ALEX.

I sat on the edge of my bed, a row of neatly arranged ties spread out before me, yet none of them seemed right. My fingers hovered over them absentmindedly, my mind clearly elsewhere. I wasn’t really thinking about work, or appearances, or even the meeting I had scheduled for today.

All I could think about...was her.

Ella.

A slow breath left my lips as I leaned back slightly, my gaze unfocused. Memories crept in without permission, playing vividly in my head like they had been waiting for this exact moment.

The images of her waking up early, always before me. Moving quietly around the room, careful not to disturb my sleep, yet still making sure everything I needed was perfectly in place. My clothes laid out. My tie selected. Breakfast ready.

Everything.

Back then, I had always felt...irritated.

At least, that was what I told myself.

I would watch her sometimes, moving around with that quiet determination, and I would mask whatever I felt with a small, practiced smile. A pretentious one. One that said just enough without actually meaning anything.

Or so I thought.

Now, sitting here, staring at these ties like they were some impossible puzzle, I couldn’t even tell anymore.

Was I really pretending back then?

Or was I just too blind to understand what I had?

My jaw tightened at the thought, and then another image forced its way into my mind.

Ella, with the triplets. The mere thought sent a cold shiver down my spine, my fingers curling into fists against my knees.

No.

I shook my head slightly, as if trying to physically rid myself of the image.

"Come on, Alex...get it together," I muttered under my breath, my voice low but strained.

I leaned forward again and finally reached out, picking up a red tie. I stared at it for a moment, gripping it tighter than necessary.

"We are definitely going to bring her back," I told myself, my tone firm, almost like I was trying to convince something deep inside me that refused to listen. "Everything will go back to normal."

The words hung in the air but they didn’t feel as solid as they used to, not anymore because deep down, I knew something had changed.

A few days ago, I had tried and I had reached out desperately. I had sent her messages, more than I was willing to admit, pleading, explaining, trying to fix what I had broken.

And what did I get in return?

Nothing.

She blocked me.

Just like that.

I let out a humorless chuckle, shaking my head slightly.

How do I even reach her now?

The thought alone frustrated me. I couldn’t exactly walk into the Ironclad Group just to see her. That would be reckless...and humiliating.

Yet, the idea of doing nothing felt even worse. I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.

Philip’s words echoed faintly in my mind, she was working there now. As their assistant.

The irony of it all made my chest tighten.

I remembered it clearly.

The day she had stood before me, hopeful, almost excited, asking if she could work for me. She had wanted to be part of my company, to stand beside me, to contribute.

And what did I do?

I turned her down.

Without a second thought.

Without even considering how much it meant to her.

My grip on the tie tightened until the fabric wrinkled in my hand.

"Damn it!" I yelled suddenly, the frustration boiling over as I threw the red tie across the room.

It landed somewhere on the floor, forgotten just like everything else I had taken for granted.

The door to my room creaked open, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I didn’t even need to turn to know who it was.

Eva.

She stepped in with that familiar smile plastered on her face, the kind that used to feel warm but now only made something twist uncomfortably inside me.

"My love!" she called out sweetly as she walked toward me, her voice laced with affection. "You hardly come to the other room now. Did I do something?" she asked, raising her brows slightly as she leaned closer to me.

And geez...It took every ounce of restraint in me not to shove her away right then and there.

But I couldn’t.

I still had a role to play—the loving husband. The man who cared. The man who hadn’t already drifted miles away from her.

"No, baby," I replied, forcing the words out, even though they felt strange... almost foreign in my mouth. "I’ve just had a lot of workload. I didn’t want to disturb you," I added, keeping my tone as steady as I could.

"Really?" Eva asked, her eyes searching mine as if trying to find something hidden beneath my response.

I simply nodded, hoping that would be enough. Honestly, I didn’t want to continue the conversation. The longer I stayed in this moment, the harder it became to keep up the act.

But before I could say anything else, before I could even think of an excuse to end this...everything shifted suddenly and without warning.

She pushed me backward.

My body hit the bed as she climbed on top of me in one swift motion, her hands pressing against me as she leaned down, capturing my lips in a kiss.

For a split second, I froze.

And then, my wolf reacted violently.

A sharp surge of anger and irritation flooded through me, so intense it almost made my vision blur.

"I only want Nyx!"

The voice echoed loudly in my head, raw and uncontrollable, refusing to be silenced.

And before I could stop myself, before logic could catch up with instinct...I pushed her too hard.

Eva was thrown off me instantly, her body hitting the wall with a dull, sickening impact.

Everything went still.

"My baby!" she cried out, her voice filled with pain and panic.

The words hit me like a slap.

My chest tightened instantly, and all the anger that had clouded my mind vanished, replaced by something far worse...fear...guilt.

That child...

It was still mine.

No matter everything else, no matter how twisted things had become, that fact didn’t change.

And I had made a promise.

A promise to Ella.

That we would raise it together.

My breath hitched as realization crashed down on me all at once.

Oh no...

What have I done?