hurt you. She worried about you all the time, but we were so deep in this. I loved her… more than you can ever imagine.”
“And now, Alex?”
“Love like that doesn’t just disappear—” My voice faded.
Samantha walked into the room, interrupting our conversation. She must have known we were having a moment, and she looked annoyed that Adriana wasn’t screaming at me. As I made my way onto the balcony, Adriana walked beside me, holding onto my body. Before we stepped outside, she hugged me tight, much to the bemusement of my father.
“Have faith, big brother. The right place and the right time, she’ll be yours again,” she whispered.
I wasn’t sure I believed that fate would play a part in us being together again one day, but I did know this—my obligation to be a father to this unborn child had to be my number one priority.
And for now—I had to let Charlotte go.
LEX
Present
It is Saturday morning, and I wake up with the hangover from hell.
It’s been a long time since I last drank myself into a stupor with a bunch of men, though Rocky’s masculinity was questioned several times in those ridiculously tight jeans of his.
Thankfully, I wake up alone and not with a stripper from last night’s shenanigans. Our meeting with the Berkshire Group is organized for seven o’clock tonight. It’s the only time Gerald Huffman and his team can swing a time to meet. It doesn’t bother me working on a Saturday night since I’m not twenty-one anymore, and my life doesn’t revolve around club-hopping.
No, just strip clubs, apparently.
Kate agrees to meet me at the restaurant at six forty-five on the dot. This will give us fifteen minutes to work over our strategy, and I’m confident Gerald will sign the contracts tonight.
In a fleeting moment, the business savvy side of me kicks in. To say I’ve been distracted and off my game of late is an understatement, but with my confidence pieced back together, I’m certain tonight will work in my favor.
Unfortunately, in my pathetic state, I forgot to shave my beard. Thank my lucky stars the hotel has managed to have my suit dry cleaned and pressed at the last minute since it I’d completely forgotten about it.
“Good evening, Mr. Edwards,” Kate greets.
Kate is standing in the restaurant lobby, armed with manila folders and her usual corporate attire. After much consideration, I decided to give her a raise. Once tonight is over, I plan to sit down and have a discussion regarding her performance. The obvious blaring point is I have screwed up multiple times over the past few weeks, and Kate has always picked up where I fell short.
“I’m glad you could make it. No wild parties to attend tonight?”
“No, sir.” She chuckles as if remembering something funny. “I believe we partied to our full capacity last night.”
The restaurant is busy with waiters scurrying about carrying exotic dishes, the aromas enticing me. It makes me realize how much I have missed food. Yeah, I have barely eaten the past week. What’s fucking new, I think. Johnny Walker and Jack Daniels have become my companions of late. I make my way to the concierge as Kate follows.
“Reservation under Edwards.”
We follow the head waiter to our table. The noise is a little overbearing, just your typical Saturday clientele. I pull my phone out, checking my messages as I follow him through the crowd, lifting my head for a moment as the image catches my eye and halts me on the spot.
Kate is also checking her phone, running straight into the back of me. “I’m so sorry, sir. I was checking my mess…” her voice trails off.
Charlotte sits there, her body leaning into him. Unable to move, my eyes are drawn to her like magnets.
Her face looks slightly different, perhaps tired. There’s no smile, no spark in her eyes, no glow to her skin, and she appears gaunt. The light inside her has gone out.
Frozen on the spot, I stare, my name being called but sounding so distant. The bastard leans in further, gently reaching for her hand and entwining his fingers with hers. He cups her chin, and she smiles slightly prompting him to lean in further to steal what is mine.
I don’t know how I move, but suddenly, I’m standing in front of them. Charlotte glances up, her mouth falling open in shock until her expression swiftly turns to anger. The dark circles around her eyes and the prominence of her cheekbones worry me. If this has