2026-04-20 18:14:33The service cart rolled forward. Alexander lowered his head slightly, maintaining the posture of a waiter as he pushed past the crowd. The clinking of glasses, polite laughter, and flattering voices filled the luxurious banquet hall.
Golden chandeliers cast warm light over the guests, creating an elegant atmosphere. Yet beneath the surface, tension brewed, and then the cart bumped into Nah Virel.
The impact wasn’t hard, but enough to draw attention. Before Nah could react, Aurelia spoke first. “Careful with that.”
Her voice was soft, gentle, yet firm enough to carry authority. “If you bump into someone, it won’t end well for anyone.”
Her tone sounded like a reprimand, but there was no hostility in it, only quiet control. Alexander froze slightly. Even now, she still sounded like she was protecting him.
Nah glanced at Alexander and gave a faint smile. “It’s fine. He didn’t mean it.”
Then, as if noticing something, Nah looked again. His brows lifted slightly. “Alexander?”
The name cut through the surrounding chatter. Alexander slowly lifted his gaze. Their eyes met. For a moment, the noise of the banquet hall seemed to fade. They had attended the same university.
But they had never been close. Alexander knew Nah only through rumors. Back then, Aurelia had chased Nah relentlessly. Everyone knew she had followed him, waited outside classrooms, brought him drinks.
Then Nah suddenly left the country, and almost overnight, everything changed. Soon after, Aurelia began pursuing Alexander. Some classmates joked privately that Alexander was just a substitute.
That Aurelia confessed only because Nah was gone, Alexander never believed it. Because Aurelia’s care for him had been too sincere, she brought breakfast, left snacks on his desk, and waited for him after class. No one had ever treated him that patiently, not even his parents.
Those memories still lingered. Now, standing here, everything felt ironic. Hearing his name, Aurelia froze. Her gaze lifted slowly. Recognition flashed in her eyes. “Alexander?”
Surprise flickered across her face. Then something more complicated followed. Her voice softened instinctively. “Why are you here?”
Her tone sounded almost playful. “Shouldn’t you be at home?”
Then her eyes dropped to his uniform. She paused. Her brows tightened slightly. “If you need money, just tell me,” she said quickly.
“I’ll give it to you. Why take a part-time job like this?”
Her voice lowered. “If my parents see you, it’ll only make things worse.”
As she spoke, she gently nudged him toward the exit, urging him to leave. Alexander blinked. He had come here filled with anger, but her sudden concern caught him off guard. For a moment, he forgot why he came.
Then the memory surfaced: the empty house, the untouched dinner. “I thought you were working late,” he said quietly.
“Why are you here?”
Her expression stiffened instantly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her tone sharpened. “I said I’m working. Can’t I work at a hotel?”
Alexander’s voice hardened. “Even if you are…”
His gaze shifted toward Nah. “Do you have to be all over him like that?”
He looked directly at her. “Is he your husband or am I?”
Silence fell briefly. The moment Nah was mentioned, something changed in her eyes. The warmth vanished. Irritation replaced it, “I’ve already explained,” she said coldly. “We’re colleagues. Stop making it into something else.”
A flicker of anger rose in Alexander. “You were practically in his arms just now.”
His voice grew sharper. “If there’d been a bed nearby, would that count as work too?”
The words slipped out before he could stop himself. Aurelia’s eyes widened slightly; she had never seen him like this.
In his two years of marriage, he had always been calm, gentle, and never once raised his voice. Her brows tightened. “We’re colleagues,” she repeated.
“We went out for drinks because of work, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”
She turned to leave, and Alexander stepped forward, blocking her path. “What kind of work requires this?”
He pointed subtly, their hands, their closeness. Her expression shifted. She quickly pulled her hand away from Nah, but she didn’t explain. Instead, her tone grew colder. “Alexander.”
The hall went cold and silent. She continued, “I’ll say this one last time: go home and take care of the house.”
Her words were flat. “I don’t owe you any explanation.”
A pause. “We’re just colleagues.”
The words that landed on Alexander’s chest tightened. Then suddenly, a loud crash. A towering champagne display tilted, time seemed to slow, and the structure toppled directly toward Aurelia. Nah reacted instantly by stepping back.
Alexander moved forward without hesitation and pulled her into his arms. Glass shattered. The display slammed into him. Fragments scraped across his arm. Pain shot through his right arm. Warm blood soaked through his sleeve.
Alexander didn’t move; he shielded her completely, and the noise settled. Nah hurried forward, but stumbled, twisting his ankle. Aurelia pushed Alexander aside. Without hesitation, she rushed toward Nah. “Are you okay?”
Concern filled her voice. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“I’m fine,” Nah said gently.
“You should check on your husband first.”
“His shirt’s soaked in blood.”
Aurelia barely glanced back. “He’ll be fine.”
Her voice was casual. “He can handle it.”
Alexander stood still, blood dripping slowly, then she helped Nah. Grabbed her keys and walked away, without looking back. Alexander remained standing Alone In the middle of the shattered glass.
The banquet hall buzzed quietly again, but for Alexander, everything had changed.
