Chapter 90
ALEXANDER
Tears mixed with anger clawed at my chest, a suffocating knot of emotions I couldn’t untangle. She was gone. I’d lost her.
The courtroom felt like it was closing in on me, and all I could do was stand there, paralyzed by the weight of my failure. How could I win her back now? Was there even a chance lett?
1 felt hands on my arm, gentle but firm. Expecting Vanessa, I turned, but it was Eliza. Of course, it was her.
Her voice, sickeningly sweet, cut through my haze. “You should be happy, Alex. I am. Now that this divorce is over, our wedding can finally happen.” Her words julted me like a slap. My gaze loclood on her, and the memory of Raina’s voice echoed in my head: Eliza tried to hurt Liam the day I was kidnapped. I didn’t need further evidence to believe her. I’d known for a long time what Eliza was capable of
1 yanked my arm out of her grasp, glaring. “And who told you we were ever going to get married?” My voice dripped with disdain
Without waiting for her reply, I tamed on my heel and stored out of the courthouse.
“Alex!” my mother called after me. “Where are you going?”
“Anywhere away from Eliza,” I muttered, slamming my car door shut before speeding off
My mind was racing, my emotions a whirlwind of frustration, regret, and anger. I needed air–space to think, to breathe. The car felt suffocating as gripped the steering wheel tightly and drove aimlessly through the streets. The sun was beginning to dip, painting the city in hues of gold and orange. Most people were heading home to their familles or preparing for the evening, but 1?I was spiraling.
Before I knew it, I pulled into the parking lot of a small bar, its neon sign flickering as if struggling to stay alive. I didn’t care that it was still early in the day. I needed to drown the storm inside me.
The first drink went down too fast.
It burned my throat, but I welcomed the sting. A distraction, however temporary, was better than nothing. By the third drink, my tongue loosened, and found myself muttering under my breath.
“I let her go.. like a fool,” I said, barely aware of who could hear ΠΙΡ
A couple of patrons glanced in my direction, but I didn’t care. The words kept spilling out, half to myself, hall to the bartender who pretended not to listen.
*She doesn’t even see how much I love her, I continued, surring slightly. “More than that stupid Nathan ever could. He thinks he can just swoop in and take her from me? Our family?”
The bartender set another drink in front of me, his expression unreadable. I stared at the amber liquid, the reflection of my tortured face distorted in the glass.
“She’s mine,” I whispered fiercely, gripping the glass. “I want our family whole again. Liam deserves that He deserves to have us together.”
The alcohol wasn’t dulling the ache Like I hoped it would. Instead, it brought every buried emotion to the surface, and soon I wasn’t just muttering–1 was ranting.
*She kissed him,” I said bitterly, the memory searing like a hot iron. “She kissed him, knowing she was still my wife. How could she.” My voice cracked, and I trailed off, shaking my head.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The bar filled with murmurs of other patrons as the day stretched into evening. The sun disappeared completely, leaving me in the dim, flickering light of my poor choices.
When morning came, a pounding in my head greeted me first. My entire body ached like I’d been run over by a truck Groaning, I rubbed my temples, trying to piece together the blurry fragments of the previous night. The bar, the drinks, the regret–it all hit me in flashes, but nothing was clear. I tried to shift, but something or someone was beside me. My stomach dropped.
Then I noticed the smell. Sweet and overwhelming, like cheap perfume clinging to the air.
My stomach twisted as I turned slowly, praying I was wrong
But I wasn’L
Lying next to me, nestled comfortably in the sheets, was Eliza.
Her blonde hair was splayed across the pillow, and her sing smile sent a fresh wave of disgust through me
I turned my head, and my heart stopped Eliza
1/2
“What the bell? 1 screamed, bolting upright and shoving her off the bed.
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landed on the floor with a thud and a shocked gasp. “Alex! What is wrong with you? she shricked, clutching the sheet around her.
“What are you doing in my bed? 1 barked, my voice shaking with disbelief and fury. My gaze darted around the room until it landed on my jacket tossed carelessly on the floor. My head spun, fragments of last night blurring together in an agonizing hate.
Eliza stood up, glaring at me. “Why would you push me like that? You were the one who wanted me here!”
I scoffed, running a hand through my hair in Inestration. “Don’t you dare try to twist this. You took advantage of me, didn’t you?”
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