Chapter 17

Alexander Hale

Alexander stood in the doorway of his bedroom watching Vivian get ready for bed. She was at her vanity removing her makeup slowly

“You coming to bed?” he asked.

“In a minute.”

He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. The silk of her robe was cool under his palm. She didn’t lean into his touch. Didn’t acknowledge it at all.

“Vivian.”

“I’m tired, Alexander.”

“I know. I just thought we could…”

“I’ve been working all day. Back to back calls. Emails. Reports. I’m exhausted.” She set down the cotton pad and met his eyes in the mirror. “Can we not do this tonight?”

“Do what?”

“This. Whatever you’re trying to start. I’m too tired.”

Alexander dropped his hand. “I wasn’t trying to start anything. I just wanted…”

“I know what you wanted. And I’m telling you I’m not in the mood.” She turned back to the mirror. “Please. I just want to sleep.”

Alexander stepped back. “Right. Of course.”

He left the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Stood in the hallway for a moment listening to nothing. Then he walked downstairs.

His study was dark. He didn’t bother with the lights. Just went to the bar and poured himself two fingers of whiskey. Sat in his chair and stared at the window where his reflection stared back.

His phone rang.

Gerald. His lawyer. Calling at almost eleven at night.

Alexander answered. “It’s late.”

“I know. But you need to hear this now.” Gerald’s voice was tight and stressed. “An investigator contacted me today. Said he wants to reopen the case.”

Alexander’s grip tightened on his glass. “What case?”

“You know what case.”

“That case was closed ten years ago. The council cleared me.”

“Legally yes. But this guy isn’t with the council. He’s private. Someone hired him to dig around.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know yet. But he’s serious, Alex. He’s been asking questions. Talking to people who were there. Pulling old medical records. He wants to build something.”

“There’s nothing to build. It was an accident. The investigation concluded it was an accident.”

“I know that. You know that. But this guy thinks there’s more to it. He’s not going to let it go easily.”

Alexander downed half his drink. “Make it go away.”

“I’m trying but…”

“I don’t care what it costs. Pay him off. Threaten him. File an injunction. I don’t care. Just make it disappear.”

“Alex, it’s not that simple…”

“Yes it is. I’ve built a life here, Gerald. A career. A reputation. I’m not letting some investigator with a conspiracy theory destroy everything because he thinks he found something new.” Alexander’s voice went cold. “That night was ruled an accident by people far more qualified than whoever this guy is. It’s done. It’s been done for ten years. Make sure it stays that way.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“Do more than that. That’s what I pay you for.”

Alexander ended the call and threw his phone onto the desk.

He sat there in the dark. Drained the rest of his whiskey and poured another.

Ten years. It had been ten years and it still followed him. Still haunted him. Still threatened to tear apart everything he’d rebuilt.

He’d thought moving here would be enough. Thought starting over in a new city with new people would let him leave it behind.

But the past didn’t stay buried. It never did. Alexander was reaching for the bottle again when he heard the front door open.

He stopped. Set down his glass. Looked at the clock on his desk.

11:47 PM.

He stood and walked to the entryway. Elena was closing the door as quietly as possible. She turned and froze when she saw him standing there.

“Dr. Hale” Her voice was startled. “I didn’t think you’d still be up.”

“Where were you?”

“Out. With a friend.”

“What friend?”

“Just someone from school.”

Alexander studied her. Her hair was windblown. Her cheeks still had color in them like she’d been laughing. Her clothes weren’t disheveled but there was something different about the way she was holding herself. Looser and happier.

“It’s almost midnight, Elena.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I should have texted.”

“Yes. You should have.”

Elena shifted her weight. “I didn’t think you’d be awake. You’re usually in bed by now.”

“I had work to do.”

“Right.”

They stood there looking at each other. Alexander knew he should let her go upstairs. Should say goodnight and walk away. But something kept him rooted in place.

“Were you with a boy?” The question came out before he could stop it.

Elena’s cheeks went pink. “Yeah. We went to dinner.”

The tightness in his chest got worse. “Who?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re living under my roof. Because I’m responsible for you. Because your father asked me to keep you safe and that includes knowing who you’re spending time with.”

“I’m twenty years old, Dr. Alex. I don’t need permission to go on a date.”

“I didn’t say you needed permission.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Alexander didn’t know. Didn’t know why his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. Didn’t know why the thought of her sitting across from some boy made him want to put his fist through a wall.

“Just be careful,” he said. “Boys your age. They don’t always have good intentions.”

“He was respectful. We had dinner. He drove me home. That’s it.”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

Elena crossed her arms. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“I’m not telling you what to do. I’m giving you advice.”

“It doesn’t sound like advice. It sounds like you’re trying to control who I see.”

Alexander opened his mouth. Closed it. He didn’t have an answer that made sense. Didn’t have an answer that wouldn’t reveal things he couldn’t say.

“I’m trying to look out for you,” he said finally.

“I don’t need you to look out for me. Not like this. Not when it comes to who I spend time with.”

“Elena…”

“I like him, okay? He’s nice to me. He makes me feel normal. And I’m not going to stop seeing him just because you have some weird protective thing going on.”

The words hit harder than they should have. Alexander’s jaw tightened.

“Fine,” he said. “Do what you want. But if anything happens. If he does anything that makes you uncomfortable. You tell me.”

They stared at each other. Elena’s expression was stubborn. Defiant. She wasn’t backing down.

And Alexander realized he had no right to push this. No right to question who she was with or what she was doing. She wasn’t his. Wasn’t his responsibility beyond keeping her physically safe. Who she dated was none of his business.

But it felt like his business. And that was the problem.

“Goodnight,” Elena said. She turned and headed for the stairs.

Alexander watched her go. Watched until she reached the top and disappeared down the hall toward her room.

He heard her door close. Only then did he move. He went back to his study. Sat in his chair. Stared at the glass of whiskey he’d left on his desk.

She’d been with a boy. Some kid her age who’d taken her to dinner. Who’d made her smile. Alexander picked up his glass and drained it. He had no right to care. She was Miguel’s daughter. A girl twenty years younger than him. A girl he was supposed to protect. Nothing more.

But when she’d stood there talking about this boy. About liking him. About him making her feel normal. Something in Alexander’s chest had twisted so hard he could barely breathe.

He poured another drink.

This was dangerous. He knew it was dangerous. Knew he was crossing lines in his head that he had no business crossing.

But when Elena had looked at him with those bright defiant eyes all he’d wanted was to tell her not to see that boy again. To tell her that whoever he was, he wasn’t good enough for her. To pull her close and…

Alexander stopped himself. He couldn’t think like that. Wouldn’t think like that.

She was twenty. He was forty-seven. She was his best friend’s daughter. She was living in his house because she needed protection not because she wanted to be here.

And he was married.

Alexander looked at his empty glass. At his reflection in the window. At the wedding ring on his finger that felt heavier than it should.

Vivian didn’t want him anymore. Hadn’t wanted him in years. They lived separate lives under the same roof. Went through the motions when they had to. But there was nothing left between them except obligation and habit.

Still. He was married. And Elena was off limits for more reasons than he could count. He needed to get control of this. Needed to stop whatever was happening in his head before it went any further.

But even as he told himself that, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the way she’d looked standing in his entryway with her windblown hair and pink cheeks. About the way she’d smiled when she talked about that boy. About the fact that he wanted to be the one making her smile like that.