scent of the garden. The door clicked softly behind me, and I froze for a moment, expecting quiet. But instead, my eyes caught Alexander.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, one leg tucked under the other, completely absorbed in his phone. A slight smile curved his lips, and the subtle tilt of his head suggested he was on a video call. I could see the earpiece glinting against his ear, and though I couldn’t hear the other side, it was obvious from the
little laughs and nods that the conversation was entertaining.
I paused, taking it in. Alexander wasn’t the type to chatter casually. He was usually measured, reserved, calculating even with people he liked. And here he was, relaxed, laughing softly at something I couldn’t
hear.
A small flicker of… something passed through me. It wasn’t jealousy, not exactly. I knew he wasn’t doing it
on purpose. But it stung a bit.
I shifted my weight, letting my eyes trace the room as I moved past him, toward the closet. The soft click of the door shutting behind me was deliberate. I had come in to change, to shed the sweat and heat of being outside, and Alexander’s call was a distraction I didn’t need. I busied myself with the familiar motions, focusing on the feel of my robe and the warmth of the bathroom water I would soon step into.
Was he seeing someone else because he said I was distant lately? No.
I stopped mid–step, watching him for a moment. His attention was fully elsewhere, and the small sting returned. The realization that he had been fully engaged in this conversation, smiling and reacting, while I had been standing right there, made me pause. It wasn’t discomfort, exactly, just an odd awareness of the life he carried outside my immediate presence.
I crossed my arms loosely, leaning slightly against the doorframe, pretending to adjust my robe while observing him. Alexander hadn’t noticed me yet, and I allowed myself a small, quiet amusement at the situation. He looked… different. Softer. Less guarded. That he could be this relaxed, even playful with someone else, was rare enough to make my chest tighten with a subtle mix of curiosity and that fleeting
sting.
I let my eyes wander over his posture. The way he leaned slightly forward, one elbow resting lightly on his knee, fingers moving over the phone with precision. The tilt of his head when he smiled, that faint crease at the corner of his eyes, the subtle hum of his quiet laughter–it was not a side of him I often saw. And
yet, it was undeniably him.
Alexander’s laughter softened again, and I felt the tiny spark of awareness flare once more. I reminded myself quickly that he wasn’t doing it to tease me, that I was imagining more than was there, I adjusted my robe again and moved closer, just enough to get a better view of the screen’s glow on his face. The
< Chapter 319
+25 Points
faint sound of the voice came through the earpiece, light, teasing, almost intimate in its casualness.
He chuckled, shaking his head slightly, and I felt the sting sharpen for a moment. Not jealousy, not exactly.
Or maybe it was.
I waited just a few seconds longer, letting his laughter drift in the air between us, before I decided to ignore it entirely. With a soft, practiced motion, I moved past him toward the bathroom, letting the door
click shut behind me.
Minutes later, emerging from the bath, I wrapped the bathrobe snugly around me and stepped back into the bedroom. The air was cooler, faintly scented with the lingering aroma of soap and the warm, dry heat
of the room. And there he was, still on the call. He hadn’t paused. He hadn’t even looked up.
Then, he laughed softly again, the sound low and teasing, and I caught the words just enough to make my pulse quicken ever so slightly: “Tempting. I can actually check my schedule.”
ALEXANDER
I was halfway through telling Irene she was being dramatic when I sensed the shift in the room.
I hadn’t paid much attention earlier when Faye came in from outside. I registered her presence the way I register most things–automatically, without turning my head. The door opened, then closed. Soft footsteps. The faint scent of soap later when she must have come out of the bath.
Irene held up two dresses to the camera again, frustration written all over her face. “You’re not even looking properly,” she accused.
“I am,” I replied dryly, adjusting the phone slightly. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, one leg tucked
under the other, elbow resting loosely against my knee. “You’ve shown me both options at least five times.
”
“Because you refuse to give me a definitive answer.”
A small smile tugged at my mouth. I shook my head faintly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Faye crossed the room without saying anything. She didn’t look at me. She didn’t speak. She simply reached for the pillow near my thigh and pulled it–hard.
The mattress shifted slightly from the force of it. The pillow scraped across the sheet instead of lifting smoothly.
I paused for half a second and glanced at her.
Her jaw was tight. Shoulders stiff beneath the bathrobe. She didn’t meet my eyes.
I frowned slightly but dismissed it almost immediately. Maybe she was irritated about something else. The house. The pack. Something unrelated to me. Faye wasn’t fragile; if she had something to say, she usually said it.
< Chapter 319
I returned my attention to the screen.
Irene lifted the dresses again, stepping back so I could see them fully. “the silver,” she insisted. “It’s
elegant. The blue one is too loud, right?”
+25 Points2
I studied both carefully this time. The lighting in her room wasn’t great, but even through the screen, the
difference was clear.
“No,” I said calmly. “I prefer the blue one. It looks better on you.”
She beamed instantly, holding the blue dress against herself in victory. “I knew it.”
Behind me, there was another sharp movement.
This time it wasn’t subtle.
The duvet was yanked from beneath my hand with enough force that it dragged across my lap before
disappearing completely. Cool air hit my legs. The bed shifted again.
I turned fully now.
Faye had the pillow tucked tightly under her arm and the duvet gathered in her other hand. Not neatly
folded. Not casually carried. Gripped.
Her movements weren’t careless. They were deliberate. Controlled aggression.
I blinked at her.
“Faye?” I said, pulling the earpiece slightly away from my ear.
She didn’t answer. She walked toward the door.
That got my full attention.
“Where are you going?” I asked, genuinely confused.
She stopped at the doorway but didn’t turn around immediately. Her back was rigid.
“To give you privacy, of course.”
Privacy?
The word didn’t register properly at first. I stared at her, then instinctively looked down at my phone. Irene was still on the screen, adjusting the dress strap, completely unaware of the tension unfolding here.
And then it clicked.
The laughter. The comment about the dress looking better on her. The fact that Faye couldn’t hear Irene’s voice because of the earpiece.
Faye thought-
I straightened immediately. “Faye, it’s not-”
3/4
< Chapter 319
She turned sharply, eyes flashing, and cut me off rudely.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
