Chapter 322

Madison

I went to the pantry to make his coffee, and my movements were mechanical. As I waited for the machine to brew, I replayed our conversation in my head. Had I made a mistake? Was I overreacting?

No. I was protecting myself. If Alexander truly cared about me, he would have fought harder to keep me. He would have reassured me, promised to be more transparent, and offered to make our relationship public.

Instead, he’d let me go without a fight.

I returned to his office with the coffee, knocking lightly before entering. Alexander was on the phone, his back to the door as he gazed out the window. “I’ll handle it,” he said. “Just keep this between us for now.”

I set the coffee on his desk and turned to leave.

“Madison,” he called, ending his call. “Wait.”

I paused, not turning around. “Yes?”

“Look at me.”

I reluctantly faced him. Alexander had moved to lean against his desk, arms crossed over his chest.

“I meant wha