Mag-log inAlexander stepped forward until he was directly in front of her.Close enough that she could see the frustration burning behind his eyes.Close enough to notice the tension in his jaw.Close enough to feel the heat radiating from him despite the cool night air around them.And unlike before.This time Amelia didn’t step back.She stood her ground.Watching him calmly.Alexander bent slightly, lowering himself closer to her height so he could look directly into her face.“Because you’re just angry at me.”His voice was quieter now.But somehow heavier.“Because I didn’t tell you about Victoria.”He straightened slightly.“Because you had to see our engagement.”His eyes stayed locked onto hers.“Because the ring I gave her was the one you wanted.”For a second, Amelia simply stared at him.Not heartbroken.Not emotional.Just stunned.Because somehow.Even after all these years.Alexander still didn’t understand.He still thought the biggest wound had been the ring.The engagement.Vic
“Yes,” Amelia answered quietly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”The words came out steadier than she expected.Even her own heartbeat seemed shocked by how calm she sounded.Breathing slowly in and out, she looked at him more seriously this time.“I came to this gala for one thing only,” she continued. “To have this talk with you.”For a second, Alexander simply stared at her.Like his brain refused to process what she had just said.Then suddenly, he scoffed.A sharp sound.Disbelieving.His hand slipped from his pocket and rested on his waist as frustration visibly settled into his posture.“Why?” he asked bitterly. “Because of him?”Amelia already knew who he meant before he even continued.“Daniel or whatever.”The irritation in his tone when he said Daniel’s name almost made her sigh.“You think you’re over me because of him?”Amelia looked at him for a few seconds without answering immediately.Then slowly, she turned away from him.The cool night breeze swept softly across th
“What about us?”Amelia asked the question softly, but there was no hesitation behind it this time.No nervousness.No uncertainty.And after a brief pause, she added honestly,“I also wanted to talk to you.”The moment the words left her lips, Alexander smiled.Not just smiled.He looked relieved.Almost hopeful.Like a man who had just heard exactly what he wanted to hear.“I knew it,” he murmured.Amelia tilted her head slightly.“You knew what?”Alexander shook his head lightly, the faint smile still lingering on his face.“Oh, nothing.”But Amelia noticed it.That sudden shift in his mood.That excitement in his expression.And honestly?It confused her.Because she couldn’t understand why he looked so happy all of a sudden.Then again.She quickly realized she didn’t really want to know either.Whatever version of this conversation existed in Alexander’s head clearly wasn’t the same one happening in hers.“Why don’t you go ahead first,” he said. “Mine might take a while.”The so
Throughout the entire interaction with Alexander and Victoria, Amelia had remained calm.Suspiciously calm.So calm that even she was beginning to surprise herself.Because honestly?A few weeks ago, seeing Alexander again would have shattered whatever composure she tried to maintain.Back then, just hearing his voice would have been enough to reopen wounds she spent years trying to stitch shut.But tonight.Tonight felt different.From the very moment she saw him and Victoria walking toward her across the hall…To standing before them…To greeting them politely while ignoring the intensity of Alexander’s stare…She handled it all carefully.Deliberately.Almost like she had rehearsed this moment secretly in her head before tonight ever arrived.And maybe she had.Maybe somewhere deep down, she had been preparing for this confrontation from the second he reentered her life.Every word.Every reaction.Every breath.Controlled.Measured.Safe.Even when his eyes burned into her like th
Standing in front of Amelia did absolutely nothing to relieve the irritation burning inside Alexander.If anything.It made it worse.Much worse. Because during the entire walk over, he had imagined this moment differently.He expected hesitation.Expected tension.Expected Amelia to at least create some distance between herself and Daniel the moment he approached.Maybe step away slightly.Maybe look nervous.Maybe give some indication that his presence still affected her the way hers affected him.But instead.She stood there calmly.Beautifully composed.And offered him nothing more than simple courtesy.“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley.”Her voice was polite.Professional.Controlled.Like she was speaking to business associates and nothing more.Alexander’s jaw tightened subtly.“Thank you for your invitation,” she continued smoothly. “Your company’s gala is very much wonderful, with so many good food and activities.”For a moment, Alexander almost forgot to respond.Because
Alexander’s eyes drifted back toward the couple across the room again.Toward Amelia.Toward him.And instantly, the irritation he had been trying to suppress returned full force.Because no matter how much he tried to focus on the gala, on the guests, on business.His attention always found her again.Like it belonged there.Like it refused to stay away.His jaw tightened subtly as he replayed the earlier moment on the dance floor in his head.Amelia had seen him.He knew she had.In the middle of the dance, she had turned.And their eyes met.For those few seconds, the entire room disappeared.At least for him.But the problem was.He couldn’t read her expression.That was what bothered him most.There had been no softness there.No obvious anger either.Just… something distant.Something guarded.She had stared at him for only a few moments before turning away again.Back to Daniel.Back to smiling.Back to dancing like he didn’t matter.And then.As if to make it worse.She had wr







