Chapter 16

ALEXANDER

As I walked into Raina’s room, the anger that had been simmering inside me started to fade. There she was—awake, glaring at me with the same defiance I remembered so well. Despite the hostility in her eyes, I felt a sense of relief, one I hated to admit to myself. No matter what she’d done, a part of me was... relieved that she was okay.

I knew I shouldn’t feel anything for her after everything that had happened, yet the sight of her awake and fighting, even if it was against me, stirred something deep within me that I thought was long dead. But I couldn’t let her see that. I forced myself to focus on the situation, on the mess I had to handle.

“Good to see you’re awake,” I muttered, my voice cold as I took a seat beside her bed. She didn’t reply, just kept glaring at me with all the hate in her eyes. It almost matched mine. I took a steadying breath, reminding myself why I was here, why I had to keep things in control. She was still the woman who had bet