Torn Between Two Vows

CHAPTER 2: JUST HAD TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH

The next morning sun shone brightly over the grand city, casting a warm glow on the busy streets. While Meena spent the afternoon shopping with Alex’s mother, armed with his unlimited black card and preparing for the upcoming wedding, Alexander was spending his day far away from the wedding hustle.

He had booked out the entire private lounge of an elite club for privacy. There were no outsiders, no media, and no security cameras. Only Alex and four of his closest high society friends occupied the massive VIP snooker room.

Among them all, Alex was the youngest, yet by far the richest. At just twenty seven years old, he had achieved more than triple the net worth of the most successful businessmen in the country. Three years ago, after his father, the famous late Joshua Sterling, passed away, the mighty Sterling Empire had been left in his hands and under Alex’s fierce management, the company had grown massively across the continent, its total worth swelling into tens of billions of dollars.

Today, Alex looked effortlessly attractive. Dressed in a stylish denim on denim outfit, with dark designer shades sitting on his porcelain pale skin, he looked more like a global celebrity than a ruthless CEO.

"To the groom to be!" one of his friends cheered, raising a glass of whiskey as the snooker balls clattered across the green felt. "Honestly, Alex, we never thought we’d see the day you’d actually settle down."

"I still can't believe the wedding is in three weeks," another laughed. "Congratulations, man. You really scored big."

Alex didn’t even look up as he lined up his cue stick. "Thanks," he replied smoothly, his voice calm and relaxed.

With a sharp c***k, he struck the white ball, sending two solid balls straight into the corner pockets. Without breaking his stride, he signaled to the private bartender at the back. "Bring another round of drinks."

A moment later, three of his friends excused themselves to grab fresh glasses from the marble counter at the far end of the long room, leaving only Alex and his best friend, Kyler, standing near the table.

Kyler watched Alex line up his next shot. "I didn't get a chance to say it properly last night with all those reporters around, Alex. Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

"Appreciate it, Kyle," Alex said quietly, chalking the tip of his cue stick.

However, Alex’s sharp instincts immediately picked up on something off. Kyler wasn't taking his turn. He was standing there, staring at him, shifting his weight as if holding back words he desperately wanted to say.

Even though Alex kept his eye on the snooker table, nothing ever escaped him.

"What are you thinking about, Kyle?" Alex asked, his tone cool and direct.

Kyler hesitated, looking away for a second before letting out a slow breath. "Nothing... just thinking about the wedding."

"You're a terrible liar," Alex said, taking another precise shot. c***k. Another ball sank cleanly into the pocket. "Out with it."

After a long pause, Kyler finally opened up. "Do you really love Meena, Alex? I mean... truly love her?"

Alex stopped mid movement. He stood up straight, towering over the table, his dark eyes locked onto Kyler behind his shades.

"Of course I f*****g do," Alex answered without a single second of hesitation. "With my life."

Kyler swallowed hard, but he forced himself to meet his best friend's gaze. "I just... I don't want to see you caught in the middle of two women later on, Alex. A wedding isn't a game. You have to be absolutely sure of what you want before you make any final move."

The moment those words left Kyler's mouth, the atmosphere in the entire VIP room shifted instantly.

The warmth in the air vanished, replaced by a sudden, suffocating cold. The drop in temperature was so sharp and deadly that the three friends standing near the counter stopped talking mid sentence, a sudden chill running down their spines as they looked back toward the snooker table in confusion.

Alex didn't say a word. He didn't yell, and he didn't smash anything. He just stood there, staring intently at the white ball on the green felt, his face completely expressionless.

Yet, beneath his calm porcelain skin, a storm of messy, dark emotions surged. The deadly aura radiating off his tall frame was so intense that it made the large room feel tiny.

He didn't need Kyler to say a name. He knew exactly who his best friend was talking about when he said " in the middle of two women"

He was talking about Tracy.

Tracy, his ex-girlfriend, who had been lying in a vegetative coma for five long years after a fatal car accident on his twenty second birthday. Five years of silence. Five years of carrying guilt, pain, and forgotten memories.

Kyler felt his throat go completely dry under Alex's overwhelming aura. Looking at Alex, one wouldn't even know he was the one releasing such a terrifying energy because he looked so still, but everyone in the room knew. Only Alexander Sterling possessed an aura that powerful.

Kyler immediately cursed himself internally for opening his mouth. He instantly regretted dragging up a painful ghost from the past on what was supposed to be a celebratory day.

"Alex, look, I'm sorry...." Kyler quickly opened his mouth to cover it up, trying to take the words back.

"You just had to open your mouth," Alex interrupted softly. His voice was low, smooth, and dangerously calm.

Without another word, Alex dropped the wooden cue stick onto the green cloth. He turned on his heel and walked straight out of the VIP lounge, his long strides swift and unreadable.

"Alex! Wait, man!" his friends called out from the counter, rushing forward in confusion.

Alex completely ignored their calls. He pushed through the heavy double doors of the venue and stepped out into the bright afternoon heat, heading straight toward his bright orange Lamborghini Veneno parked in the VIP driveway.

He unlocked the supercar, slid into the driver's seat, and slammed the door shut. A second later, the massive V12 engine roared to life with a fierce, thunderous growl. Alex hit the gas pedal, and the orange Lamborghini shot out of the driveway like a rocket, speeding onto the highway and disappearing into the bustling city at breakneck speed.

Back inside the private room, the rest of the group walked over to the snooker table, looking at Kyler in total shock.

"Bro, what the hell just happened?" one of them asked, looking toward the door Alex had just walked through. "What did you say to him?"

Kyler stood by the table in silence, staring at the dropped cue stick. He swallowed hard, his throat tight, literally unable to utter a single word.