Chapter 70

Annabelle lunged at him like a madwoman, clawing and hitting. Alexander shielded her with his arms, careful not to harm the baby in her womb. His gold-rimmed glasses clattered to the floor, lenses shattering.

"Enough!" The female officer barked. "Take your fight elsewhere. This is a police station!"

Annabelle wrenched her arm free and turned her back on him. "I'm not going anywhere with him!"

Alexander adjusted his disheveled collar, exhaustion weighing on him. "Are you done?"

"Not even close!" Her voice trembled with fury. "This isn't over, Alexander!"

He methodically smoothed his rolled-up sleeves. "Fine. I'll leave first."

"You wouldn't dare!" She whirled around, shrill. "I'm pregnant! You'd just abandon me here?"

A cold smirk curled his lips. "You didn't seem concerned about safety when you dragged Evelyn into traffic earlier."

"Alexander." Her glare burned into him. "Have you fallen for her?"

The air turned to ice.

"You've grown impatient with me lately." Her voice shook. "You used to comfort me. But ever since you married her, you changed!"

Changed?

A bitter smile tugged at his mouth.

The girl he'd waited twenty years for was finally his. He'd thought Evelyn would be the biggest obstacle—even prepared a hefty compensation.

Yet Evelyn had cleanly severed all ties, even terminating the pregnancy.

What he never expected was that the love he'd dreamed of would turn out like this.

"Maybe," Vincent swirled his drink, "Annabelle was always like this?"

Vincent was a few years younger, their junior. The guy cycled through women like outfits but would take a bullet for his friends.

Alexander used to despise that about him.

"So? Did you really leave her at the station?"

"...No."

"She refused to leave. How'd you handle it?"

Alexander massaged his temples. "Promised her a bag."

Vincent choked on his whiskey. "That's it?"

"Mm." Alexander drained his glass. "'Retail therapy' works wonders."

"Knew it." Vincent shook his head. "No way you'd actually walk away."

Alexander gave a hollow laugh, signaling for another drink.

"You and my brother are two peas in a pod," Vincent muttered. "Both utterly whipped. Gregory's been overseas since—"

The glass slammed onto the bar.

Alexander's gaze turned glacial. "Who did you say?"