After I Left, They All Regretted It

The heavy wooden door clicked shut. My knees immediately gave out.

I slid down the floral wallpaper, hitting the carpet with a dull thud. Fire chewed through my veins. The drug was working fast, melting my muscles into useless weight and clouding my vision with a thick, suffocating haze.

I dragged my clutch into my lap. My fingers trembled as I fumbled with the metal clasp. I needed my phone. I needed to call him.

I pulled the device out and swiped at the screen. The contacts list blurred together.

*Alexander.*

I found his name. My thumb hovered over the call button.

Before I could press it, the brass doorknob turned.

I froze. The door swung open, revealing Nathan. He stepped inside and pushed the door shut behind him. The lock snapped into place with a sharp metallic crack.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. My voice sounded weak, raspy.

He walked toward me. His expensive leather shoes made no sound on the thick rug. "I actually understand you, Evelyn."

"Get out of this room."

"Chloe showed up out of nowhere," Nathan continued, completely ignoring my command. He stopped a few feet away, looking down at me. "She took everything that used to belong to you. Your grandfather's attention, your brother's affection. It is completely normal for you to feel unbalanced."

I gripped the edge of a mahogany dresser, forcing myself to stand. My legs shook violently. "You locked me in here to play therapist?"

"I am trying to help you see reason," he said. "She has no parents, Evelyn. We are supposed to take care of her."

I tilted my head, glaring at the man wearing my engagement ring. "What does her lack of parents have to do with me?"

Nathan frowned. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his posture defensive. "You used to be compassionate. You used to care about people."

"I care about people who do not drug me," I shot back.

"Nobody drugged you," Nathan scoffed. "You drank too much. You made a scene. Sebastian was right to send you up here."

"And you followed me to gloat?"

"I followed you to fix this." He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "Let's just get married."

I stared at him. The words made absolutely no sense.

His voice dropped, softening into a mock plea. "Don't go back to Paris tomorrow. Stay in New York. I still love you, Evelyn. We can fix this."

"Fix this?" I echoed.

"If you just stop targeting Chloe," he added, taking half a step closer. "If you accept her as part of the family, we can go back to normal. We can have a happy life together."

A harsh, dry laugh ripped from my throat. It hurt my chest, but I couldn't stop the sound.

"A happy life?" I asked, gripping the dresser tight enough to turn my knuckles white. "Are you entirely sure the person you love is me?"

Nathan didn't answer. His jaw tightened. The mask of the caring fiancé slipped, revealing something cold and entitled underneath.

"You are just throwing another tantrum," he muttered.

"Answer the question, Nathan."

"I am trying to save our relationship!" he snapped. "I am offering you a way out of this mess, and you are throwing it back in my face."

"There is no relationship," I said, my vision swimming. "There is only you, Chloe, and your pathetic guilt."

"You are my fiancée."

"Not for long." I reached for my left hand, trying to pull the diamond ring off my finger. My hands shook too much. The metal refused to budge.

Nathan’s eyes darkened. He pulled his hands from his pockets and reached out, his fingers aiming for my waist.

I shoved myself backward. My spine hit the wall hard. "Nathan, you better not touch me."

"We are getting married anyway," he said, closing the distance. "You are my fiancée. What does it matter if it happens now?"

"Stay away!" I shouted. The sound lacked any real power. The drug robbed my voice of its strength.

"You just need to calm down," he insisted, his hand clamping around my upper arm. His grip was bruising, forcing me to stay in place. "Once you realize I am doing this for us, you will stop fighting."

"Take your hands off me!" I thrashed against his hold, but my arms felt like lead.

He leaned in closer. His cologne made my stomach turn. "Stop fighting, Evelyn."

*BAM.*

The solid oak door blasted open, splintering the wooden frame into jagged pieces.

Nathan spun around, dropping his hold on my arm.

A towering silhouette filled the doorway, backlit by the bright hallway lights.

"Get your filthy hands off her."

The voice was ice and steel. Alexander Laurent stepped into the room.

Four massive men in dark suits fanned out behind him, blocking the exit entirely. They moved with military precision, sealing the room.

Nathan blinked, his face paling instantly. "Alexander? What are you doing in my house?"

He didn't get to finish the thought.

Alexander crossed the room in two massive strides. He didn't speak. He didn't hesitate. He grabbed Nathan by the collar of his expensive suit and drove a brutal fist straight into his jaw.

Bone crunched.

Nathan flew backward, crashing into a bedside table. The lamp shattered on the floor. Nathan collapsed into the wreckage, groaning in pain. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the pristine rug, clutching his face.

"You are insane!" Nathan gasped, trying to push himself up.

Alexander didn't spare him a second glance. He turned his back on the bleeding man and stepped toward me.

He removed his tailored suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around my trembling shoulders. The scent of cedar and expensive cologne enveloped me, instantly pushing back the haze of the drug.

"Alexander," I whispered.

"I am here," he replied.

Before I could say another word, he swept me into his arms. He lifted me effortlessly, cradling me against his solid chest. My head fell against his shoulder. The burning in my veins finally started to cool.

"I told you," Alexander murmured, his jaw resting against my hair. His voice was a low rumble vibrating against my cheek. "I will never let anyone hurt you again."

I closed my eyes, letting my grip on reality loosen just a fraction. "He locked the door."

"He will never lock a door again," Alexander promised.

He tightened his hold on me and turned on his heel. He walked right out of the ruined doorway. His bodyguards parted to let him through, leaving Nathan writhing on the floor.

"You have no right to take her!" Nathan yelled from the room, his voice thick with blood. "She is my fiancée!"

Alexander didn't even pause. "Not anymore."

We moved down the long, carpeted hallway. The music from the banquet drifted up from below, lively and oblivious. The guests had no idea what was happening on the second floor.

"Are we leaving?" I asked, my eyes heavy.

"No," Alexander said, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "We are going to the party."

He didn't head for the discreet side exit. He carried me straight toward the sweeping marble steps leading down to the main ballroom.

The crystal chandeliers cast a blinding glare over the crowd below. Laughter echoed off the vaulted ceilings. My grandfather was probably giving his toast. Chloe was probably playing the victim in her ruined dress.

The Bennett family thought they had disposed of me for the night. They thought they could sweep me under the rug and celebrate their precious Chloe in peace.

They were wrong. The entire family was about to face an unforgettable night.