"Oh, he wanted to get back with ."
"What?"
Celeste felt Alexander’s anger radiating off him in waves, his expression darkening like a storm cloud ready to break.
"Don’t tell you actually said yes to him," he growled, his voice dangerously low.
Celeste shrugged, feigning indifference. This was the final step. The last push. She had to make him realize what—or rather, who—he truly wanted.
"Well, isn’t that the whole reason we got together in the first place?" she mused, tilting her head slightly, watching his reaction carefully.
Alexander’s fury stilled. His brows knitted together, and for the first ti, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face.
"Don’t tell you forgot?" Celeste let out a soft, amused huff, as if she were reminding him of sothing trivial. "We agreed to be together because I wanted Ethan back, and you wanted Riley back. Well, mission accomplished. Congratulations to us, because Ethan just asked to be part of my life again. I’m sure Riley is devastated by the news, but hey . . ." She flashed him a sweet, insincere smile. "Nothing works better on a vulnerable woman than a well-tid reunion, right?"
She could see the mont it hit him—like watching a controlled explosion behind his eyes.
Anger.
Confusion.
Hurt.
More confusion.
Then jealousy.
His face contorted through so many emotions in re seconds that Celeste almost wanted to snap a picture. The ever-calm, composed Alexander Vale, completely thrown off his ga. It was a rare sight, and she enjoyed every second of it.
"Oh, and . . . Riley’s in the hospital too," she added, almost as an afterthought, though she was watching his every move. "She was driving when another car ramd into hers. The crash must’ve shocked so badly that I passed out, hit my head on the pavent, and, well—here I am."
She clasped her hands together, forcing just the right amount of tremble into her voice. "So, go, Alexander. This is your mont. The perfect ti to be with her and finally get her back."
Alexander just stared at her.
He should be happy, Alexander thought. He should be thrilled.
This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?
For Riley to need him again. For the perfect opportunity to swoop in and rekindle their love.
Yet, he stood there, not moving, not speaking.
Celeste knew why.
Because she had beco the unexpected variable in his perfect little equation.
Because she had never been part of the plan, yet sowhere along the way, she had made him forget why he wanted Riley in the first place.
And now? Now that he was being forced to rember his goal—he wasn’t sure anymore.
Celeste knew she had played the perfect hand, but watching the turmoil in his eyes stirred sothing deep in her chest.
A split second of hesitation before she vanished it. She couldn’t afford to lose this ga the second ti around. It would be a disgrace to her reputation and perfect track record.
Alexander took a sharp breath and clenched his fists. Celeste almost thought he might grab her, might say sothing reckless, sothing that would ruin everything.
But instead—
BANG!
The door slamd so hard behind him that the walls trembled.
The mont he was gone, Celeste let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Well, that went well.
Still, she wasn’t worried. She had seen it in his eyes—the struggle, the doubt.
Alexander would be back.
Probably after brooding for a few hours, maybe punching a wall or two for dramatic effect.
For now, she had ti to kill.
Celeste grabbed her phone and opened her favorite oto ga. She had been on the brink of unlocking the true ending for one of the male leads, and this hospital stay gave her the perfect excuse to finish it.
She smirked. Ah, sweet distraction.
And so, as she waited for Alexander to co crawling back, Celeste imrsed herself in her ga—perfectly at ease.
As soon as Alexander stepped out of Celeste’s room, he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His emotions surged in a tangled ss of frustration, hurt, and sothing he wasn’t ready to na. He needed an outlet.
With a sharp exhale, he pulled back his arm and slamd his fist into the nearest wall. The sharp impact sent a shockwave through his bones, but the pain barely registered. He let out a ragged breath, running a hand through his hair before loosening his tie. He needed to think.
Celeste had pushed him away—forced him toward Riley. She wanted him to make a choice.
Fine.
He turned on his heel and made his way to Riley’s hospital room, his expression unreadable, his mind resolute.
Inside, Riley was propped up against a mountain of pillows, wrapped in bandages but very much awake. She turned toward the door as he stepped inside, her lips curving into a soft, hopeful smile.
"Alexander, you ca," she said, her voice carrying a gentle tremor.
Once, that smile had been enough to shake his entire world. Now, it barely stirred anything inside him—just an uncomfortable weight in his chest.
He exhaled through his nose, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I won’t stay long." His voice was cool, detached. "I heard what happened, Riley."
Her smile faltered. "It was an accident—"
"An accident?" Alexander’s eyes darkened. He stepped closer, his presence looming over her. "You almost hit Celeste. If that car hadn’t zood past at the last second, she could’ve been seriously hurt—or worse."
Riley stiffened. "I didn’t see her," she insisted, but her voice wavered. "I— I panicked. I hit the brakes too fast."
Alexander leaned down, gripping her chin firmly, forcing her to et his eyes.
Rile winced. "Ouch. Alex, you’re hurting ."
"Listen to ," he said, his voice a quiet storm. "I’ll let this slide once. But if anything happens to Celeste again—accident or not—you won’t just be dealing with guilt. You’ll be dealing with . Do you understand?"
Riley swallowed hard, her heart hamring in her chest. "Y-Yes," she stamred.
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