Chapter 16 The Missing Pages #2
Sawyer stepped closer, his presence suddenly oppressive, his gaze boring straight into Alexander’s. “How do you expect her to stay with you? To fall in love with you—when she can’t even trust that your love won’t disappear once you get bored?”
The words hit harder than any accusation.
“If she leaves your house like that ever again,” Sawyer said quietly, “I’ll take her home with me and make sure she never goes back to you.”
Alexander’s chest tightened violently, his breath catching for a split second. His eyes lifted—grim, steady, and burning with resolve. “If there’s nothing else,” he said, his voice low and strained, “I’ll talk to you later. I want to go back to my wife.”
He didn’t wait for an answer.
He turned and strode upstairs, urgency written into every movement. Sawyer watched him for a moment—then turned and left the house without another word.
Alexander pushed open the bedroom door.
The bed was empty.
His gaze swept the room quickly before landing on the washroom door. Light spilled out from the crack beneath it. He exhaled slowly and waited, forcing himself to be still.
Moments passed.
Then the door opened.
Mia stepped out, fresh from the shower. Her skin glistened softly under the light, damp strands of hair clinging to her neck and shoulders. A towel was wrapped around her torso, barely reaching past her thighs.
She froze when she saw him.
Instinctively, she turned back toward the washroom.
But Alexander moved faster.
His hand closed around her wrist. “Where are you going?”
“To get dressed…” she said quickly, trying to pull away. “I’m not wearing anything!”
She pushed against his chest, but he didn’t let go.
He guided her to the edge of the bed and pressed her down gently. She sat there, confused, eyes wide, her towel clutched instinctively to her chest.
Alexander sank to his knees in front of her.
The movement startled her.
He leaned forward until his chest brushed against her knees, then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. His face pressed against her stomach, his forehead resting there as he breathed her in.
The faint scent of her shower gel filled his senses, and for the first time since seeing those pages, his frantic heartbeat slowed—just barely.
His fingers tightened slightly at her waist. His chest rose and fell heavily, each breath dragging, desperate, as though he’d been starving for air.
Mia sat frozen, unsure, his arms secure around her. Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her hand and placed it at the back of his head, her fingers threading gently into his hair.
Her cheeks warmed.
“Alexander…” she whispered softly, uncertainty laced with concern. “Are you alright?”
He pulled back just enough to look at her.
His hands stayed at her waist.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
The words were quiet. Bare. Raw.
Mia blinked, confusion flickering across her face. “… What are you talking about?”
Alexander’s throat tightened, but he didn’t look away. “I shouldn’t have ignored you when I was angry.”
Her brows knit together slightly, her voice tentative. “I don’t understand…”
He lifted himself slightly on his knees and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Before she could even react, he pressed a careful kiss to her forehead, lingering there for a brief second.
Mia’s fingers tightened instinctively around the towel wrapped around her body. Her heart thundered so loudly in her ears she was sure he could feel it.
She blinked at him, confusion and vulnerability flickering across her face.
In the next moment, Alexander surged to his feet. He dipped toward her in one smooth motion, arms sweeping her up with practiced ease—one braced beneath her knees, the other secure at her back. She barely had time to react before she was against his chest.
She gasped softly, instinctively gripping his shoulders as he carried her to the bed. He laid her down with a care, hovering over her for a second as if making sure she was comfortable before lowering himself over her.
His lips found hers again—this time deeper, warmer, a kiss that held tenderness and longing all at once, as though he was trying to pour everything he couldn’t say into that single moment.
***
Later that evening, Mia slipped out of bed quietly and padded downstairs, her footsteps light against the floor. The low murmur of Alexander’s voice drifted from the living room—he was on the phone.
The moment he noticed her, his words cut off mid-sentence. He ended the call without hesitation and turned toward her, already moving in her direction.
“Come here,” he said softly, extending his hand.
Mia hesitated for half a second before placing her hand in his. He closed his fingers around hers and guided her to the couch, settling her there before leaning down. His thumb brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face, his gaze gentle and attentive.
“Wait here,” he murmured.
Before she could ask anything, he disappeared down the hallway.
