Melted by her Love

PART14:-The Emotional Wall

It had been days since his dinner with Emme, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the memory of her smile, her laughter, or the way she looked at him—as if he were more than just the ruthless CEO everyone else saw. It unnerved him.

He hated how much she was getting under his skin.

Ever since they had begun spending more time together, Alex had found himself drawn to her warmth, her kindness, and the way she seemed to believe there was still something good left in him. But he knew better. He had learned long ago that love, trust, and vulnerability were nothing more than weaknesses, and the price of letting someone in was far too high.

Never again.

That was the vow he had made to himself after Lily had betrayed him. He had locked his heart away, buried it beneath layers of cold indifference, and built an empire that would never betray him the way people had. And it had worked—until now.

Now, thanks to Emme Carter, those carefully constructed walls were starting to crack, and it terrified him.

He turned away from the window, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration. He had to get a grip. He couldn’t let Emme in, couldn’t allow himself to feel anything more than the barest hint of professional interest. She was just another person who would eventually leave, just another threat to his carefully guarded life.

Yet, every time he saw her, those icy defenses weakened a little more.

---

Meanwhile, Emme was wrestling with her own emotions. She couldn’t deny that her feelings for Alex had begun to change. The man she had once viewed as an arrogant, emotionless businessman had slowly revealed himself to be far more complex. Beneath his cold exterior, she had glimpsed moments of vulnerability—fleeting, but enough to make her realize that Alex wasn’t beyond redemption.

But he was still holding back, and it was clear why.

Emme wasn’t blind to the fear that lurked behind Alex’s eyes. He might try to hide it beneath his cold demeanor, but she had learned to recognize the signs. She had seen it before in others—people who had been hurt, betrayed, and who had built walls so high around themselves that they could no longer let anyone in.

The more time she spent with Alex, the more she understood that his coldness wasn’t born from malice. It was a shield, a way to protect himself from being hurt again. And though she hadn’t pried into his past, she could sense that whatever had happened to him had left deep scars.

---

The next time they met, it was at his office. As usual, Alex was all business, his posture stiff and his tone clipped. But Emme wasn’t fooled. She could see the tension in his eyes, the way he avoided looking at her for too long, as if he were afraid of what he might feel if he let himself get too close.

"Here’s the revised contract," he said, sliding the papers across the table. "I’ve made the adjustments you requested."

"Thank you," Emme replied, her voice calm. She didn’t reach for the contract. Instead, she looked at him, her eyes searching his face. "Alex, can I ask you something?"

He stiffened, clearly uncomfortable. "If it’s about the deal, I’ve already—"

"It’s not about the deal," she interrupted gently. "It’s about you."

He froze, his expression hardening. "Emme, we’re here to discuss business. There’s nothing else to talk about."

"Is that what you really believe?" she asked quietly. "That there’s nothing more between us than business?"

For a long moment, Alex didn’t say anything. He kept his gaze fixed on the papers in front of him, his jaw clenched tight. Emme could see the battle raging inside him, the struggle to keep his emotions in check.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and cold. "There’s nothing else. Business is what matters."

Emme sighed softly, her heart aching for him. She had seen this before—this fear of vulnerability, this need to push people away before they could get too close. But she wasn’t going to give up on him, not when she could see how much he was struggling to keep his walls intact.

"Alex," she said softly, leaning forward. "I know you’re scared."

His head snapped up, his eyes flashing with anger. "I’m not scared."

"You are," she said, her voice steady. "I see it in the way you push people away, in the way you won’t let anyone in. You’ve been hurt before, and you’re terrified of letting it happen again."

"Stop," he growled, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. "You don’t know anything about me."

"I know enough," she replied, her gaze never leaving his. "I know that you’re not as cold as you pretend to be. I’ve seen it, Alex. I’ve seen the way you look at me, the way you struggle to keep your guard up. You’re afraid of being vulnerable, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone."

For a moment, Alex looked like he might explode. His hands clenched into fists, his jaw tightening as he fought to keep his emotions at bay. But then, just as quickly, the anger drained from his face, replaced by something else—something far more vulnerable.

"I can’t," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I can’t do this again. I can’t let someone in… not after what happened."

Emme’s heart ached at the raw pain in his voice. She reached across the table, gently placing her hand on top of his. "You don’t have to do it alone, Alex. You don’t have to keep punishing yourself for something that happened in the past."

His eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw the full weight of his fear. He was terrified—terrified of opening himself up, of trusting someone again, of being hurt like he had been before. It was written all over his face, in the way his hands trembled slightly under hers.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. The room was filled with the heavy silence of unspoken truths and hidden emotions. Alex’s walls, though still standing, were crumbling. He couldn’t keep pretending that he didn’t feel something for her, and she couldn’t ignore the way her heart ached for him.

"I’m not asking you to change overnight," Emme said gently. "But maybe… maybe you could start by letting me in. Just a little."

Alex’s throat tightened, his mind racing. He had spent years building his defenses, creating a world where no one could touch him, where he was in control of everything. And now, with just a few words, Emme was asking him to dismantle it all.

But something in her eyes—the warmth, the kindness, the belief that he was worth saving—made him want to try. Made him want to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could be more than the cold, ruthless man he had become.

"I don’t know how," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Emme smiled softly, her hand still resting on his. "We’ll figure it out together."

For the first time in years, Alex felt the ice around his heart begin to thaw. It wasn’t much, just a glimmer of warmth breaking through the cold, but it was enough to give him hope.

And maybe, just maybe, that was all he needed to take the first step toward healing.