Cracks beneath the ice
1057 Words
Kelly sat upright on her bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling despite how late it already was.
Sleep refused to come.
Her mind kept drifting back to one person.
Alexander Vaughn.
The entire city had already painted him as the villain behind Vivian Laurent’s death. Everywhere she looked, people called him arrogant, heartless, selfish.
But strangely…
Kelly wasn’t completely convinced.
Yes, he was proud, insufferably proud, and definitely rude.
But deep down, she felt there was more to him than the cold mask he showed the world.
“Does everyone really believe he caused Vivian’s death?” she murmured softly to herself.
She remembered the look in his eyes at the hospital.
There was anger there, pain too. Not the eyes of a man who felt nothing.
Kelly sighed tiredly and finally lay back against the bed.
Maybe people were judging him without hearing his side of the story.
The thought stayed in her mind until sleep eventually claimed her.
---
Morning arrived peacefully.
Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains as Kelly prepared for work.
Today was important.
She had been working on a custom dress for weeks, and the client was scheduled to pick it up later that afternoon.
Despite the illness slowly eating away at her body, Kelly still looked healthy and radiant on the outside. Nobody would ever guess she carried a death sentence inside her.
After freshening up, she joined her father downstairs for breakfast.
Martin Adams smiled warmly the moment he saw her.
“You look happier today,” he observed carefully.
Kelly forced a small smile. “Do I?”
“A little.”
She didn’t tell him the truth.
That somehow, her thoughts had been occupied by an irritating billionaire with cold eyes and too much pride.
After breakfast, Kelly kissed her father goodbye and headed out for work.
Soft music played inside the car as she drove through the city streets, trying to lose herself in thoughts of fashion sketches and unfinished designs instead of doctors, hospitals, and death.
For now…
She just wanted to focus on living.
---
Meanwhile, across the city, Alexander Vaughn dragged himself out of bed with visible exhaustion.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
The past few days had been chaos.
Vivian’s death, the media, the guilt
And unexpectedly…
Kelly Adams.
For some reason, the stubborn girl kept appearing in his thoughts at the worst possible moments.
Annoying.
Alexander stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to calm his restless mind.
Minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom with water dripping down his chest, his dark hair slightly wet as he adjusted the sleeves of his black suit.
As he stepped toward the hallway, he nearly collided with his butler.
“Good morning, sir,” Mark greeted respectfully with a slight bow. “Your brother and sister are downstairs waiting for you.”
Alexander frowned immediately.
“What are they doing here?”
“I believe they came to check on you, sir.”
Alexander almost laughed at that.
His siblings never visited out of concern.
Never.
Without another word, he headed downstairs.
The moment he entered the living room, four hostile eyes landed on him instantly.
Alexander remained completely unfazed.
“What are you doing in my house unannounced?” he asked coldly.
His older brother, Ezekiel, leaned back against the couch.
“Even if we informed you beforehand,” he replied dryly, “you still wouldn’t have allowed us in.”
Alexander said nothing.
Because unfortunately…
That was true.
Ever since their parents died, he had kept both his siblings at a distance. Years of bitterness and childhood resentment had destroyed whatever bond they once had.
Their father had always favored Alexander for his intelligence and business skills, while Ezekiel—who preferred art and painting—was constantly treated like a disappointment.
And resentment only grew from there.
“We heard about what happened with Vivian,” Sophia suddenly said.
Alexander’s expression hardened slightly.
Sophia crossed her arms angrily.
“We already knew you were insensitive, Alexander. But we didn’t think you’d destroy an entire family because of a breakup.”
Alexander’s eyes turned dangerously cold.
Unlike Ezekiel, Sophia had never been afraid to challenge him.
Even now.
And despite being his stepsister, she spoke to him with brutal honesty.
Alexander gave a humorless smile.
“Interesting,” he said calmly. “Coming from someone who aborted her own child and abandoned her fiancé at the altar because she assumed he was cheating.”
The room fell silent instantly.
Sophia’s face paled with rage.
“That’s not the same thing,” she snapped shakily.
“No?” Alexander asked coldly. “You judged someone before hearing the truth. Sounds familiar.”
Sophia stood up angrily, her hands trembling.
Ezekiel quickly rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Both of them were stubborn.
Both of them were wounded.
And neither of them knew how to let things go.
Alexander checked the time on his wristwatch before speaking again.
“I have a meeting to attend,” he said flatly. “You can see yourselves out.”
And just like that—
He walked away.
---
Outside, reporters flooded the entrance of Vaughn Enterprises the moment Alexander’s car arrived.
Flashing cameras blinded the area instantly.
“Mr. Vaughn! Is it true Vivian Laurent died because you exposed her affair?!”
“Did you ever actually love Vivian?!”
“Why did you cancel her father’s contract?!”
Questions came endlessly from every direction.
Alexander’s patience snapped instantly.
“Move them,” he ordered his security coldly.
The guards immediately forced the reporters away while Alexander entered the building without another glance.
By the time he reached the executive meeting room, anger radiated visibly from him.
Unfortunately—
The news waiting for him only made things worse.
“The company’s stocks have been dropping rapidly since the scandal,” one of the executives announced nervously.
Another slid documents across the table.
“Several sponsors are already withdrawing their investments.”
Silence filled the room heavily.
Alexander stared at the reports without speaking.
For years, he had built Vaughn Enterprises into one of the most powerful companies in the country.
And now…
Everything was beginning to crumble.
Because for the first time in his life—
Alexander Vaughn had allowed emotions to cloud his judgment.
- Writer
