Listed, numing aband through my hair in frustration. “Don’t you dare try to twist this. You took advantage of me, didn’t you?”
Her eyes widened in mnockoffense, but Horw her too well to buy it, she was capable of something like this–I’d always known that “Admit it, I snarled, glaring at her “You knew I was wasted, and your used it against me.
Hira’s ace hardened, and she shot to her feet, clutching the sheet around her. “Are you serious tight now?” she snapped. “You’re the one who called me Raina, Alex! You
“Her voice cracked slightly, and she pointed an accusing finger at me. “You knew how I felt about you. You’ve always lawn. And still, you came to me Last night. Don’t you dare act like the victim!”
The accusation Landed like a punch to the pur, but I refused to let it sink in. “This was a inistake,” I said fimnly, grabbing my shorts from the floor and pulling them on “A mistake that should’ve happened it it even did.”
Eliza’s eyes widened, and tot a moment, but flashed across her face. Then she steeled herself, her tone tuming venomous. “Oh, it happened. And maybe you should’ve thought about Raina before you dragged me into this.”
Het name sliced through me like a blade. My stomach chunted at the thought of what she would say if she ever found out. Divorce or not, this would destroy any duce the winning her back
“Eliza,” I said, my voice low and dangerous, “you need to promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. No one.
She scotted, casing het as ever her chest “Why should You don’t care about me, so why should I do you any favors?”
“Eliza “My tone was sharper this time, and I stalked toward her, closing the distance between us “Promise me.”
She flinched slightly but held her ground. After a tense moment, she sighed, rolling her eyes, “Fine, I won’t say anything. But don’t think for a second that 11 forget this, Alex. You used in, and that’s not something I’ll let go of easily.”
I nodded curtly, not trusting myself to respond. Grabbing a shim from the chair in the comer,
c, I pulled it on and left the room without another word.
Downstairs in the hotel’s food lounge, I found my mother and Vanessa sitting at a small table, sipping their morning coffee. The smell of breakfast filled the air, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of eating.
Vanessa looked up an approached, a sly smile spreading across her face. “Rough night?” she asked, fur tone dripping with amusement.
I ignored her, pouring mself a cup of coffee and downing half of it in one go. The bittemess matched the turmoil in my chest.
Trading back to New York,” announced, setting the cup down with a clatter
My mother frowned. “Already? Why the rush?”
“Because I can’t stay her,” I said through gritted teeth. “Are you coming with me or not?”
vanessa smirked. “I think I’ll stay at longer. Eliza and I have plans to go shopping.”
Her words sent a fresh
wave of nausea through me, but I didn’t respond. Instead, I grabbed my things and lett, leaving the two of them behind.
The drive back to New York was a blur. My lead throbbed with a dull ache, and my thoughts were a chaotic mess. I couldn’t shake the memory of Eliza’s smug smile or the wright of her accusation
By the time I arrived, I was too pestless to go home.
Work
seemed like the only viable distraction, so headed straight to my office,
The hours passed slowly, the monotony of paperwork doing little to quiet my mind. But as the sun dipped below the horizon, I couldn’t ignore the growing sense ofase gnawing at me
What if Eliza old someone? What iftain found out?
The thought was unhe table.
I grabbed my coat and left, needing a change of scenery. As i drove alimlessly through the city, a familiar car caught my eye.
Nathan’s
1 pulled over, watching as he parked outside a small restaurant My heart skipped a beat as a was Raina. But then
stepped out of the passenger seat. For a moment, I thought it
her face–different, undamillar.
Nathan followed close behind, his hand resting comfotably her waist as the
as they entered the restaurant.
Questions flooded my mind. Who was she? Did Raina know about this?
Caosity got the better of me, and I waited. An hour later, they emerged, and a snapped a few photos from my car. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
As I drove home that night, a plan began to take shape in my mind. If Mathan was hiding something, I would find it. And when I did, Raina would have no choice but to see him for what be truly was
This wasn’t one. Not by a long shot
ALEXANDER
I arrived at the office early, hoping the demands of the day would drown out the chaos in my mind. Restless sleep had left me raw, my thoughts an endless loop of regret and frustration. Today, I needed focus–something to anchor me before I spiraled any further.
As I stepped into my office, my eyes were immediately drawn to an envelope resting on my desk. Its stark presence sent a chill through me. Frowning, I grabbed it, dropped heavily into my chair, and tore it open, beading myself for what might be inside.
Court orders
My breath caught as my pulse quickened. I scanned the document, each word hitting me like a physical blow: Raina team. Alexander Sullivan–Petition for Sale
I leaned back in my chair, the paper trembling in my hands, sole custody? She wasn’t even giving me time to adjust to the fact that we were just divorced, and now
just to the fact th she wanted to take Liam too? My son. My blood
The ache in my chest deepened, a sharp pang of betrayal and loss intertwining, Raina had already takes much–And now she wanted to strip away the one thing i
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself. My gaze dropped back to the document, and the date at the bottom offered the slightest reprieve; two months. At least I had time. Time to strategize, prépare, and most importantly–time to dig deeper into Nathan. If I could uncover his true motives and show Raina the man she thought she loved wasn’t who he pretended to be, maybe I could stop her from taking Lam. Maybe I could comince her to see reason
A sharp knock on my door shattered my thoughts.
“come in,” I barked, my voice harsher than intended.
The door creaked open, and my assistant stepped inside cautiously, her expression tight. “Some people from the Grahams are here to see you, sir.”
The Grahams? For a split second, hope flickered in my chest. Raina?
I shot to my feet, straightening my the as i moved toward the door. But when I stepped out into the hall, my heart sank
It wasn’t her.
