Chapter 3

It was just the two of us, me and Alexander. Out of nowhere, he asked, "You into Ronald?"

I shook my head. "I wouldn't dare."

"You were checking him out from head to toe. You really think I didn't notice?" Alexander continued.

The elevator doors dinged open. We'd arrived at Alexander's floor.

Suddenly, he jabbed the close button. He pinned me against the elevator doors.

His strong hand moved up from my waist.

I kept my cool. "Alexander, wasn't one round of breakup sex enough for you? You want another go?"

Alexander froze. He pulled his hand away from me, and while he was at it, grabbed the business card Ronald had given me.

"Damn it, Charlotte, weren't you supposed to be on a blind date? And now you're getting involved with Ronald?" Alexander demanded.

I waved my hand helplessly. "Weren't you the one who messed it up?"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence.

Alexander's face was stormy as he stepped out of the elevator.

It was the middle of the night when I got a call from the hotel's internal line. It was Alexander.

Alexander's voice came through: "Hey Charlotte, bring me a condom."

I clenched my teeth, but there was nothing I could do.

I went downstairs, picked up some ultra-thin ones from the convenience store, and brought them up to him.

Just as I was about to knock, the door swung open.

Alexander stood there, wrapped in a towel, water dripping down his chest and disappearing into the towel.

I handed him the condoms. "One box might not be enough for you, so I got three. Take them home, Alexander. Use them as much as you want."

A woman stepped out from behind him. Her clothes were wrinkled and messy.

The woman swaggered over and boldly kissed him on the cheek.

With one hand, she tucked a business card into his towel. "So, Alex, when am I getting that bag you promised me?"

Alexander slid the card out and gave her a playful smile. "Next time we see each other."

The woman grabbed her coat and walked out in her heels.

Alexander dragged me inside and slammed the door shut. He said coldly, "Charlotte, you took forever. Didn't even get a chance to use them."

I snorted. "Next time, don't call me, Mr. Hayes. If something goes wrong, I don't want it pinned on me."

"You've mellowed out. When we first started dating, you always liked to cause a little trouble," Alexander said.

I replied, "Come on, why bother making a scene? It's not like I can't handle it."

Alexander was always on edge lately, snapping at me for no reason.

At work, he was constantly nitpicking me. Sometimes right in front of everyone, sometimes behind my back.

After work, I hit the bar to blow off some steam.

The new guy singing on stage was hard to miss. A bunch of girls were throwing him sly, flirty glances.

The woman next to me let out a dismissive laugh. "Just some kid. Boring."

I chimed in, "So what kind of guy actually catches your eye?"

She glanced at me, clearly intrigued. "I know you. You're the lawyer who hangs around Alexander."

"Nice to meet you," I answered.

I thought I could relax after work, but here I was still socializing.

The woman said, "You wanna know what kind of guy catches my eye? Guys like Alexander."

My brow twitched.

The woman bought me a shot of something strong. She asked, "Charlotte, you've been around Alexander for ages.

"Haven't you ever wanted to cross the line with him?"

Oh, I'd thought about it all right. We'd slept together more times than I could count.

I kept a straight face. "Mr. Hayes is a good guy. I really respect him."

The woman smiled, picked up her phone, not sure what she was up to.

She said suddenly, "Alexander? He's a standout among playboys, the big shot in the rich kid crowd."

I kept quiet, trying to think of an excuse to slip away.

Just then, a stuffed toy fell right into my lap. Everyone's eyes were suddenly on me.

The singer with those long legs strutted over in my direction. He said, "Congrats to our guest, you've just scored an exclusive perk."

I had no idea what was going on.

The woman next to me said, "The perk's a kiss."

I waved them off, keeping it simple: "Nope."

But the singer still kissed the back of my hand.

After the little show, the woman next to me hooked her arm around my neck. "My cousin's here to pick me up. How about I give you a lift?"

I was about to decline, but she pointed toward a tall figure standing by the door.

The woman added, "By the way, I never introduced myself. I'm Rosa Hayes, Alexander's older cousin."