Chapter 13 ~ Alexander
1128 Words
"Long time no see, Ivana?" said Alex as they stood facing each other.
"... Yes," Ivana replied.
She hadn't expected to meet Alex here after almost three years of not seeing each other.
"How have you been?" Alex asked.
"I've been well. How about you?" Ivana responded.
"Well, as you can see. I never thought we’d meet again here," Alex said. "It’s been a long time since the cancellation. You’ve become even more beautiful, Ivana."
Ivana gave a small smile. "Thank you, Alex."
"Can I have your number?" Alex asked.
"For what?" Ivana questioned, still looking at Alex with caution. It wasn’t that she feared he would hurt her, but she simply didn’t want to hurt him again after what had happened in the past. Besides, she was also afraid that Arsen might be watching her without her knowing.
"We might be seeing each other more often in the future," Alex said with a mysterious smile, making Ivana furrow her brows in confusion.
"I don’t understand why we would often meet, but for now, I don’t see a reason to give it to you," Ivana answered.
"Ivana, you’re still as cold as ever. Can’t you be a little nice to me? Or did I ever do something wrong to you in the past?" Alex asked.
"From the beginning, we weren’t that close. So, I don’t think there was anything like that," Ivana replied. "Alex, it’s nice to see you again, but I think I should go now."
As Ivana turned to leave, Alex grabbed her wrist, making her look at him with a confused and slightly annoyed expression.
"Why?" Ivana asked.
"I came here not to hurt you. I truly want to make up for my past mistakes, Ivana," Alex said.
"That’s all in the past. There’s no need to bring it up again," Ivana replied. "Please let go of my hand, Alex."
Alex was silent for a moment as he stared at Ivana, making her feel uneasy.
"I miss you, Ivana."
Hearing those words, Ivana simply stared at Alex with an expressionless face, showing no reaction.
Alex let out a small chuckle. "You’re still the same, unchanged. Though sometimes, I envy Arsenio because you treat him so warmly," he said with a smile.
Ivana turned her face away and pulled her wrist free from Alex’s grasp.
"It was nice seeing you again, Alex. Excuse me," Ivana said before walking away.
After walking a fair distance, Ivana stopped and took a deep breath.
"Why is Alex back here? Isn’t he supposed to be abroad?" she wondered.
Ivana recalled memories from three years ago when her life was filled with endless drama. Back then, she had been arranged to marry Alex by her meddlesome uncle, and her father had happily agreed to the recommendation.
At first, everything went smoothly. They even got engaged, feeling as if their lives had been perfectly arranged.
But everything changed when Arsenio appeared with his charming smile, effortlessly diverting Ivana’s attention from the laid-back but dull Alex.
Thanks to Arsen, Ivana eventually discovered that Alex already had another woman—a secret lover. That revelation shattered Ivana’s perception of their relationship, and, without hesitation, she called off the engagement.
However, deep down, Ivana felt a twinge of guilt. The real reason she canceled the engagement wasn’t just Alex’s infidelity; it was because she had already fallen for Arsen and wanted to be with him.
Ironic and amusing, yet Ivana realized she had used the situation to place all the blame on Alex so she could escape the engagement. But in the end, Arsen had deliberately entered her life to capture her attention and slowly dismantle her world.
"As far as I remember, in my previous life, I never saw Alex again. But why has he suddenly appeared before me now? Has the future changed because I’ve started altering events from my past life?" Ivana thought.
"Where have you been all day, Ivana?" That was the first question that greeted Ivana as she entered her room. She saw Arsen sitting on the sofa.
"I just went for a walk," Ivana replied, moving toward the bathroom, but Arsen wasn’t about to let her go so easily.
He grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall, her back pressing against the cold surface.
"You...!" Arsen stared at Ivana sharply. But he was taken aback when she only returned his gaze with an almost cold, indifferent look.
"What?" Ivana challenged him.
For a moment, Arsen found himself at a loss for words. Something about her gaze affected him deeply. He released his grip and stepped back.
"I thought you were going to strangle me," Ivana said casually.
"Does our relationship have to be like this now, Ivana?" Arsen asked, making Ivana frown.
"Like what? Aren’t you the one who forced me into this? You even keep me here, preventing me from doing what I want," Ivana retorted.
"I’m not keeping you prisoner, Ivana. I’ve never forbidden you from doing anything you want," Arsen said, looking at her warmly, which unsettled Ivana. She didn’t want to be swayed or deceived by him again.
"Then, I want us to get a divorce. Let’s end this, Arsen."
Arsen looked at her with an unreadable expression. Though for a split second, Ivana thought she saw pain in his eyes, it quickly disappeared, replaced by a dark and unreadable gaze.
"Why do you keep bringing that up, Ivana? I thought you were just sulking, so I gave you some time. Is your decision still the same?" Arsen asked.
"Yes, my decision hasn’t changed. I want to divorce you, Arsen." Their eyes were locked.
"Ivana, give me a reason that would make me agree to divorce you," Arsen said, crossing his arms.
"Does it matter now? I already told you—I’m bored with you and want a divorce," Ivana replied.
"Stop being hypocritical, Ivana. I need a reasonable answer! You’re an adult; you should understand that marriage isn’t a game," Arsen said firmly.
"Then answer my question. Do you love me, Arsen?"
Arsen didn’t respond immediately. He studied Ivana’s expression, his gaze unwavering. Ivana tried to read his eyes, but as always, he was skilled at hiding his emotions.
"What’s wrong, Arsen? Is that question so difficult for you to answer?" Ivana asked.
"I love you, Ivana," Arsen finally said.
Ivana gave a small smile at his response, clearly not believing his words.
"What? You don’t believe me?" Arsen asked.
"I want to take a shower and clean myself up." Ivana turned away, leaving Arsen watching her in silence.
"What exactly made her change? As far as I know, no one suspicious has told her anything about me. She’s even trying to investigate me... Just how much does Ivana know?" Arsen wondered.
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