The Billionaire Recluse & The girl who stayed.

Breaking.

~Lexi~

I shouldn't have gone looking for him.

But something felt... off.

The house was too quiet.

Even for this place.

Jasper's door was slightly open, which in itself was unusual. He kept everything closed. Controlled. Private.

I knocked lightly.

No answer.

Pushing the door open slowly, I stepped inside—

And froze.

The room was trashed.

Drawers pulled open, papers scattered across the floor, a chair knocked over like it had been thrown in frustration.

And Jasper—

He was sat on the floor.

Back against the wall.

A half-empty bottle of bourbon in his hand.

His shirt slightly undone, hair messy, eyes unfocused.

Broken.

Completely broken.

My chest tightened.

"Jasper..." I said softly.

His head lifted slowly, his gaze landing on me but not quite seeing me.

"Lexi..." he murmured.

His voice was rough.

Thick.

"You're... beautiful."

I blinked, caught off guard.

This wasn't him.

This wasn't the controlled, distant man I knew.

This was something else.

Something raw.

Something unguarded.

I moved closer cautiously, kneeling slightly in front of him.

"What happened?" I asked gently.

But he didn't answer.

He just shook his head slightly, lifting the bottle to his lips again.

Like he was trying to drown something.

Not drink.

Drown.

—

Dr Greene had arrived quickly after I called her.

Together, we managed to get him to the hospital wing.

He didn't fight.

Didn't argue.

He just... let us.

Which somehow made it worse.

Now he lay on the bed, unconscious, his breathing steady but heavy.

Dr Greene adjusted the blanket over him before turning to me.

"You did the right thing calling me," she said softly.

I folded my arms slightly, still shaken.

"I've never seen him like that," I admitted.

"He turns to alcohol when it gets too much," she explained gently. "When the memories come back too strong."

My stomach dropped slightly.