ALEXANDER'S POV
The noise of the banquet had dulled into something distant by the time I found her.
Lila stood near the far side of the hall, just past the grand staircase, her posture as composed as ever—like she hadn't disappeared for months without a word, like nothing had been left unresolved between us. The light caught the side of her face, soft and golden, and for a second, it almost felt like stepping back into something familiar.
Almost.
"Where have you been?" I asked, my voice lower than I expected, edged with something I hadn't fully decided on—anger, maybe. Or just confusion.
She turned to me slowly, her expression unreadable at first. Then she exhaled, glancing away briefly before meeting my eyes again.
"I could ask you the same thing," she said lightly, but it didn't carry weight. Not really.
"That's not the same," I replied. "You left. No explanation. Nothing."
A pause settled between us, filled only by the distant hum of conversation around us. People passed by, laughter rising and falling, glasses clinking—but it all felt separate from this moment.
Lila tilted her head slightly, studying me. "Would it have made a difference if I did?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was—
No.
Not really.
Something had already been off between us long before she left. We both knew it. Neither of us had said it.
Until now.
"I think we should end this," I said finally, my voice steadier this time. "Whatever this is… it's not working."
There it was.
Simple.
Direct.
Honest.
Lila blinked once, then let out a small, almost relieved laugh under her breath.
"Yeah," she said. "I figured you'd say that."
That caught me off guard.
"You did?"
She nodded, crossing her arms loosely. "I wasn't feeling it either, Alex."
There was no hesitation in her voice. No sadness. Just a quiet kind of acceptance.
And somehow, that made it easier.
"Then why leave like that?" I asked.
Her gaze shifted past me for a second, distracted, before returning. "Because staying felt pointless."
I frowned slightly. "What does that mean?"
She hesitated this time. Not long—but enough.
"It means," she started, choosing her words carefully, "that I didn't think you cared enough to notice."
The words landed sharper than I expected.
"I would've noticed," I said quickly.
"Would you have?" she challenged softly. "Really?"
I opened my mouth—then stopped.
Because I wasn't sure.
And she saw that.
A faint smile touched her lips, not mocking, not bitter—just… knowing.
"Exactly," she said.
Silence stretched between us again, heavier now.
Then she sighed, running a hand lightly through her hair.
"It wasn't just that," she added. "Things were… messy. My father—he was in a critical condition. I had to leave."
That shifted something.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She gave me a look—one that said more than her words did.
"Would you have been there?"
I didn't answer.
Because again—
I didn't know.
Lila looked away first this time, her attention drifting toward the crowd. "It doesn't matter now."
Another pause.
Then—
"And besides," she added, her tone changing slightly, lighter but with an edge beneath it, "I think I was more interested in someone else anyway."
I glanced at her. "Someone else?"
She nodded subtly toward the other side of the hall. "Levi."
I followed her gaze instinctively, spotting him across the room, leaning casually against a pillar, completely at ease as he spoke to someone.
"He doesn't even notice me," she continued, almost amused. "Too busy. Too… Levi."
I huffed a quiet breath, shaking my head slightly. "That sounds about right."
"Exactly."
For a moment, the tension between us eased, replaced by something oddly neutral. Like two people finally acknowledging what had been obvious all along.
And then—
Something shifted.
I didn't realize it at first.
It was just a feeling.
A pull.
Subtle.
Instinctive.
My gaze drifted—just slightly, just enough—away from Lila, scanning the space without really meaning to.
And then—
I saw her.
Evie.
Standing there.
Still.
Too still.
Her eyes locked onto mine, wide, frozen, like she had just seen something she wasn't supposed to see. Something that didn't make sense.
Shock.
That was the only word for it.
Pure, unfiltered shock.
My chest tightened instantly.
"Evie—"
But before the word could fully leave my mouth—
She moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Turning away, pushing through the crowd without hesitation, her figure slipping between people, disappearing before I could even process it.
"Evie!"
I was already moving.
Forgetting Lila.
Forgetting the conversation.
Forgetting everything.
I pushed forward, weaving through the crowd, ignoring the startled looks, the muttered complaints as I brushed past people.
"Move—sorry—just—"
My eyes scanned frantically, searching, catching only brief glimpses—
A flash of her dress.
A familiar silhouette.
And then—
Gone.
"Damn it."
I picked up speed, my steps faster now, sharper, my focus narrowing into one thing and one thing only.
Finding her.
The crowd thickened near the exit, bodies pressing closer together, slowing me down just enough to make it worse. Every second felt like it stretched too long.
"Excuse me—"
I pushed through, finally breaking past the last line of guests and stepping outside—
Just in time to see—
Nothing.
Empty space.
Open air.
The gates ahead.
But no her.
I stepped forward, scanning left—right—again—
Nothing.
"She was just—"
My breath came out uneven as frustration hit hard and fast, sharp enough to make my hands curl into fists.
I ran forward anyway, past the gates, out onto the drive—
Still nothing.
No movement.
No trace.
Gone.
"Shit."
My hands came up, dragging through my hair roughly as I turned in place, searching again like she might just appear if I looked hard enough.
But she didn't.
A sharp breath left me as irritation flared into something heavier—anger, confusion, something I couldn't quite name.
I stomped my foot against the ground, the impact echoing faintly in the quiet outside the estate.
"Where did you go?" I muttered under my breath, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
No answer.
Just silence.
And the empty road stretching ahead.