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Chapter 10 — The Night He Walked Away
Alexander walked into the bedroom quietly. The room that once felt warm and familiar now felt distant and unfamiliar, as though the warmth that once filled it had quietly disappeared. A faint chill lingered in the air, making the spacious room feel emptier than before.He walked toward the wardrobe and opened it slowly. Inside, most of the clothes belonged to Aurelia. Elegant dresses hung neatly in rows, alongside tailored business suits, luxury handbags, and carefully arranged shoes. Everything reflected her success and refined taste.When Alexander reached for his own things, however, he paused; there weren’t many.He slowly pulled out a few shirts, two casual jackets, one pair of trousers, a watch, and a simple wallet. He placed them into the suitcase one by one, his movements calm and unhurried.When he finished, he stared at the suitcase quietly. It wasn’t even half full.A faint, self-mocking smile appeared on his lips; the sight felt almost ridiculous in this huge room, his bel
Chapter 9 — Three Years, and an Ending
Perhaps it was true that joy could brighten one’s spirit; the brief moment of helping someone earlier had lightened the weight in Alexander’s chest, even if only slightly.As he walked along the quiet roadside, the afternoon sun gradually softened, turning golden as evening approached.For the first time in a long while, Alexander felt calm. It was not peace, but it was a rare calmness that allowed his thoughts to settle instead of constantly churning.The pressure that had been suffocating him these past few days seemed to loosen little by little; his thoughts slowly drifted toward the future, toward decisions he had been avoiding, and toward something that now felt inevitable."Divorce." The word formed quietly in his mind.For nearly three years, he had given up everything for Aurelia—his career, his independence, and his ambitions.Three years ago, when Aurelia’s company had just started, he had stood beside her through everything, they had invested together, made decisions togeth
Chapter 8 — The Man Who Was Forgotten
The café door closed behind Alexander, and the sounds of conversation, laughter, and clinking cups gradually faded as he stepped onto the street.The sunlight outside felt harsh compared to the warm lighting inside, forcing him to narrow his eyes slightly. He paused for a moment, standing quietly on the sidewalk as the cool breeze brushed past him.Only then did he realize something: he had come here in Aurelia’s car. Now, he had no ride back.He could call a taxi, but after everything that had just happened, he suddenly didn’t feel like waiting. The thought of sitting quietly in a confined space with his thoughts only made his chest feel heavier.So instead, he began walking slowly, one step at a time.The café was located in the business district, not far from Aurelia’s company, glass office buildings lined both sides of the street, their reflective surfaces catching the afternoon sun and casting shimmering light across the sidewalks.People hurried past him in suits, many with phon
Chapter 7 — The Apology That Never Came
The store manager personally led Alexander and the others down a quiet corridor. As they moved farther away, the noise of the café gradually faded behind them, replaced by a calm and insulated atmosphere.The hallway was elegantly decorated, with soft lighting reflecting off polished marble floors. Each step produced a faint echo, subtly emphasizing the contrast between this secluded space and the bustling dining area outside.Finally, they stopped before a discreet wooden door. The manager pushed it open respectfully and gestured inward. “Distinguished guests, please.”They stepped inside. The room was modest in size but exquisitely designed. Warm lighting cast a gentle glow across soft leather sofas arranged around a low wooden table, creating a private and intimate atmosphere that felt completely separate from the rest of the café.Aurelia’s best friend looked around curiously, her eyes widening with surprise. “After coming here so many times,” she said, clearly impressed, “this is
Chapter 6 — The Black Card
Alexander’s words fell quietly into the air, yet they carried an unmistakable weight. “And who said that I need help?”Nah Virel’s hand froze mid-motion, his phone still held halfway to his ear for a brief moment, his expression stiffened, and a faint trace of embarrassment flashed across his face before he quickly tried to compose himself.Aurelia frowned slightly, while her best friend blinked in surprise; neither of them had expected Alexander to speak so directly.In their eyes, he had always been gentle and accommodating, someone who rarely contradicted others, especially in public. Yet today, something about him felt different, as though the quiet man they thought they knew had suddenly revealed another side.Alexander slowly withdrew his hand and reached into his shirt pocket. His movements were calm and unhurried, as if the surrounding tension had nothing to do with him. He casually pulled out a card and handed it to the waitress.The waitress accepted it automatically, but th
Chapter 5 — The Seat That Was Never His
Alexander lay on the soft bed, staring quietly at the ceiling. The faint light of dawn slowly filtered through the curtains, painting pale streaks across the quiet bedroom. The house remained still and undisturbed, as though nothing had changed overnight.But inside Alexander, everything had changed.He had not slept at all, not even for a minute. It was the first time in his life that he had stayed awake the entire night. Strangely, his body did not feel tired. Instead, his mind felt unusually clear, as if the sleepless night had stripped away the last traces of hesitation in his heart.Because of his past experiences and harsh training, he had come to view pain not as suffering, but as a test of endurance he was meant to overcome.Alexander slowly sat up; the injuries from yesterday had mostly healed, leaving only faint bloodstains on his shirt. The torn fabric still marked the spot where the champagne rack had struck him. He glanced at his arm and found that not even a scar remain
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