Dominic stood there, flanked by another man. His imposing presence, combined with his usual unreadable expression, only served to heighten my frustration.
No Ra
Disappointment mingled with the bitterness I already felt. Without thinking, I blurted, “Where’s Raina?”
Dominic’s sharp gaze locked onto mine, his lips curling into a faint smirk, one laced with disdain. “You should focus on business, not your ex–wife,” he said flatly, histone cutting. The word ex landed like a slap.
The reminder stung, not because I’d forgotten, but because it was a fresh wound that refused to heal.
Suppressing the urge to snap back, Istraightened my shoulders and gestured toward my office. “Tine, “1 said curtly. “Why are you here?
Dominic stepped past ine without a word, his movements deliberate and controlled. I followed her inside, my irritation bubbling beneath the surface as he handed mafolder
flipped it open, my eyes scanning the contents. The further I prad, the tighter my jaw clenched.
“There’s a problem with the Vince project,” Dominic began, his voice sharp but calm. “After checking with my team last night and this moming, it’s clear the mistake is on yourend.”
Igritted my teeth as I looked over the data. He wasn’t wrong. Someone on my team had seciously messed up. If I didn’t fix this quickly, I could lose the project–or worse, be lucked out entirely.
“I handleit, “Taid through clenched teeth.
Dominic nodded and turned to leave, but I wasn’t ready to let him go just yet
“Wait,” I called out, making him pause mid–step.
Heturned back, his face unreadable as usual.
need to talk to you about something important,” I said carefully. “It involves Raina.”
in “this is another attempt to står up
Dominic’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something–annoyance, perhaps–passing over his otherwise stoic expression. drama-
raised my hands in mock surrender, cutting him off. “Calm down. It’s not what you think I just want to ask you something.”
He didn’t move, but the tension in his posture told me he was already bracing for a tight.
“How well do you know Nathan Lasked, my tone measured.
Dominic’s jaw tightened. If this is some jealous conversation—
.25 Bonus
“It’s not,” interrupted firmly, “post listen. I’ve done some digging on Nathan, and what I found is… Interesting. Did you lotow he was in the same orphanage as you and Raina?”
Dominic’s expression didn’t change, but his
is silence spoke volumes.
“And,” I continued, leaning against the edge of the table, “he also went to the same college as us. Did you know that?”
Again, silence
Twatched Dominic carefully, noting his silence as the weight of my words settled over him. For a moment, he didn’t say a word, his expression unreadable. Finally, he broke his silence.
“Is that all?” he asked, his tone guarded
Tallowed melt a small, knowing smirk 1 knew Dominic well enough to recognize the wheels huming in his head. He was going to look into it, just as I hoped he would. Like me, Domine cared about Raina, and that meant he wouldn’t ignore what I’d just told him.
“No.” I replied casually, leaning back slightly. “But since you’re resourceful, let you do your own investigations. Once you’ve found something, we’ll talk”
Dominic’s jaw tightened, but he gave a custod
“In the meantime,” 1 added, my tone dropping slightly, “keep an eye on him.”
Without another word, Dominic turned ready to walk away, his posture tense as he was about to leave the room. I felt a small sense of satisfaction. Whether he admitted it or not, Dominic was now on alert, and that was exactly what I needed,
As Dominic was leaving, Diza walked in, and instantly, my day took a nosedive. Just seeing her face was enough to sour my mood further, her presence like nails on achalkboard.
What an
are you doing here?” I demanded sharply, my imitation plain.
Instead of answering me, she tumed to Dominic with an overly sweet smile. “What’s he doing here?” she asked, her voice laced with fake cunosity.
I couldn’t help the bitter thought that crossed my mind. That smile of hers–it was the land gold diggers reserved for people with money. She always had that manipulative charm, and seeing it reminded me just how different she was from Baina Raina’s smiles had always been genuine, warm. Not calculated. Dominic didn’t bother answering her, walking past without even acknowledging her question. His silence spoke volumes, and I was grateful for it She turned her attention back to me. “We need to talk,” she said, her tone far too self–assured.
About what?” I asked, crossing my arms
“There are rules we need to follow,” she said smugly.
“Rules?” I repeated, already regretting letting her in
Eliza folded her arms, her eyes gleaming with misplaced confidence. “First things first,” she began, “I want to go ahead with the wedding plans, 1 already picked our adress before, so all we need to do now is finalize the guest list and work on the invites
I stared at her, dumbfounded. “You’ve lost your damn mind,” I said flatly.
Her smille faltered slightly, but she recovered quickly. “No, Alex. You’ll see this is the right move. You and me, W
“sane. That’s what you are,” 1 sapped, cutting her off. “Let me make this crystal clear–I will never many you. Not in this lifetime of the next.
Her jaw dropped, but I didn’t give her a chance to recover. Reaching I
for my phone, I pressed the button for security.
Within minutes, two guards arrived. “Escort her out,” ordered coldly, pointing to Eliza.
She sputtered indignantly, but the guards didn’t hesitate. They gently but fimly led her out of my office
As the door closed behind her, I slumped back in my chair and exhaled heavily, rubbing my temples. Finally, some peace. For now.
My phone buzzed, and my heart skipped a bear when i waina’s name on the screm
She texted me.
Kaina: I want to see Liam.
Thesitated, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. This was my chance to bargain, to get her to drop the restraining order.
Me: Drop the restraining order, and you can see him anytime.
stared at the screen, my heart pounding as I waited for her reply. Minates stretched into what felt like bars.
Finally, her response came through
But if you act like a stalker again, I’m putting it backup.
Texhaled deeply, a small smirk tonning on my lips.
Sheage.
This wasn’t ever, though. Not by a long shot.
Nathan might have won this round, but I wasn’t giving up. Not on Raina. Not on Liam
