Alex was a mystery to me in all ways. Rhodes told me why he donated every last cent he got from the buyout, and he also hinted that something catastrophic happened to Micah’s parents and family. Something that wiped out every generation’s wealth, and that’s why he was now sending every penny he made home.
But Alex...?
Why did he spend every day typing away on his laptop, researching med schools when he had the billions tobuythe medical school of his dreams—let alone get accepted into it? And if he didn’t have the money anymore... what happened to it?
Rhodes and Sue were the ones legally married, and the investment firm was listed as a joint asset, so it was that asset that got raided when she had to pay to settle all of those lawsuits.
Alex was under no such legal obligation to fund Sue’s shit-in-a-jar fraud. He could’ve still helped out, but not to the tune of seven billion dollars. If a judge ordered her to pay back that much, it would’ve made the news and I would’ve heard about it.Everyonewould have heard about it—NDAs or no.
Which meant... it was something else.
Sometime in the last ten years since we met, something happened—or a series of something happened—that resulted in the Titan Prep valedictorian, Columbia grad, and co-founder of GloryBoi having nothing to do between the hours of eight and four besides resenting his wife and working to start his life over.
“I haven’t been someone you can talk to for a long time, have I?”
Alex stopped—just the slightest hitch in his step, and then his grip was firm on me again—his body molded to mine as he dipped me.
“I know it’s too late to sayI’ve changedandeverything’s going to be different nowbut... I’ve changed,” I said softly. “And everything’s going to be different now. For me, for Lily... and for you.”
Our eyes locked—trapping us both in a void of all the things we wanted to say. Ten years of lies and abuse. Ten years of struggle and loneliness. I could see it all in his eyes and for the first time, as his brows softened and his lips closed the distance, I knew... that Alex saw me.
Someone stepped on my wings, almost ripping me out of Alex’s arms.
“Heavens,” Sanders bellowed. “Enough! That is enough!”
I blinked at the small, dangerously red man. I didn’t know he could emit such a booming sound.
“Mrs. Kim, we have a contract,” he bellowed. “You will abide by it, or you’ll change out of that dress—now!”
“All right, all right,” I soothed, letting Alex put me back on my feet. “I apologize, Mr. Sanders, I got carried away. Christie did order a backup dress for me, so I’ll go up now and change.”
“You will?” I thought the man might pass out from the relief. “Thank you, Mrs. Kim, I, uh, I believe that’s for the best. This is a dress for a party, but not a party dress.”
“Well put.” I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face when Alex’s arms fell away from my waist. “I’ll go put on one that is.”
Davis swept his hand, gesturing for me to go first. “I’ll radio for a female officer to help you out of the dress. Until they arrive, I’ll escort you to the door.”
I just nodded, picking up my feet to go.
Alex turned in the other direction.
“Alex, wait—”
He slipped between two gyrating couples, disappearing in the crowd.
I blew out a sharp breath, disappointment tinged with sadness warring in my chest. I didn’t know what my life would look like after I moved out from the manor for good, but I knew I wanted nothing to do with another life that didn’t have Micah, Rhodes, Alex, and Lily in it.
It was like Courtney said. They were my family. The only family I’d have left after Omma leaves me, so of course, I wanted to be on good terms with Alex—even if those terms were only platonic and not romantic.
But how do I get through to him?I thought, ascending the staircase with Sanders at the front and Davis at my back.His walls are up high, and I can’t begin to see the top.
My thoughts twisted and spun as we passed the officer guarding the entrance to the east wing. What’s the right way to get close to someone when you’re pretending to be someone else?
I took Ethics as an elective when I attended Titan Prep, but nothing we discussed in that class could’ve prepared me for this moral quandary.
As promised, a female officer arrived shortly after we reached my bedroom—along with Christie and Elin. I let them in and they changed me out of Sue’s over-the-top, show-off dress and into a sleek, black number wrapped in shimmering tulle.
Taking off the dress meant I also had to give up the tiara, choker, and diamond waterfall earrings. My time as a queen was over, but thankfully, Elin was there to restyle my hair into a classy bun with pearl clips to match my new pearl earrings and necklace. I still looked like a queen getting ready to grace my subjects, and for the first time since the accident, I felt a twinge of regret that Sue wasn’t here for this.
