Chapter Forty

Alice's POV

As Liam drove us home, I sat in the passenger seat lost in thought. I couldn't shake off the feeling of seeing him again.

It had been a while since I saw him - Jackson, the man who was once obsessed with me.

He was a member of a rival mafia family, and we had a brief relationship before he disappeared without a trace.

I had thought about him occasionally over the years, wondering where he had gone and what he was up to.

But seeing him at the ball tonight was unexpected, and I couldn't help but wonder why he had resurfaced after so long.

As we drove in silence, I couldn't help but replay the encounter in my head. He had looked just as handsome as ever, with his piercing blue eyes and dark hair.

But there was something different about him, something that made him seem more dangerous than I remembered.

"Is everything okay, Bessa?" Liam's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to him, momentarily surprised that he had noticed my distraction. "Yes, everything's fine," I r