Alexander didn’t answer.
He crossed the office in seconds, seized the chair positioned in front of the desk, and whipped it aside with a harsh jerk. The legs scraped loudly against the floor before it toppled near the wall. He planted both hands on the desk and leaned forward, shoulders rigid, breathing shallow and controlled.
Magnus’s irritation faltered.
His gaze dropped to Alexander’s hands—and froze.
They were shaking.
His fingers trembled uncontrollably against the polished surface, tightening and loosening as if his body were betraying him.
Magnus stood up quietly and walked around the desk, stopping beside him. Up close, Alexander looked worse—jaw clenched, eyes burning, tension radiating off him.
“Is this about Mia?” Magnus asked.
“Mia disappeared again,” Alexander said.
His voice was low, stripped bare of emotion, yet it trembled with rage and something dangerously close to panic.
“She quit her job. Her apartment is empty. There’s no sign of her.”
Magnus exhaled slowly. “Did she disappear,” he asked carefully, “to escape from you?”
Alexander’s head snapped toward him instantly. “Even if she disappears to the end of the Earth, I will still find her and dig her out!”
The words tore out of him, sharp and violent. Just the thought of Mia running, of her deliberately slipping beyond his reach, sent another surge of fury crashing through his veins. His entire body looked wound too tight, as if one wrong breath might shatter him. His hands were still trembling, fingers curling and uncurling against the edge of the desk, while his chest rose and fell with shallow, impatient breaths, the tension inside him heavy and suffocating.
At that moment, his phone rang.
The sound cut through the thick air like a blade.
Alexander’s gaze dropped instantly to the screen. Allen’s name flashed across it. He immediately swiped to answer and brought the phone to his ear.
“What happened?” he demanded. “Did you find her?”
“Mr. Graves, we’ve completed all the investigations,” Allen said quickly, the urgency clear in his voice. “It’s confirmed that Mrs. Graves cleared out her old apartment and moved her belongings elsewhere. But she hasn’t left the city. There’s no travel record—no flights, no exits. She’s still here. She’s just relocated.”
Alexander’s jaw clenched.
“Find out where she is,” he ordered.
The shaking in his hands eased only slightly, his fingers tightening into fists. But the restlessness never left. It lingered in his rigid posture, in the sharp gleam of impatience burning in his eyes.
He ended the call without another word.
Magnus had been watching him the entire time. He stepped closer and placed a hand on Alexander’s shoulder, giving it a firm pat.
“Now that you know she’s still here, you need to calm the fuck down,” Magnus said. “Look at you—losing your mind just because she disappeared for a few hours.”
Alexander didn’t look at him.
“Why did she quit her job?” he muttered, his voice low and harsh, as if the question scraped his throat on the way out.
Magnus leaned back against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. He spoke carefully, thoughtfully. “Maybe she didn’t like working there,” he said. “Or maybe she’s preparing for the upcoming divorce.”
The instant the words left his mouth, Magnus realized his mistake.
“Fuck,” he hissed under his breath, eyes clenching tight for a brief moment.
