𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 44 : Reflections in the Night

Alexander

The night was a thick, inky black, its silence broken only by the occasional hum of a distant car or the soft shuffle of our footsteps against the cobblestone. Scarlett walked beside me, her hand loosely intertwined with mine, the warmth of her skin a stark contrast to the cool evening air. It was strange, really—how the chaos of the day had melted into this almost surreal stillness. Just hours ago, the world had been ablaze with betrayal, violence, and revelation, yet here we were, walking through the deserted streets as if none of it had ever happened.

I glanced at Scarlett, catching the way her lips pressed together in thought, her eyes flickering with a mixture of emotions she probably wasn’t ready to share. She had been my constant through this ordeal, more resilient than I could have ever imagined. I should have known, of course, but somewhere along the line, I had let my defenses slip. A mistake, perhaps, but one I couldn't bring myself to regret.

Vivian. The mere thought of her name sent a jolt of anger through me, but Scarlett’s presence grounded me, keeping the darkness at bay. It still felt unreal—Vivian’s betrayal, the truth about her not being my real mother. All this time, I had lived in a web of lies, spun intricately by the woman I once believed was the closest thing I had to family. And yet, Scarlett…she had uncovered the truth I had been too blind to see.

“Scarlett,” I began, breaking the silence between us, my voice low and gravelly. “You don’t know how much your support means to me. I’ve been so lost, so consumed by everything… I never expected anyone to stand by me the way you have.”

She turned to me, her eyes softening, though they shimmered with unshed tears. “Alexander, you don’t have to thank me,” she whispered, shaking her head gently. “You were the one who uncovered the truth. I…I just misunderstood you. I should have realized sooner, understood how much you were going through. I’m sorry.”

Her words were tinged with guilt, and I hated that. Hated that she was apologizing for something that wasn’t her fault. I stepped closer, the distance between us closing as I brought a hand to her face, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Scarlett. If anything, I should apologize for pushing you away, for making you feel like you weren’t part of my world.”

A small, rueful smile played on her lips as she leaned into my touch. “Well, you are pretty good at shutting people out, Mr. Cold and Mysterious.”

I chuckled, a sound that surprised even me, given the circumstances. “That’s one way to describe me,” I murmured, my thumb tracing the curve of her jaw. “But Scarlett, I want you to know…you don’t have to feel lonely anymore. You have me, now and always.”

Her eyes widened slightly at my words, a glimmer of something tender and vulnerable in their depths. It was a look that made my heart clench, made me realize just how deeply I cared for her. This woman who had slipped past all my defenses, who had seen the darkest parts of me and still chosen to stay.

We continued walking, the silence between us now comfortable, filled with a newfound understanding. The streets were almost eerily quiet, the city asleep around us. I took a deep breath, letting the crisp air fill my lungs, and then exhaled slowly, feeling some of the tension leave my body. Scarlett’s hand was still in mine, her fingers squeezing gently every now and then as if to reassure me she was really there.

“You know,” I started, my voice thoughtful, “when I was a kid, I used to think the night was the safest time. The shadows were like a blanket, hiding me from all the things that scared me. It’s ironic, isn’t it? That the darkness became my comfort.”

Scarlett looked up at me, her gaze curious and kind. “It’s not ironic at all. Sometimes, the things that we think are meant to harm us end up being the very things that protect us. Maybe that’s why you’ve always been drawn to the dark—because it feels familiar, safe.”