Chapter 401

The truth was, Victoria had a point.

This endless drama was beyond exhausting.

Evelyn believed her chapter with Dominic Reeves had closed, yet he kept reappearing in her life like a stubborn stain.

Work-related interactions were understandable, but this? Summoning the police had been a temporary fix at best.

With no serious charges, he'd pay a fine and walk free by sunset.

Then what? Would he show up again tomorrow?

"Something troubling you?"

Alexander's arms encircled her from behind. He'd been engrossed in a novel but noticed her drowning the same philodendron for ten straight minutes.

The poor plant's soil had become a miniature swamp.

"Hmm?"

Evelyn blinked, finally registering the overflowing planter. "Oh!"

She moved toward another pot, but Alexander confiscated the watering can. "Let's spare the greenery, shall we?"

Empty-handed, she pursed her lips. "Think I'm a menace?"

Alexander's silence spoke volumes.

Since when did emotions require permission slips?

"If you're determined to wreak havoc," he murmured against her knuckles, "wreck me instead."

The line was so unexpectedly poetic that laughter bubbled from Evelyn's throat.

Meeting his gaze, she ventured, "Maybe we should go public."

His fingers stilled around hers. "About us?"

Leading her indoors, he seated her on the sectional and fetched a linen towel. Each finger received meticulous attention as he dried them.

Despite constant exposure to lab chemicals, her hands remained porcelain-smooth—a genetic lottery win.

"I..."

Words tangled on her tongue.

"Related to today's balloon spectacle at Phoenix?" he guessed, dabbing between her fingers.

Evelyn's eyes flickered in surprise, then resignation. Of course he knew. Phoenix Labs fell under Celestia Group's umbrella, and that stunt had practically required a parade permit.

"I thought I'd drawn the line in neon," she sighed. "What's his endgame?"

"Simple." Alexander shrugged. "Ask him."

"You wouldn't mind?"

Dominic was her ex. Alexander knew every sordid detail.

The towel stilled. "Do you still want him?"

No accusation colored his tone—just calm curiosity.

Evelyn's head shook so vigorously her ponytail whipped her cheeks.

Absolutely not. After his betrayal and the smear campaign? She'd need a prefrontal lobotomy to reconsider.

"Exactly." Alexander's smile was a slow sunrise. "No lingering feelings means you're just meeting a nuisance to set boundaries. Why would I care?"

His thumb traced her wedding band—a silent reminder of where her loyalties lay.