Chapter 2

Emily had no idea how long she'd been sitting there in the dark, motionless and numb.

It felt as if her tears had silently dried up, leaving her completely empty inside.

After sending his friends off, Alexander returned to the room and found Emily sitting on the bed with the lights off.

He quickly hurried over and crouched down in front of her, the concern on his face anything but fake.

"Emmy, why are you still awake? Didn't I tell you you didn't have to wait up tonight?" he asked softly.

Alexander had always been considerate toward Emily for six whole years.

Back then, Emily thought she was just lucky to have him.

But now, she saw it all for what it was. Alexander was just great at putting on a show.

Emily turned her head away, feeling disgusted even at the thought of looking at him.

"It's nothing. I just can't sleep," she said flatly.

Alexander paused and then softly cupped Emily's cheek.

"Why can't you sleep? Are you feeling upset?" he asked gently.

What used to be a simple, comforting touch now made Emily shudder with disgust.

It made her skin crawl.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped.

Emily yanked herself free on reflex, and before she realized it, her palm smacked hard across Alexander's cheek.

Alexander's head whipped to the side, and his face changed in an instant. His eyes went chillingly dark, a look Emily had never seen on him before.

Emily's other hand gripped the sheets so tight that her knuckles were white. Six years of acting... Was he finally about to show his true colors tonight?

But Alexander didn't break.

He just smiled softly, turned, and gently took the hand that had slapped him. He brought it to his lips and blew on it like she was a little kid who'd gotten hurt. Then, looking all worried and tender, he spoke up.

"Did you hurt your hand?"

Emily just stared at him, stunned. "What?"

For a moment, it felt like the whole thing had just been a hallucination.

Alexander took her hand and pressed it against the cheek she'd just slapped, as if nothing was wrong.

"It's all on me, Emmy. I got caught up talking with those idiots and ended up ignoring the person I care about most," he said, sounding all soft and apologetic.

"I deserve it. If it'll make you happy, Emmy, go ahead and slap me a few more times," Alexander said, sounding almost playful.

Emily felt like her heart had been torn wide open, the pain so sharp she could barely breathe. How could Alexander, a big-shot CEO, be such a master at pretending? Every single day they spent together, he was secretly plotting to ruin her.

And yet, right in front of her, he was acting like he was head over heels for her.

Her throat felt clogged, sour, and suffocating. She couldn't get a word out. Just then, her phone rang.

Without a second thought, she hit answer.

But the person on the other end was the last person Emily wanted to face right now.

Sophie's voice cracked with tears.

"Emmy, I just got into a car accident on Harbor Avenue on my way home. I can't handle it alone. Can you... can you come help me?" Sophie sobbed.

Emily's nails dug deep into her palms. She didn't have many friends, and Sophie was the one she respected and trusted most. If this were before, hearing Sophie was in trouble, Emily would have dropped everything and rushed to her side without hesitation.

But now...

Seeing Alexander standing by her side, having quickly changed, Emily twisted the corner of her mouth.

"Sorry, Sophie, I'm already in bed. You'll have to find someone else to handle this," she said flatly.

Alexander instinctively parted his lips to speak, but Emily cut him off by hanging up.

Usually so composed and in control—the same man who had just silently taken her slap—Alexander rarely showed even a hint of losing his composure, but after Emily hung up on Sophie, a flicker of unease crossed his face.

"Why did you hang up? Sophie's all alone. How's she supposed to handle a car accident by herself?" Alexander asked, his voice edged with concern.

Emily lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Why do you care about Sophie that much?" she said flatly, her tone unreadable.

Alexander stalled for a moment under her gaze and then forced a tight smile, looking uneasy.

"Emmy, Sophie's your friend. I just think it'd be wrong to ignore her if she's in trouble," he said, trying to sound casual.

Emily replied coolly, "She's just my senior from college. We're not even that close, and besides..."

"You changed pretty fast," she added.

For a split second, Alexander almost thought Emily had seen right through his feelings for Sophie, but he quickly brushed the thought aside.

Alexander knew Emily's personality best. She'd rather break than bend. If she'd really caught on to how he felt about Sophie, she would have already caused a scene demanding they break up long ago.

Alexander quickly explained, "I thought you were going to help Sophie, and I didn't want you going out alone in the middle of the night, so I hurried to get changed."

With that, Alexander pulled Emily into his arms again, his tone firm and possessive.

"Stop overthinking it. You know the one I love most will always be you," he said.

*****

That night, they still shared the same bed, but the intimacy they once had was gone.

Emily lay quietly, feeling Alexander tossing and turning beside her. It wasn't until three in the morning that he silently slipped out of bed, got dressed, grabbed his car keys, and left.

Tears fell uncontrollably down Emily's cheeks, despite her efforts to hold them back.

She forced a bitter, self-deprecating smile as all those details she'd once ignored now replayed like a film in her mind.

Whenever the three of them went out to eat, Alexander, who would always put her first, would be the first to pull out Sophie's chair. Without even glancing at the menu, he could list off a long string of dishes, all of which happened to be Sophie's favorites.

Once, while she and Sophie were co-hosting a show, the stage suddenly gave way. Emily's leg was crushed and broken, but Sophie was cradled safely in Alexander's arms, completely unharmed.

Emily had never despised herself more for being so utterly blind.

When the month finally passed, she was determined to cut all ties with him.

But against all reason, she still found herself getting into her car and following him...