Chapter 432

"I didn't say a word!" Alexander huffed, his chin tilted in that infuriatingly arrogant way he had.

Evelyn sighed, massaging her temples. "Even with the birthday gift ready, I still don't know how to get it to him." Just thinking about it made her head throb.

"Aren't you going back?" Alexander asked, studying her. From her tone, it didn't sound like she planned to deliver it personally.

She shook her head, another sigh escaping her lips. "I hadn't considered that option."

"Why not?" He paused, then pressed further. "Is there someone there you're avoiding? Or something else? What about your parents?"

Alexander had never heard Evelyn speak of her family. When he'd investigated her background, there'd been no records—she'd erased herself completely.

"They're gone," she said evenly. "A plane crash took them both." The clinical way she said it unsettled him. How could she speak of such tragedy without flinching?

Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. "That's behind you now. You have me."

She melted against him, her voice muffled against his chest. "You're right. I do."

Sometimes Evelyn wondered why she'd fallen for him so fast—why she trusted him implicitly when she'd never trusted anyone before. Was it the unshakable safety he gave her? The way his presence quieted the chaos in her mind?

She hadn't felt this anchored in years, not even during her time with the Hawthornes.

"If you don't want to go, I'll have someone deliver it," Alexander murmured. "But if you'd rather go and just need support... I'll be right beside you."

Evelyn jerked back to stare at him.

He chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His gaze was impossibly soft, dissolving her tension with just a look.

"The Kensingtons and Hawthornes have always been allies," he explained. "I'd send a gift for Reginald's birthday regardless. Though I never expected..."

He squeezed her hand. "Point is—if you're not ready, our gifts can arrive together. That announces us as a couple neatly enough. But if you want to face them? I'll be your shield."

His fingers tightened around hers. "Wherever you go, Evelyn, I'm with you."

Suddenly, nothing seemed frightening. She leaned up, brushing her lips against his cheek. "I don't deserve you."

"That's not nearly enough," Alexander growled, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.

Across town, Dominic finally exhaled.

Evelyn had stayed silent all day. Online sentiment was shifting, return rates stabilizing. His rebranding of the failed product as "Eternal Legacy" was gaining traction ahead of next week's relaunch.

It seemed fate demanded he salvage this mess alone.

Not that he'd slept much trying.