Chapter 2 2

It was probably a terrible idea to attend the Maxwell party, especially since he was dead tired and exhausted and craved nothing but his warm bed and something to eat, but they had been family friends since his grandfather's time, and knowing that his father had reasons for not show up there, it was his duty to represent his family.

A duty he had taken over after his father's falling out with several of the other Elite families in the city.

He sighed and was pulled from his thoughts when his driver slowed down the car and brought it to a stop in front of the large hotel building.

"Take my suitcases home for me, and then call it a night," Xander told his driver and left the car without further words and made his way to the entrance, knowing the way to the banquet rooms where the Maxwell's were holding their party, and pulled the invitation out that he had tucked into his suit jacket in the plane was already out when he arrived at the venue.

The security guard checked the card only shortly after recognizing it immediately, and stepped aside to allow him entry, and immediately he was met with the loud chatter of people and music, the smell of many strangers, alcohol, and food, the air in the large room, despite the air conditioner, the room remained stale and too warm for his liking.

He saw several members of elite families standing around, talking to each other, probably exchanging either the latest gossip or setting up the next big business deal, as well as several younger people, some of them with wide eyes at the sight of their luxurious surroundings, which gave them away as fellow students of the youngest Maxwell who had just finished his time at university, some of them dancing, drinking or just talking to each other.

Waiters and waitresses carrying trays with champagne and hors d'oeuvre made their way between the guests and Alexander took a glass from one of the trays when a waiter, a young lady with a charming smile, offered it to him by stopping in front of him, the ice-cold, sparkling wine immediately going to his head, and now he remembered that he had only a salad during the long flight that was behind him.

He looked around over the edge of his glass, taking another sip, and when he saw the people he had been looking for, he made his way over to them, wearing his professional smile when he approached the Maxwell alpha and his pretty omega-mate, who was wearing a dress from a popular designer, reflecting the wealth and status of the family.

Both smiled at him when he got close and made a short bow in greeting.

"Alexander," Maxwell said. "What a nice surprise! We thought you were abroad on business."

"I only returned tonight," he replied. "And I wanted to at least make a short visit and give you my congratulations on your son's graduation."

"Thank you, that is very kind of you. Your father," he huffed. "He sadly had other engagements tonight, so he had to decline."

Alexander nodded, his expression not changing and showing his annoyance at the mention of, and the unspoken provocation that was echoing in those words.

"He apologizes for not being able to attend," Alexander explained, the same explanation he was always giving when his father decided to avoid showing up somewhere.

"But you know how it is. Business always comes first."

He smiled at the older alpha, a smile that did not reach his eyes, and drank more of his champagne, listening to Maxwell telling him about the plans their son had in the medical field, but Alexander could not help but notice the hint of disappointment in their voices at the reality that their son had chosen not to follow his brother's footsteps and take a position in the family's business.

"You must be very proud," he remarked and saw how Maxwell's smile shortly froze before he put it back into place with a nod.

"He was the best of his year, and we will see big things from him. Big things," the older man started.

"I'm sure he will make his way," Alexander said, putting his empty glass onto the tray that was just carried past him.

"Please excuse me, I am very tired after the long journey, and I should return home to Ava..."

"Oh, she's here," the Maxwell omega told him with a nod, herself looking around as if she was trying to find the woman mentioned.

Alexander frowned.

"Oh, so she did it after all. We haven't spoken since the morning," he laughed, despite his confusion.

"That must be the reason why she hasn't replied to my text yet."

"I'm sure," Maxwell said, nodding. "Such a wonderful young woman, and her English is getting better with every day, she barely has an accent anymore. You have truly found your perfect mate, Alexander. I cannot wait to attend your wedding soon. Have you set a date yet?"

"We are aiming for next spring, but no, we have not decided on a date yet. I'm thinking May, Ava is thinking April," he replied.

"She is very headstrong about that, but she wouldn't be the woman I intend to marry if she wasn't the way she is."

"True," Maxwell said, touching his arm in a reassuring gesture.

"That is very true. I saw her last with Charles and his friends on the terrace. He still has that bad habit, you know?"

