The group returned to the mansion, where the Hort family had already arranged a lavish interment.
The courtyard buzzed with hushed conversations, the clinking of glasses, and the subdued elegance expected of a grieving yet powerful family.
Alex ripped Cyndi's hand away from his arm the moment they stepped inside. Without sparing her a glance, he turned and strode toward the grand staircase.
"A-Alex…" Cyndi called after him, stunned.
But he didn't stop.
He ascended the stairs in long, decisive strides, his expression dark, his eyes shrouded in frost. Yet beneath that cold exterior, his hand trembled ever so slightly—betraying the storm raging within him.
Sonia
Girlfriend
Those words echoed in his head like a rhythm.
He reached the study and pushed the door open with more force than necessary.
It slammed against the wall before he stepped in and shut it behind him with a resounding bang.
Silence swallowed the room.
