Chapter 68

ALEXANDER

For the first time in years, life felt... settled. A little over three weeks had passed since Raina told me we didn’t need to go ahead with the case. Her words still echoed in my mind, replaying over and over like a melody I couldn’t get out of my head. Each passing day chipped away at the wall she’d built between us, a wall I was determined to tear down brick by brick.

If I could just keep it together, keep showing her that I’d changed, maybe—just maybe—she might start liking me again.

"Alex, are you even listening?" Her voice cut through my thoughts, sharp but not unkind.

I blinked, turning to look at her. She was sitting across from me, her head tilted slightly, a soft smirk playing on her lips. "Sorry, what?"

"I said," she repeated, rolling her eyes, "you’ve been staring at your coffee for the past two minutes like it’s about to tell you the meaning of life. Everything okay?"

I chuckled, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, just th