BOUND BY ONE NIGHT

Chapter 22

Alex’s POV

The chandeliers above glittered like stars I didn’t believe in anymore, too bright, too perfect, too artificial. The ballroom was filled with an ocean of luxury, aristocrats in diamonds, executives in immaculate suits, cameras flashing every second as if capturing proof of a fairytale.

Except fairytales require happiness, and I was nowhere near it. Tonight was my engagement party, family legacy finally secured. My mother triumphantly, father satisfied. Cassandra glowing like she’d already won.

I stood beside her at the centre of the stage, the performance unfolding with precision. My hand rested lightly on hers, mechanical, rehearsed. She held on a little too tightly, as if reminding the world, and me, that I belonged to her now.

The press lined the entire front section, photographers pushing forward for the perfect shot. My father began a speech about unity and alliance between our families. Champagne glasses chimed, applause roared. Everyone celebrated a future I felt imprisoned in.

My gaze drifted over the guests, politicians, CEOs, celebrities. The elite. The untouchables. And yet all I could think of was a girl who once worked at a corner desk, who looked up at me with wide, earnest eyes like I was more than the position I held.

Lavender, the name pulsed through me like a heartbeat. I hadn’t stopped searching. Quietly, secretly. Every night, every private moment, calls placed discreetly, private investigators hired off the record. But she was nowhere. The world had swallowed her whole.

I wondered what she would think if she saw me here, would she believe I moved on?

Would she think she meant nothing? Pain radiated through my chest at the thought.

“…and with great pride,” my father declared, dragging me back to reality, “we present the newly engaged couple, Alexander Robinson and Cassandra Morgan!” Thunderous applause shook the hall. Cassandra took that as her cue to raise our intertwined hands like champions of a victory she believed was hers alone.

A reporter shouted, “Mr. Robinson, any words for your bride-to-be?” Bride-to-be.

A title that felt like chains. I forced a polite smile. “I’m honoured,” I replied, each syllable a lie. “Tonight marks the beginning of a promising future for both our families.”

Cassandra shot me a bright, satisfied look, as though my compliance was the most romantic gift she’d ever received. My grandmother sat near the front table, gazing up at me with a softness in her eyes no one else here possessed. She had always been the one person who never treated me like a role or responsibility, only a grandson. She knew me, really knew me.

And right now, she looked… worried. My gut twisted.

Once we stepped off the stage, the party shifted into its next phase, mingling, rounds of congratulations, cameras in every corner. Cassandra drifted away to greet some fashion designer; my parents entertained shareholders; executives cornered me to discuss market projections as if tonight was a business meeting.

All noise, all pressure. Voices blurring together into static. Lavender’s laugh, light and genuine, haunted the corners of my memory, making the polished perfection around me feel even hollower.

I excused myself from yet another overly enthusiastic handshake and made my way toward my grandmother. She sat alone, her cane leaning against her chair, her silver hair pinned neatly like always. But she seemed rattled pale, even.

“Gran?” I crouched beside her. “Are you okay?”

She reached for my hand, gripping it with surprising strength. “Alex… you look miserable.” I swallowed hard. “I’m managing.”

“No.” Her voice sharpened, conviction in every word. “You’re breaking.” I lowered my gaze, the first moment of honesty I’d had all night.

“She was special, wasn’t she?” Gran whispered. My throat tightened. Just the mention of Lavender, gentle and perceptive, nearly undid me.

“Yes,” I breathed. “She was.” Her fingers brushed my knuckles in a comforting way only she could offer. “And you let them take her from you.”

Not willingly, never willingly. “I’m trying to find her,” I confessed, a raw truth exposed. “But I don’t know where she is… or if she even wants to be found.” My grandmother’s eyes glistened, as though she mourned more than just a lost girl, perhaps a lost future.

“Love is not something you surrender because others fear it,” she said softly. “Don’t give up, Alex. Not on her, not on yourself.” I nodded, a silent vow renewed. If there was still even a sliver of hope, I would not fail Lavender again. The band shifted into another orchestral number and Gran winced slightly, one hand pressing against her chest. Something about it made my heart skip.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” I asked again. She forced a small smile. “I’m just tired, darling. Old bones and loud celebrations never mix well.” I stood, ready to escort her to a quieter space, when Cassandra swooped in, linking her arm with mine.

“There you are,” she chimed. “Everyone’s asking for the happy couple. Come, Alex.” Her grip tugged, trying to pull me back into the spotlight, but something in me resisted physically.

“One minute,” I said, stepping away from her hold. Her eyes flashed, annoyance creeping through the perfect facade, but she pasted the smile back on and turned away with a dramatic exhale. I watched my grandmother again. She took a shaky breath, shoulders trembling something definitely wrong.

Before I could move toward her, the lights suddenly dimmed, a planned effect, and an announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers:

“Ladies and gentlemen! Join us in raising a glass to everlasting love...” Then everything unravelled. A glass slipped from Gran’s hand, shattering at her feet. Her body swayed, eyes rolling back, and she collapsed like a fragile doll tipped from its shelf.

“Gran!” I lunged forward just as screams erupted around us. Chairs scraped, guests gasped. My world tunnelled into a single horrifying moment. I caught her before she hit the floor, her body limp in my arms, her skin cold frighteningly cold.

Someone called for a doctor, someone else called emergency services. Cassandra stood frozen, panic finally cracking her flawless mask. My mother was shouting, my father barked orders.

But all I saw… all I felt… was the weakening heartbeat beneath my shaking hands.

“Don’t you dare leave me,” I whispered fiercely, voice cracking. “Stay with me. Please.”

Her eyes fluttered halfway open, barely conscious, but filled with a sorrowful pleading.

“Find her,” she whispered, breath ghosting against my ear. “Your happiness… don’t let them kill it.” And then her eyes closed fully.

“Gran!” My shout echoed through the chaos. The engagement celebration had transformed into a nightmare. Nothing tonight was right. Nothing tonight felt like destiny, except maybe this.

‘The world had just reminded me that time is fragile… and love waits for no one.’