When he returned, he was holding a bouquet—delicate baby’s breath woven between pale orchids. He bent slightly as he handed them to her.
Mia accepted the bouquet slowly, her fingers brushing his as she took them. Her eyes widened in surprise, warmth blooming across her face. She rested the flowers in her lap, looking up at him with a soft, unguarded smile.
Alexander’s lips curved into a grin. He leaned closer, tapping his finger lightly against his own lips. “Mrs. Graves,” he said, lowering his voice, “I need a gift too.”
She hesitated for only a moment.
Then Mia leaned forward and pressed her lips to his—light at first, then lingering. When she pulled back, she was smiling without even realizing it.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Mia glanced toward the entrance just as Hazel stepped inside. Alexander pulled away reluctantly, though the satisfied curve of his smile never faded.
***
“So,” Hazel said casually, studying Mia, “you’re going to move back?”
Hazel and Mia sat together in the estate at the back of the house, the swing creaking softly beneath them as the evening light softened the air. Alexander had gone for a run around the estate.
Mia nodded, her gaze drifting toward the house.
“Every time I try to talk about going back to my apartment, he drags me into bed,” she said, half-exasperated, half-helpless.
“And when evening comes, he picks me up from the office and brings me straight here—even when I insist on going back. He won’t let me go at all. ”
Hazel snorted. “What else did you expect?” she said dryly. “Once you’re in his hands, obviously he’s going to trap you. You knew that. The moment you came home with him, there was no chance of escaping.”
Mia exhaled sharply, shoulders slumping. “My stuff is still at my apartment. I’ve paid rent for a whole year,” she muttered. “Maybe I’ll go back to get my things… and then maybe I won’t return.”
But then her mood shifted instantly.
She pointed toward a chair across the garden where a bouquet rested. “He gave me flowers,” she said suddenly, brightening. “See? That one.”
A smile spread across her face before she could stop it.
Hazel glanced at the bouquet, then back at Mia, lifting a brow.
“How fast does your mood change?” she said incredulously. “I seriously can’t keep up with you at all.”
Just then, Alexander came running across the garden and slowed to a stop a short distance away from them.
Sweat clung lightly to his skin, his fitted black T-shirt darkened in places, the thin fabric molding itself shamelessly to every hard line beneath it—broad shoulders stretching the seams, strong arms flexing with each movement, his defined abs unmistakable even through cloth.
A moment later, Allen hurried over, clutching several files to his chest. Alexander barely spared them a glance as he flipped through the pages, nodding occasionally while signing where Allen pointed. His attention seemed divided—half on the documents, half instinctively tethered elsewhere.
Hazel’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
Suddenly, she raised her voice—far louder than necessary.
“Mia, where’s that matching bracelet we got that day?”
Mia blinked, startled, and turned to her. Hazel flicked her eyes briefly toward Alexander.
Right on cue, his head lifted.
His gaze cut across the garden instantly, sharp and alert, locking onto them.
Hazel continued innocently, “You remember—the matching diamond bracelets we bought at the mall a few weeks ago?” She lifted her wrist deliberately, shaking it so the diamonds caught the light. “Where’s yours? Look, I’m still wearing mine.”
Still completely oblivious, Mia glanced down at her wrist and smiled. “Mine’s here too. I wear it all the time.” She lifted her hand proudly, letting the bracelet gleam in the fading sunlight.
Across the garden, Alexander scowled. He looked like he’d just bitten into broken glass.
Hazel had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. She leaned closer, whispering with a wicked smirk, “See? I told you. One mention and he’s already pissed.”
“What are you talking about?” Mia whispered back, genuinely confused.
She followed Hazel’s gaze—and met Alexander’s eyes.
For a split second, his expression was dark.
Then, the moment he realized she was looking at him, his face shifted. The tension eased, his eyes softened, and he gave her a small, deceptively calm smile before turning back to Allen as if nothing had happened.
But then, only a second later, Alexander casually reached down, hooked his fingers into the hem of his T-shirt, and pulled it off in one smooth motion.
He didn’t toss it aside.
Instead, he tucked it lazily into the waistband of his trousers.