HER FACE, MY WIFE'S SHADOW

Chapter 25: Where Has He Gone?

Aria's POV

Our gazes shifted toward the glass entrance of the hall.

A small group was making their way down the building.

Alexander, his grandfather; his father, Mr. Dylan; and Isabella's father, Mr. Grey, emerged together. Although they walked in the same direction, they maintained a distinct, chilly distance from one another.

Mr. Dylan carefully supported his elderly father's arm, guiding him down each step with quiet attentiveness. Beside them, Alexander moved with effortless grace, his hands tucked inside his pants pockets, his dark eyes fixed on the lady as if she were a mildly irritating obstacle blocking his path.

Evie shrieked at the sound of her father's voice, her intoxicated confidence fracturing. But instead of backing down and retreating to the car as her father had implicitly demanded with his glare, her eyes instantly drifted away, landing on Alexander.

“Alex…” she called desperately, her gleaming white nails aiming for the lapel of his dark green suit jacket. “Please, just listen to me this once.”

Before she could even graze it, he reacted immediately, pushing his shoulder back, totally out of her reach, as if she were a contagious disease.

Evie reeled slightly, losing her balance on her high heels before stabilizing herself. Tears of frustration smeared her eyeliner as she held her bag tightly.

“Why are you so cruel to me, Alex? Do you have any idea how many strings I had to pull to get your new private line? I even paid a huge amount of money to get those digits, and you blocked me within five minutes!” She cried out, not bothered by the fact that her father and the Sterling family were here.

I bit the inside of my cheek. A laugh threatened to escape.

Seriously?

This was what all the drama was about? I had expected something much worse.

So, this was the main reason she hated Isabella.

Some ladies can be unbelievably dramatic when it comes to love. Mr. Grey marched forward, grabbing Evie's wrist, yanking her away from Alexander.

“Didn't I warn you not to come to this party?”

“Dad…”

“You're a total disgrace to the Grey family,” he barked at her. “That is why you’ll never compare to your younger sister Lily when it comes to character and honor. " r.”

“Dad!” She hit her heel on the floor, jerking her hand free. Her handbag swung wildly at her side. “Stop comparing me with Lily; I'm not her and she's not me."

“Obviously, she’ll never be you," Mr. Grey shot back coldly. His expression hardened. “Now get inside the car.”

Evie’s eyes were filled with tears. “Dad, I met Alex before Isabella did. She stole him from me.”

Silence fell over the group.

“Do you know what hurts the most?” She continued bitterly. “She was sharing the same blood as my father. She was the result of my father cheating on my mother. I wish she had never been born. I wish she had died there and rotted to the core.”

“Evie!”

Alexander's voice cut through the air like a blade.

Her entire body stiffened, fear flashing across her face.

“You should be careful with your words. "Ds." The warning in his tone was visible.

“Alex… I…” She moved a step towards him, but Alexander didn't spare her another glance as he walked straight past her, closing his hand around my wrist.

“Let's go.” He guided me inside the car.

As we settled down, I observed through the tinted window. The old man gave Mr. Grey a brief—a—a silent gesture of farewell and acknowledgement. Mr. Grey returned it immediately as both men headed towards their respective vehicles.

Our car pulled away, leaving Evie standing beside her furious father. For the first time all evening, she looked truly pitiful.

The drive back to the estate was long and quiet. Streetlights flashed past the windows one after another while exhaustion gradually settled into my bones.

By the time we arrived, I felt completely drained. Mr. Dylan and Grandpa Sterling had already returned to the main Sterling residence.

After exchanging goodnights, everyone retired to their rooms.

I headed straight to mine. A long, hot shower was exactly what I needed.

Warm water cascaded over my skin as clouds of steam filled the bathtub. I closed my eyes and allowed myself a moment of peace, absent-mindedly playing with the white foam while my thoughts drifted back to everything Evie had said.

More specific—to my family.

Ever since discovering that the mysterious boss knew who I was and about my family's location. My mind hadn't been at peace.

The fear clung to me like a shadow I couldn't escape. Perhaps hearing their voices could finally convince my heart that they were still safe.

After drying myself, I wrapped a white towel around my body and my damp hair. Opening the wardrobe, I selected a matchipajamaama set before slipping into a pair of soft house slippers.

Then I headed towards Alexander's room.

Hopefully, I pray he wasn't asleep. I needed my old phone back to speak with my mum. I had to know if they were okay and safe.

Standing outside his bedroom door, I hesitated.

What if he's sleeping? Or working?

Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and knocked.

No response.

I knocked again. Same result.

I did it for the third time.

Silence.

Maybe he’s in his study.

I turned to leave but stopped halfway.

Would it hurt to check?

Tuning back to the door, I slowly reached for the handle. To my surprise, the door wasn’t locked. It cracked open with a soft click. I peeked inside and found no one.

Where has he gone?