living, breathing being. In his hand was a glass of something dark and rich, perhaps red wine, swirling slowly as he tilted it. Behind him, Ramon and Tyler lingered in the shadows, their presence silent yet steady.

The cold night air was crisp, carrying with it the faint hum of distant traffic. His white hair, now untied, moved gently with the breeze, adding to the ethereal aura that seemed to follow him wherever he went.

He leaned on the railing, his sharp gaze fixed on the horizon. The moon hung low, casting a silvery glow over the glass and steel jungle. But Ezekiel's mind was far from the serene beauty of the night.

That girl.

Alexia. Her fiery red hair and reckless energy stood in stark contrast to the calculated, controlled world he inhabited. She had looked like an innocent seductress in that outfit of hers, which revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her soft, delicate skin. For reasons he couldn't quite fathom, the memory darkened his gaze. The thought that she had been walking the streets dressed like that, vulnerable and unaware, set something uneasy stirring within him.

Ezekiel inwardly shook his head, forcing his thoughts back into order. She had barged into his carefully controlled life with a boldness that bordered on foolishness. Who risked their life to stop a speeding car just to make a point? And who, in their right mind, would trust a rival so easily?

His hands tightened around the cool steel of the railing. Alexia was unlike anyone he had met—naive yet defiant, childish yet sharp. Most people cowered in his presence, their unease evident in the way they fumbled over their words or avoided his eyes. She, however, met his gaze head-on, her determination as fiery as her hair.

Ezekiel let out a low chuckle, a rare sound that seemed almost foreign in the stillness of the night. "Little Red," he murmured under his breath, the nickname slipping out without thought. She had the audacity to trust him, to waltz into his life and declare her intentions without fear of the consequences.

But that was the problem. Consequences.

The world Ezekiel belonged to was a web of shadows and deceit, where every action had a ripple effect, and trust was a luxury he couldn't afford. His life was meticulously crafted, a fortress built to keep out threats and vulnerabilities alike. Alexia, with her wide eyes and unyielding confidence, was a vulnerability he hadn't accounted for.

His fingers brushed against his lips as he remembered the brief warmth of her touch—the bold peck she had given him earlier, her sweet yet infuriating smile lingering in his mind. Her soft lips brushing against his in an act so daring it left him momentarily stunned. She hadn't cowered, hadn't flinched. Instead, she had smiled sweetly, as if daring him to stop her. How had she managed to catch him off guard? Ezekiel prided himself on his control, but she had torn through his defenses effortlessly, as though she had known exactly where to strike.

The thought made his jaw tighten. 'She doesn't understand' he thought, his unique eyes narrowing as the wind tugged at his hair. The nightmare he lived in wasn't just about business rivalries. It was a world of shadows—where deals were made in whispers and betrayal was currency. He had spent years perfecting the art of survival, becoming an enigma no one could touch. And yet, she wanted to step into that nightmare without hesitation, as if it were a game.

Ezekiel tilted his head back, letting the cold air bite at his skin. A part of him wanted to push her away, to discourage her from getting any closer. He should have pushed her away. He should have ended her foolish notions before they could take root. But something about her defiance, her reckless determination, made it impossible to ignore her. Another part of him, one he wasn't ready to acknowledge, found her persistence... intriguing.

He glanced down at the city again, the lights reflecting in his piercing eyes. Somewhere out there, Alexia was preparing to step into his world, unaware of the dangers lurking within.

"Foolish girl," he muttered, though his voice held no malice. There was a faint trace of something else—curiosity, perhaps. Or was it amusement?

The night stretched on, the silence interrupted only by the occasional rustle of the wind. Ezekiel stood there, a lone figure against the backdrop of the glowing city, his thoughts a tangled mix of intrigue, irritation, and something he couldn't quite place.

For the first time in a long while, the perfectly controlled world he had built felt... unsettled.

Alexia, in stark contrast, was a spark of defiance amidst his ordered chaos. Her fiery red hair, unruly in the autumn breeze, mirrored her personality—a vivid flame burning against the shadow Ezekiel cast. Yet, despite his cold demeanor and sharp words, there were fleeting moments when his actions betrayed his stoicism: the way he draped his suit over her shoulders without hesitation or the almost imperceptible softening of his eyes as he took in her flushed face.

Behind him, Ramon finally broke the silence, his tone cautious. "Boss, don't you think letting her come here is dangerous?"

Tyler immediately interjected, a sharp glare directed at his overly serious fun sponge companion. "Zeke's already made his decision. Don't try to change it. Besides, that girl is stubborn enough to barge in here whether we agree or not."

Ezekiel remained silent, his gaze never wavering from the cityscape.

Ramon ignored Tyler's glare and pressed on. "If she comes, we'll also have to protect her. Protecting you is already exhausting enough."

"Did I ask you to?" Ezekiel's voice was cold but carried an unmistakable edge, silencing any further protest. He finally turned his attention to them, his eyes unreadable. "From now on, she'll be your top priority... until she leaves."

"Yes, sir," Ramon and Tyler said in unison, the weight of the order settling heavily between them.

Ezekiel turned to leave but paused, glancing at Tyler. "Delete it."

Tyler froze, feigning confusion. "Delete what?"

Ezekiel's sharp gaze pinned him in place, his expression brooking no argument. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Tyler sighed dramatically, pulling out his phone to delete the picture he had secretly taken earlier.

"The cloud too," Ezekiel added, his tone as unyielding as steel.

Tyler's face fell. "The cloud too?" he muttered in dismay, grumbling as he complied. His reluctance was written all over his face as he deleted the photos from both his phone and the cloud.

Satisfied, Ezekiel strode inside, leaving Tyler glaring after him.

Ramon shot Tyler a look that could only be described as unimpressed. "Get a life," he muttered, shaking his head. Tyler could only grunt as he glared at the two boring men he was forced to live with.

He was still sulking as he headed to his room when suddenly his mood brightened, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he thought of the fiery-haired intruder who would soon be joining them.

"Things are about to get interesting," he mumbled, humming as he walked back to his room, already envisioning the chaos Alexia would inevitably bring to their carefully ordered world like a fiery ball.

He honestly couldn't wait, it was going to be like a clash of fire and ice, of impulsive courage meeting restrained power.