Page 1 of Surrendering to the Obsession

Chapter 1 Janet

Janet, have you lost your mind?”

Camila was already on her feet the moment Janet’s palm struck Mia’s face. At the same time, Alexander moved—fast.

He reached Janet in two long strides. Before Janet could even take another breath, his hand clamped down on her shoulder, spinning her around and roughly shoving her back. “Have you lost your damn mind?” he roared, his voice shaking with fury. “How dare you hit her?!”

Janet stumbled backward, losing balance and falling to the ground with a hard thud. Pain shot through her spine, and she winced as she pressed a trembling hand to her lower back.

But Alexander didn’t even glance at her. His focus was entirely on Mia. He reached her in quick strides.

His eyes scanned her face in panic, his brows furrowed tightly as he stepped closer, his hand sliding to her shoulder and pulling her into him protectively. His other hand brushed across her cheek, his thumb tracing the faint red mark. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle jumped along it.

“Mia…” he breathed with worry in his eyes.

Janet slowly lifted her head. Her lips parted in disbelief when she saw how Alexander hovered over Mia, his voice softening for her in a way Janet had never seen before.

‘He never cared when others got hurt,’ she thought bitterly, her eyes narrowing. ‘But for just one slap on her face, he’s furious like this?’

Her gaze hardened with suspicion as she pushed herself up, brushing the dust off her clothes, her movements stiff but quiet.

Mia, on the other hand, was struck with the shock of her life. Her heart pounded so violently in her chest that it drowned out every other sound—she could hear nothing but the frantic thud echoing in her ears.

However, when he called out her name, she finally blinked, the sound of his voice snapping her back to her senses. Her heartbeat turned erratic, thundering unevenly in her chest as reality rushed in. That was when she truly felt herself again, saw Alexander standing before her, and then Janet.

She caught Alexander’s arm, her voice sharp and trembling. “Who is she?” she demanded. “Is she telling the truth? That she’s your wife?”

His hand froze on her cheek, then dropped to his side. He turned toward Janet. The warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by an icy, dangerous calm.

“Explain yourself,” he ordered in a low, seething tone. “Didn’t you hear what she asked?”

Janet blinked at him, taken aback by the shift in his voice. Then, slowly, she straightened her back. A smirk tugged at her lips, arrogance replacing her earlier shock.

“Don’t forget, you’re the one who went around calling me your girlfriend, Alexander. Don’t act like you don’t remember that.”

His eyes darkened. “You and I had a contract! You were supposed toactas my girlfriend so I wouldn’t have to deal withwomen throwing themselves at me all the time. That’s all it was—just an act!”

Mia’s eyes widened, her breath catching as she stared at him.

Janet laughed bitterly. “An act? Really?” she spat, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Keep pretending, Alexander. You and I both know how crazy you’ve always been about me.”

Alexander stared at her as if she’d gone insane. His expression turned cold with disgust. “That was a contract, Janet. Just a fucking deal. Nothing more. What wife? What girlfriend? Have you completely lost your mind?”

Camila sank back down on the couch, her face pale and drawn. The tension in the room was suffocating. Her hands trembled as she pressed them to her forehead.

“Thomas,” she whispered weakly, turning toward the butler who stood rigid nearby, “take me to my room. I can’t take any more of this.”

Thomas immediately stepped forward and helped her up carefully. Camila leaned on him for support as they left the living room, the silence that followed was thick with tension.

As soon as Camila disappeared down the hall, Janet surged forward, eyes blazing. She reached for Alexander, but he moved faster.

In a single, brutal motion, Alexander twisted toward her, his face stormy, and clamped his hand around Janet’s throat. His fingers dug in; his gaze seared her with a silent threat.

He held her there, voice low and cold as ice. “Don’t youeverdare come in front of me again,” he growled. “The deal was over the day I married my wife. The contract is already void! If you everspout nonsense in front of my wife—or my mother—again, I will fucking kill you.”

Janet trembled violently, choking and wide-eyed, a ragged breath escaping her.

Alexander released her with the same clinical brutality he’d used to grab her; she slumped to the floor, rubbing her throat, fury mixing with fear.