Chapter 8: A storm unleashed

Morning came like a slap.

I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t. My body was exhausted, but my mind ran wild images of Brenton's face in the crowd, Alexander's coldness on the balcony, and the bitter taste of disappointment still sharp on my tongue.

I dragged myself out of bed and into the en-suite bathroom. The mirror didn’t lie dark circles, pale skin, eyes too wide with unrest.

This wasn’t the woman I used to be. I didn’t recognize the reflection anymore.

I took a long, cold shower. Dressed in silence. And by the time I stepped into the hallway, Alexander was already seated at the dining table, reading the financial section of the paper like nothing happened.

Like I hadn’t nearly broken down the night before.

“Coffee’s on the left,” he said without looking up.

That was it. No ‘Good morning.’ No ‘Are you okay?’ Just instructions. Like I was staff.

I ignored the coffee and stood by the windows, arms crossed.

“We need to talk,” I said.

“You always say that when you want something,” he replied c