Alexander nodded, knowing that Maxwell's oldest was smoking, much to his father's annoyance, and that he was rarely seen without a freshly lit cigarette in his hands, a habit his fiancée had as well.

"Probably they are smoking together," Alexander said.

"I'll see if I can find her and then get home together. It's been a long day for me."

The Maxwell's nodded and gave him short half-hugs as a goodbye, before they turned and paid immediate attention to other guests that were standing there, the always observant hosts they were known as, hosting legendary get-togethers and parties several times a year, but country especially their Christmas party was an event that no member of the Country's high society could afford to miss.

Alexander looked around, trying to see if he could spot the golden locks of hair that were his fiancée's signature look, but just when he thought he had seen her, the person the blonde head belonged to turned out to be someone else. Searching for her, he started walking around, bumping into the wait staff from earlier and muttered an apology for being so careless, and then finally made his way to the terrace Maxwell had mentioned, but despite finding there some people enjoying the cooler night air, he did not find the person he had been looking for.

With a sigh, he pressed his lips together, once more taking his phone out of his pocket and sent a short text to Ava's number, letting her know that he couldn't find her at the party and was going home already, planning to take a taxi back home to get out of his suit and just sleep ahead of another long work day that was awaiting him tomorrow.

Walking back in, he took a small salmon hors d'oeuvre from a tray and ate it, looking around again, still chewing on the truly delicious food, and then started his way back through the many people to get to the front desk of the luxury hotel they were having the party at to ask them to call him a taxi, planning to wait in the lobby to be picked up in merely minutes since many taxis were always waiting for customers in the area of town.

Just when he was about to leave the room, he suddenly frowned, smelling something familiar.

Coconut and vanilla, sweet and feminine, something that was only vague because of the many party guests and strangers, no scent clearly noticeable, and yet, Alexander was reminded of his fiancée's scent, and he looked around, still not seeing a hint of the pretty woman he had met two years ago and that he was planning to make a Westwood in the coming year, an event that was eagerly awaited by society.

Again thinking that he should just leave, Alexander turned around, but then his eyes fell on the wooden doors of another room, where a smaller meeting room was located, as he knew from previous events, resembling a library, very elegant and intimate for meetings that demanded privacy.

The door was not completely closed, and he noticed his hand trembling slightly when he grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open only by a few inches, just enough to peek inside.

Seeing a couple standing leaning against the bookshelves, Alexander was huffing out a little smile and went silently back to close the door and give the two lovebirds some privacy, somewhat amused by someone not having been able to wait until they would get home, and already inwardly laughed at the thought what the Maxwell's would do if they found someone fucking on their party.

He heard the man whisper something, and he recognized the voice of the oldest Maxwell son, who had obviously sneaked away to have a little entertainment on his own with his mate, the gorgeous former Miss World he had married three years ago and that had given him last year two gorgeous children.

Biting his lip, he retreated, but just when he was ready to close the door, the reflection of light on something caught his eye.

The woman, hidden by the body of the man who was rutting between her legs, moaning silently, one hand in his hair, the other held back against the books, was wearing bracelets on her right wrist.

They looked like silver and reflected the sparse light of the lamp on a side table they had turned on, but Alexander knew those bracelets were platinum, and dazzling with flawless diamonds.

It was a bracelet his grandmother had designed and worn until her death, a family heirloom that meant a lot to him.

Not as much as other things on his property that had been family memories for generations, but this piece of jewelry was something he would recognize anywhere, especially since it was supposed to be hidden away in the safe in his bedroom.

A safe only one person but him had the combination for.

The person that was right now in front of his eyes, getting railed by Charles and who was definitely not the woman the man was married to.

Instead, he recognized in the voice moaning in ecstasy someone else.

A voice that he had heard moaning in a similar fashion, whispering words of love and passion into his ears in moments of intimacy.

He recognized the woman he was in love with.

He recognized the woman he was planning to marry.

Ava-Marie Winston

And he felt his heartbeat stop and as if someone was putting his chest into an iron grip. His world stopped.