Chapter 2 I Need You To Sign This

Florrie slipped the papers from the envelope and turned straight to the page for signatures. "I need you to sign this."

She almost blurted out, "Let's end this marriage," but she caught herself. Alexander's pride and obsession with appearances made her doubt he would sign without a fight.

So she changed her approach and said, "It looks like it came from the property management office for that villa you bought a while back."

Alexander finally lifted his eyes, his brows tightening with irritation. "Do you honestly need to trouble me with something so minor? Why can't you just sign it for me?"

Florrie pressed the papers and pen toward him, lowering her eyes as she spoke softly. "It's in your name, so I can't sign it for you. And didn't you say you didn't want anyone knowing I was your wife?"

Florrie's reply caught Alexander off guard, and his frown deepened.

There was a quietness about Florrie today that didn't feel familiar.

Even though she had always been gentle and compliant around him, there had still been moments when she showed a hint of sadness.

This time, though, her compliance seemed out of place, almost unnatural.

He was about to question her when she noticed his suspicion and quickly added, trying to sound concerned, "It's best if she takes the morning-after pill right away. She might not feel well after, so make sure you look after her."

Alexander heard her and the scowl faded from his face, replaced by a faint scoff.

He figured Florrie was anxious that Suzanne might end up pregnant and threaten her own standing as his wife.

Her sudden eagerness to please now made sense.

He pulled his gaze away and, as always, ignored the documents entirely before picking up the pen and scribbling his signature without hesitation.

Collecting the signed papers, Florrie watched as he lifted Suzanne in his arms and took her upstairs. She stood in the empty living room, silent, only moving much later when she made her way to the guest bedroom.

All night long, the loud moans from the next room kept her awake, tossing and turning as sleep refused to come.

The same haunting nightmare returned once more, pulling her back to that frozen field stained with blood. She stood helplessly, watching as the man she loved was carried into an ambulance, his cashmere coat drenched in blood.

The final thing he said to her was, "Florrie, don't cry. Promise me you'll live well..."

"Alex! Alex!" Florrie cried out his name, reaching for him, but her arms grasped at nothing as his figure faded farther and farther away.

Coldness spread through her limbs until a sharp voice broke through. "Florrie, wake up!"

Her eyes flew open, and she was met with a face she knew all too well.

The man hovered above her, his brow drawn tight, his gaze heavy with restrained anger.

"Alex..." she mumbled.

His voice cut in, harsh and unfeeling. "Why are you yelling first thing in the morning?" Then, with a trace of contempt, he added, "Was it just a nightmare?"

The fog in her head cleared, and reality sank in-this wasn't the Alex she dreamed of. It was Alexander.

She stayed quiet, which only made his frown deepen as he reached toward her. She pulled back before his hand could touch her. "Sorry if I disturbed you both," she said softly.

Her words were gentle like always, but there was a distance in them that hadn't been there before.

Without thinking, Alexander curled his hands into fists, unsettled by the change he felt from her.

Florrie steadied herself and asked politely, "Did you need something?"

He snapped out of his thoughts, forcing the unease down, and answered in a clipped, formal tone, "Suzanne is planning to gain some hands-on experience at the Jenkins Group. Assign the Greenhill Village redevelopment project to her and guide her through the process, since she'll be using it as part of her graduation project."