Chapter 3
That was when I noticed my eyes were wet with tears.
I quickly wiped my face, trying to steady my hoarse voice. "It's just the food, it's too spicy."
But right after I said it, I realized I'd been so distracted while cooking that there wasn't a single chili in any of the dishes.
Daniel looked at the food, then at me.
He didn't say anything else, just looked down.
He seemed to sense something was off, and his face fell a bit.
After dinner and tidying up, I lay down on my bed.
I drifted in and out of sleep until late at night, when it dawned on me, I'd taken Alex's money and promised to be on call whenever he needed me.
I fumbled for my phone and switched it back on.
My screen was flooded with dozens of missed calls and texts, all from Ryan.
Each one felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
My stomach cramped with pain. I groped my way out of bed in the dark and staggered to the bathroom, retching.
By the end, the metallic scent of blood filled the bathroom, and blood started dripping from my nose too.
My phone kept ringing on the bed outside, but I just collapsed over the sink, utterly exhausted, unable to move for what felt like forever.
When I finally managed to drag myself out of the bathroom and answer the call, Alex's assistant's annoyed voice came through.
"Sent you the address. Mr. Sterling wants you here. Now," he said.
I glanced at my phone. It was 3:40 in the morning. Still, I replied, "Okay."
When I got there, the bar's private room was loud, chaotic, and crowded.
Alex was clearly wasted.
His hand was trembling as he held his glass, eyes locked on Eva across from him. "Come on, don't leave me hanging."
The guy sitting next to Eva looked enough like Alex to be his brother, had to be Charles Sterling, his half-brother.
Charles was barely holding back his anger. "Alex, don't go too far.
"You keep calling her name, but everyone knows what filthy thoughts you have about her."
Alex's face turned dark. He sprang to his feet, snatched up a bottle, and aimed it right at Charles.
"Say that again, who's got the filthy thoughts, huh?" Alex shot back.
I was planning to just hang back by the door and wait until they needed me.
Then, out of nowhere, I spotted someone standing behind Alex, and I just froze.
It was Ryan.
I'd always known Ryan worked as a bodyguard.
But I never expected that, of all people, his boss would actually be Alex Sterling.
He noticed me almost immediately.
When our eyes met, I saw pure shock in his gaze, and in the next second, his eyes filled with tears.
*****
Ryan probably had a million questions for me, but he was on the clock and couldn't just walk away.
He stood there, his eyes glued to me, but his mind was clearly somewhere else.
Alex snatched up a bottle, ready to smash it over Charles's head.
Charles wasn't about to back down, he jumped up, grabbed a bottle, and looked like he was about to throw down.
But Ryan was still staring at me.
His eyes were stunned and desperate.
He had no idea why I was here, and his gaze was practically begging me to leave.
He was always laser-focused, but now he was lost in thought for a long moment, all because of me.
If Alex really did something and got hurt, Ryan, as his bodyguard, would be the one to take the blame.
With my heart pounding, I braced myself and walked straight into the thick of the tension.
I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling. "Don't fight."
One of the spoiled rich kids snickered, "Well, look who it is, Alex's latest plaything."
Whenever Alex got angry, he'd go completely unhinged.
I barely had time to say a word before a sudden, sharp pain slammed into my head.
Alex brought the bottle crashing down on my head.
His eyes were bloodshot with rage. "What the hell does this have to do with you?"
Ryan couldn't hold back anymore. His expression changed drastically as he rushed over to me. "Lily!"
Blood streamed down from my head into my eyes, and everything went dark. A sharp ringing filled my ears.
Ryan grabbed my shoulders, his voice shaking. "I told you to leave."
The room erupted in whistles and jeers, with some of the rich kids making a scene.
"What's up, Alex? Your ex turned into your brother's wife, and now your new girl is hanging out with your bodyguard?" one of them shouted.
Alex was the Sterling family's bastard son.
Even though he was running Sterling Enterprises now, there were still plenty of people in their circles who looked down on him.
Alex's face was as dark as a thundercloud as he shot me a sideways glare.
He shouted for me, but it was obvious he couldn't remember my name.
After a long pause, he finally barked at me like I was some stray dog. "You, get over here."
Ryan's face twisted with pain. "Mr. Sterling, she's hurt, she needs a hospital."
Alex was barely holding it together. "I'm telling you, get her over here."
Everyone was watching, and the room erupted in jeers and whistles.
I shook off Ryan's grip and walked straight over.
Alex, clearly impatient, grabbed me when I was just a few steps away and pulled me down next to him.
Blood kept dripping from my head, making my face sticky and wet. My vision was so blurry I could barely see anything.