Chapter 4

By the time the gathering was over, Alexander was pale as a sheet. He leaned against the wall to steady himself, his fingertips digging deep into his palms. He was barely able to stay upright.

As Louise stood at the bar counter settling the bill, she couldn't help but glance at his swaying figure. The server had to prompt her three times before she snapped back to reality and signed off on the receipt.

She told Alexander to help Charles outside while she went to get the car. Alexander nodded, helping a slightly tipsy Charles up and leading him out.

To their surprise, as they passed by the artificial lake, Charles purposely slipped and plunged straight into the water.

"Ah!"

When Louise heard his scream, she rushed over and arrived just in time to see him falling in.

Her gaze turned icy as she lunged forward and grabbed Alexander by the shirt. "Do you have a death wish, Alexander? How dare you push him?"

The force of her grip sent Alexander stumbling. His soaked shirt clung to his body, the cold biting into his skin.

He stared into her furious eyes and shook his head weakly. "I didn't…"

"I saw it with my own two eyes! How dare you lie to me?" Louise's grip tightened, and she didn't feel a shred of pity when she saw his brows furrow in pain. "Since you're so fond of hurting others, I'll give you a taste of your own medicine!"

Before she even finished speaking, she shoved him into the lake without a moment's hesitation.

There was a loud splash as the frigid water instantly engulfed Alexander.

He was already cold all over, as he was still recovering badly from surgery. Now, the pain was making him curl up, his vision blacking out in waves.

Louise watched him coldly as she gave her bodyguards an order. "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him come back up."

The water in the lake was cold to the bone, and Alexander's consciousness began to fade. The last thing he saw was Louise walking away with Charles.

…

When Alexander regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a bed in a guest room at the Lawrence residence.

Louise was sitting at the bedside, an unlit cigarette between her fingers. Her deep, dark eyes swirled with an indecipherable emotion.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd just had surgery?" she asked.

Alexander managed a weak smile. "Would you have let me off the hook if I did?"

The atmosphere grew tense.

Louise's grip tightened, crushing the cigarette in her hands and causing bits of tobacco to flutter to the floor.

She stood up, looming over him. "Why do you keep hurting Charles?"

"I didn't," Alexander replied icily. "He jumped in all on his own."

"Alexander!" Louise snapped. "Charles isn't that kind of person!"

Alexander did not bother explaining himself any further. He simply watched her in silence, knowing that she would never believe him.

Louise took a deep breath before pulling a gold-embossed file out of her bag and tossing it onto the bed.

"This is your chance to make amends. Charles' birthday party is coming up, and you'll be in charge of the preparations. All of his likes and dislikes are listed in that file. Don't make any mistakes," she stated.

Alexander opened up the file with trembling fingers. The meticulous, detailed notes on Charles' preferences brought back memories of a time when someone else had cared enough to make note of everything about Alexander himself.

Isabelle always knew exactly how he liked his coffee, and she remembered the color of every shirt he owned.

Seeing him lost in thought, Louise frowned. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes," he muttered softly. "You must really love him."

Alexander slowly got out of bed to start making preparations for the party. However, as he reached for his coat, his phone slipped out of his pocket.

When the screen lit up, Louise's eyes went wide. Alexander's lock screen was a picture of him being held tenderly in the embrace of a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Louise herself, and she was looking at him as if he was the most precious thing in the world.