Chapter 141
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You can streak down Main Street buck naked. How’s that for a price?”
Alex shrugged. “Fine. But I expect you to do the same if he says my wine is genuine,”
Jack guffawed like he’d just won the lottery. “Deal! Let’s see who’s stripping tonight.”
+25 BONUS
He stepped away to make a quick phone call. A few minutes later, he returned, practically glowing with the promise of victory.
*Listen up, everyone–this bottle here is labeled
‘Romanée–Conti 1945.‘ Seriously, can any of you picture Alex laying his hands on something so rare? Even the Kingstons don’t have a treasure like that!”
He sneered at Alex, fully convinced he’d backed him into a corner.
But Alex just stared back, unflinching. One way or another, the truth would soon be laid bare.
Three days on the private island had changed everything.
Kelly, known for a demeanor as frosty as winter, finally laid down her shield.
In that brief span, she showed Alex a tenderness and warmth she’d never shared with another soul.
For his part, Alex shut out the rest of the world, allowing Kelly to become his entire universe.
They forged memories so intimate and delicate, neither dared to share them with anyone else.
On the last afternoon, Alex stood on the beach, watching Kelly’s helicopter touch down in a swirling gust of sand and wind.
She climbed in, and the engine roared to life.
He swallowed hard as the aircraft lifted from the ground, growing smaller in the sunlit sky until it vanished over the horizon.
A familiar tune echoed through his mind, a bittersweet refrain:
“I once spent the night in same room,
Drank her water,
Ate her leftover meals.
Kissed her lips and held her close until dawn.
I saw her bare face when morning came,
Laughed with her, cried with her on the same movie,
Let her become part of me and me part of her-
Saw the most vulnerable pieces of her.
In this life, I’ve already been her husband in every way that counts,
Even if I’ll never truly have her.”
***
Inside the helicopter, Kelly’s expression turned cold again.
She clung to that iciness, as if it were the only armor she had left.
Yet one tear escaped, sliding down her cheek as the island receded into the distance.
She had intended these three days to be their final farewell–to walk away and forget him forever,
But the truth gnawed at her: every moment alone with Alex had only deepened her feelings.
A small, rueful smile curved her lips as she whispered into the rumbling cabin, “My heart still hasn’t given up on you.”
***
Back on the island, Alex’s smartwatch vibrated incessantly with missed calls.
He sighed before finally answering one from Jasmine.
“Alex, where have you been for three days?” she demanded.
He kept his voice measured. “I had something private to handle.”
“With Kelly?” Jasmine asked, and though she tried to sound casual, jealousy laced her words.
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