Chapter 13

The assailant slowly raised his eyes. The moment he recognized the man gripping his collar, all the boldness vanished from his expression.

His eyes widened, and he took half a step backward, even though the hand holding him wouldn't allow him to retreat any farther.

"Mr. Alexander?!"

Alexander remained silent, his eyes fixed on him with terrifying coldness.

His expression was calm, but his grip on the man's collar was enough to reveal the anger he made no effort to conceal.

He leaned closer and spoke in a low voice.

"You're lucky this is Daniel's party."

The man swallowed hard and tried to free his shirt from Alexander's grasp.

"I... I didn't mean to—"

Alexander cut him off with a sharp look.

"I don't want to hear your excuses."

He shoved the man away. The man stumbled backward several steps as some of the guests hurried to remove him from the area.

As for Elena, she remained where she was, as though she still hadn't fully grasped what had happened.

She stared at Alexander in silence.

That face she'd tried not to think about over the past few days.

The man she'd left behind.

Her husband.

Her breath caught for a moment.

"Alexander..."

His name escaped her lips in a faint whisper.

Alexander raised his eyes to her.

For a moment, their gazes met, and everything around them seemed to disappear.

The music faded into silence. The guests' voices and whispers seemed to vanish as well.

Alexander saw only the woman he'd been searching for ever since realizing he'd lost her.

As for Elena, she didn't know what to say.

Alexander took a step toward her.

Then he stopped.

He wanted to approach her, hold her in his arms, and ask her about everything. But he realized that things between them were no longer the way they used to be.

So he simply reached out and gently took her wrist.

Elena hesitated for a moment, but she didn't pull away.

Alexander held her wrist and led her away from the gathering of guests, ignoring the gazes that followed them.

---

A few minutes earlier—

Alexander had been standing on the other side of the ballroom, away from the crowd's attention.

From the moment Elena had entered, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her.

He'd watched her walking beside Sophia and seen her small smile as she spoke to her.

He observed her from a distance without approaching.

He didn't want to frighten her or make her feel as though he were following her.

But he couldn't stop himself from watching her.

When she moved away from Sophia and headed toward the bar, his eyes continued to follow her.

Then he noticed the man approaching her.

At first, he didn't move.

He assumed it was nothing more than a casual conversation.

But when he saw the man move closer, Alexander's expression changed.

His fingers tightened as he watched every movement with an unwavering gaze.

The moment the man reached toward Elena's waist, Alexander moved immediately.

He didn't wait another second.

He pushed his way through the guests and reached her just as the man tried to grab her again.

Then came the punch.

After that, Alexander could think of nothing but getting the man away from her.

---

Present

Alexander opened the balcony door, and Elena stepped outside ahead of him.

The night air was colder than the ballroom, while the garden lights reflected off the glass surrounding them.

Alexander released her wrist immediately.

Elena turned toward him, frowning.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Alexander didn't answer right away.

He stood before her for a few moments, his eyes resting on her face as though he were trying to comprehend the fact that she was standing in front of him now, after all the days he'd spent searching for an opportunity to see her.

He lowered his gaze slightly, then took a deep breath.

"Are you all right?"

Elena paused for a moment.

She hadn't expected that question.

She glanced at the arm the man had grabbed earlier, then looked back at Alexander.

"I'm fine."

Alexander continued watching her, as though he wasn't convinced by her answer.

"Did he hurt you?"

"I said I'm fine."

Her voice was colder this time.

Alexander nodded slowly, then looked away.

"Good."

Silence settled between them.

Elena waited for him to say something else, but he remained standing before her, as though words had failed him for the first time in his life.

Finally, she raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is that all you wanted to say?"

Alexander lifted his eyes to hers.

The words hovered on the tip of his tongue before finally emerging in a quiet voice.

"No."

He paused for a moment.

"There is so much I want to say."

Elena tightened her fingers around the edge of her dress.

He looked at her for several seconds before speaking again.

"I don't know where to begin."

Elena let out a short, hollow laugh devoid of any amusement.

"Strange."

Alexander frowned. "What?"

She met his gaze steadily.

"You always knew what to say."

Her words struck a sensitive place within him, and he fell silent.

Then he lowered his head for a moment.

"Maybe because I thought I knew everything."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "And now?"

Alexander lifted his eyes to hers again.

"Now I know I was wrong."

Silence fell once more.

This time, Elena couldn't find an immediate response.

Alexander remained standing before her without attempting to move closer.

Then he spoke in a quieter voice.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

She looked at him for a long moment before replying.

"And now you know."

He nodded. "Yes."

He fell silent briefly, then added, "But that wasn't the only reason I brought you here."

Elena's expression changed slightly.

"Then why?"

Alexander looked into her eyes and said, "Because ever since I saw you again... I've been trying to find a way to talk to you without making everything even worse than I've already made it."

Elena remained silent.

For the first time since they'd stood together, Alexander seemed less confident than she'd ever known him to be.

It was as though the man she'd always seen as strong and in control now stood before her, unable to find the right words.

Elena lowered her gaze for a moment, then spoke quietly.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you ruined everything."

Alexander slowly raised his head.

The sentence was short, but it carried everything she hadn't said throughout the time they'd been apart.

And this time, he had nothing to say in his own defense.