His voice lowered, turning serious.
“You married a girl. She was supposed to be your wife. Someone youloved.” He paused. “Anyone would get tired after five years. No one waits forever, James.”
James turned his head away, his jaw clenching, anger and hurt settling deep in his expression.
***
Magnus walked briskly through the massive hospital corridor, his long strides echoing sharply against the sterile walls. The sound of his shoes against the polished floor seemed to matchthe impatience radiating off him. His eyes scanned the hallway with a predator’s focus, moving past nurses and visitors alike, until he reached a heavily guarded room.
The moment he stepped inside, he froze for half a heartbeat. Alexander lay sprawled on the bed, a bandage wrapped around his forehead, dark scratches streaking across his arms. His wounds looked raw, painful, and vulnerable—a rare sight for a man usually so composed.
Magnus’s jaw tightened, his face cold and incredulous.
“How the hell did your car flip over?” His voice cut sharply through the quiet, carrying a mix of anger and disbelief.
Alexander’s gaze was fixed on the dark night outside the window. He turned his head toward Magnus. His voice came out calm, almost careless, belying the tension behind his words.
“It’s nothing,” he murmured. “Mia was talking about her ex-husband, and… while driving back home, I just… lost control for a second. Didn’t see the turn. It’s not a big deal.”
Magnus’s eyes narrowed into a hard glare, every muscle in his face taut with frustration. One hand snapped to his belt, fingers digging into his side, while the other flew up to his forehead. He dragged it down his face, the gesture screaming exasperation and disbelief.
“Not a big deal?” His voice cracked with incredulity. “Look at yourself!”
He took a step closer, leaning slightly forward. “You’re lying in agoddamn hospital bed! Unconscious the entire day!” He jabbed a finger toward the bed, emphasizing each word. “How the hell is thatnota big deal?”
Magnus’s chest heaved as he took a shallow breath, eyes blazing. His voice dropped, almost a growl, filled with raw frustration. “Tell me—are you really going to ignore your own life because your ex-wife brought up her ex-husband’s name?”
He shook his head sharply. “Is that really something that makes youthisjealous?”
Alexander closed his eyes, pressing the back of his head deeper into the pillow, refusing to meet Magnus’s glare. “Wait until you fall in love,” he muttered, voice low and detached. “Then talk to me.”
Magnus crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze freezing Alexander in place. “I wouldneverlose my mind like you and Sebastian over a woman! You just need some goddamn presence of mind. It’s not serious! So what if she mentioned her ex? What’s the big deal that makes you crash into a wall while thinking about it?”
Alexander didn’t respond. Silence stretched in the room, broken only by the faint hum of the machines monitoring his vitals.
Magnus exhaled sharply, the breath tearing out of his chest as frustration rolled off him. His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking as he turned away from the bed for half a second, clearly restraining himself from saying something worse.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his fingers punching the screen with unnecessary force. The device vibrated once in his hand as the call connected.
“Mia?”
The single word came out sharp and commanding.
At the sound of her name, Alexander’s eyes snapped open. He sucked in a breath and pushed himself up against the pillows,ignoring the dull pain tearing through his chest. His shoulders tensed, muscles going rigid, his gaze locking onto Magnus.
Magnus stepped closer to the bed, looming beside it as he continued speaking into the phone, his tone cold and decisive.
“Alexander was in a car accident,” he said bluntly. “He lost control and slammed the car straight into a wall.”
Alexander’s fingers curled into the sheets, knuckles whitening as he strained to hear the other end of the call.
“He’s at the hospital right now,” Magnus continued, his voice dropping lower, more dangerous. “Come see him.Immediately.Because if you don’t,” Magnus added, eyes flicking to Alexander before hardening again, “I’ll send my men to kidnap you from wherever you are.”
In the next second—
Alexander’s eyes turned lethal.
He lunged forward despite the pain ripping through his chest, snatching the phone out of Magnus’s hand with a sudden burst of strength.
