The "thinking" Snow had requested stretched into an agonizing week. Every breath felt like a negotiation between the warring factions of her heart and mind. She dove into her work with a frantic energy, burying herself in algorithms, trying to drown out the memory of Andreas's lips on hers, the possessive claim of his hand. But his presence, both physical and emotional, was everywhere. White roses continued to arrive, accompanied by short, potent notes: "Thinking of you," "I respect your space," "Still here."
And then, Alex struck.
It wasn't a grand, public attack, but a subtle, insidious campaign. Anonymous emails landed in the inboxes of key EdenTech investors, raising "concerns" about Snow's "unstable past" and the "dubious long-term viability" of a company led by someone who had once been in a coma due to a product defect. Small, seemingly innocuous articles appeared on obscure industry blogs, questioning EdenTech's ethical sourcing, citing "unnamed sources" from within the White Cosmetics scandal. Nothing directly linked to Alex, but Snow felt his poisonous touch in every calculated whisper.
The pressure mounted. Investors started asking uncomfortable questions. Her "Dwarves," usually so fiercely loyal, grew worried, their glances filled with apprehension. Snow felt the walls closing in again, the familiar taste of fear and betrayal creeping back. This was exactly what she had fled.
One evening, after a particularly draining day of damage control, Snow snapped. She paced her office, the silence heavy with her rising panic. She couldn't fight this alone. She couldn't go through that pain again. And she knew, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that Alex was a ghost from Andreas's past that he couldn't control.
Without thinking, she picked up her phone and called him.
Andreas answered on the first ring, his voice sharp with immediate concern. "Snow? Is everything alright?"
Her breath hitched. "No," she whispered, her voice cracking. The dam broke. All the fear, the anger, the resurrected trauma spilled out. She told him about the emails, the articles, the sickening feeling of her past being weaponized against her again. She spoke of Alex, not as a random antagonist, but as a deliberate, cruel echo of Ravenna.
"He's trying to destroy me, Andreas," she cried, tears finally stinging her eyes. "Just like she did. He's trying to drag me back into that darkness. And I can't… I can't go through it again." Her voice trembled with raw vulnerability. "I thought I was strong enough, but I'm not. This world… your world… it's too much."
There was a silence on the other end, long and heavy. Snow braced herself for him to pull back, for the weight of her trauma to be too much for even him.
Then, Andreas's voice came through, low and gravelly, laced with an intensity that made her shiver. "He won't destroy you, Snow. Not now. Not ever." The words weren't a gentle reassurance; they were a vow, forged in steel. "I told you, you are under my protection. And I will make sure he regrets every single move he makes."
The fierceness in his tone was terrifying, but also profoundly, inexplicably comforting. "I need you to trust me, Snow," he continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper, laden with emotion. "I need you to let me fight this with you. Let me fight for you."
Snow closed her eyes, a fresh wave of tears rolling down her cheeks, but these were tears of relief, of a strange, intoxicating surrender. She felt the undeniable pull, the aching need to lean on him, to give herself over to the undeniable current between them. It was a terrifying leap, but the alternative – fighting alone, constantly looking over her shoulder – was even more so.
"Andreas," she breathed, her voice barely audible. "I… I'm scared."
"I know," he replied, his voice rough with emotion. "But you won't be alone. Tell me where you are. I'm coming."
And he did.
He arrived at EdenTech moments later, his face grim, his eyes stormier than she had ever seen them. He walked straight to her, his imposing presence filling the small office. He didn't speak. He simply pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, firmly, as if he could absorb all her fear into his own powerful frame.
Snow clung to him, burying her face in his chest, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of him. She felt safe, truly safe, for the first time in what felt like an eternity. The professional distance, the carefully constructed walls, the unspoken questions – they all dissolved in the raw, aching reality of their embrace.
He pulled back slightly, cupping her face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears. His gaze, dark and intense, held hers. "Snow," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't stand to see you like this. I can't stand the thought of anyone hurting you, especially not him."
His fingers traced the curve of her jaw, then feathered down her neck, sending a shiver through her. Her skin tingled, alive under his touch. "I didn't expect to feel this way," he confessed, his voice dropping to a low, husky rumble that resonated deep within her. "But you… you've broken through everything, Snow. You've become… everything."
He leaned in, his eyes blazing with a mixture of desire and a fierce, protective devotion. "I want you," he breathed, his lips brushing hers, "more than I've wanted anything in my life. And I will burn down the world to protect you from the shadows of your past, and from anyone who tries to hurt you, especially Alex."
His words, a burning confession, melted the last vestiges of her fear. She met his gaze, her heart soaring. "Andreas," she whispered, her voice filled with a dizzying mix of relief and a love she hadn't dared to acknowledge until this moment. "I want you too. More than I thought possible."
She pulled his head down, initiating the kiss this time. It was a kiss of desperate need, of raw vulnerability, and of a burgeoning, undeniable love. It was a promise, a confession, and a wild, exhilarating leap into the unknown. The past loomed, Alex was a threat, and their worlds were still so different. But in that moment, in his arms, Snow knew she was ready to face it all, as long as she wasn't alone.Andreas's embrace tightened around Snow, a silent promise solidifying between them. "He won't touch you again, Snow," he vowed, his voice a low growl that held both fierce protection and a hint of suppressed fury. "Not a hair on your head. And as for Alex… he'll learn what it means to cross me."
His strategy was immediate and decisive, a reflection of his years at the helm of Charm Global. Within hours, a team of Andreas's top legal and security experts was discreetly deployed. They began tracking every digital breadcrumb Alex had left, meticulously identifying the sources of the malicious emails and blog posts. Simultaneously, Andreas initiated a quiet but potent counter-campaign, leveraging Charm Global's vast network to subtly champion EdenTech, circulating positive industry reports and strategically placed articles that highlighted Snow's innovative work and the ethical foundation of her company. He didn't want to just stop Alex; he wanted to elevate Snow beyond his reach.
But his protection extended beyond the corporate battlefield. Andreas insisted on a dedicated security detail for Snow, men and women who were virtually invisible but always present. He moved many of their "collaboration" meetings to his own secure office at Charm Global, ensuring Snow was always within his orbit, constantly aware of his protective presence. He started dropping by EdenTech more frequently, not just for business, but to share a quiet coffee with Snow, to offer a comforting touch, to simply be there. This subtle but constant vigilance was both reassuring and undeniably thrilling for Snow, a stark contrast to her previous solitary existence.