𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 43 : Under the Midnight Sky

Scarlett

The night was crisp, the air cool against my skin as Alexander and I walked away from the building, leaving behind the chaos and the unraveling of a decades-old lie. The entire world now knew the truth: Vivian Blackwood was not the grieving widow, the loyal stepmother she pretended to be. She was a murderer, a master manipulator who had orchestrated her own husband's death and so much more. As the weight of it all settled on my shoulders, I couldn't help but glance at Alexander, who seemed lost in his own thoughts.

We walked in silence for a while, the city around us strangely quiet, as if it too was holding its breath after the night's events. The streets were empty, save for the occasional car passing by, its headlights casting long shadows on the pavement. I could still hear the distant hum of the city, but it felt muted, as if the world had slowed down just for us.

Alexander's face was unreadable, his jaw set in that familiar, stoic expression he often wore. But I knew him well enough now to see the cracks beneath the surface, the storm of emotions that he was trying so hard to keep in check. I wanted to reach out, to touch him, to offer him some comfort, but I wasn't sure if he'd accept it. He had always been so strong, so controlled, but tonight I had seen a side of him that I hadn't fully understood until now. The vulnerable side. The side that had been hiding behind walls for so long.

As we continued walking, I finally broke the silence. "You don't have to thank me, you know," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "It was you who uncovered the truth. I... I should have understood you better. I should have seen what you were going through. I'm so sorry, Alexander."

He didn't say anything at first, his eyes focused on the ground as we walked. For a moment, I wondered if I had said the wrong thing, if I had overstepped. But then he sighed, a long, weary sound, and looked up at the night sky, his eyes reflecting the distant stars.

"It's not your fault, Scarlett," he said finally, his voice rough with exhaustion. "I've spent years hiding the truth, even from myself. You had no way of knowing."

"But I should have tried harder," I insisted, feeling a lump form in my throat. "You've been through so much... and I feel terrible that you had to go through all of it alone. You don't have to feel lonely anymore, Alexander. You have me."

He stopped walking then, turning to face me. His eyes searched mine, as if he was looking for something-confirmation, reassurance, maybe even forgiveness. For a long moment, we just stood there, the world around us fading away as I held his gaze.

"I've never known what it's like to have someone I can really trust," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "I've always had to rely on myself, to keep everyone at arm's length. But with you... it's different. You're different."

Hearing those words made my heart ache for him even more. Alexander, the man who had always seemed so invincible, was finally letting me see the pain he had been carrying for so long. And in that moment, all I wanted to do was take that pain away, to give him the comfort he so desperately needed.

Without thinking, I reached out and placed my hand on his cheek, my thumb brushing against his stubbled jawline. "You don't have to be alone anymore," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "I'm here for you. And I'm not going anywhere."

He closed his eyes at my touch, leaning into my hand as if drawing strength from it. When he opened his eyes again, there was something softer in his gaze, something that made my heart skip a beat.

I shook my head, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. "You deserve to have someone who cares about you. And I... I care about you more than you know."

The tears spilled over then, and I couldn't stop them. The weight of everything-Vivian's betrayal, Alexander's pain, the overwhelming love I felt for him-it all came crashing down on me, and I broke down, sobbing quietly in the middle of the empty street.