Alexander POV
I stared at the empty glass, the whiskey swirling inside like the mess I’d made of everything. The bar’s low lighting barely cut through the haze clouding my mind. Christiana’s face wouldn’t leave me, that distant, cold look in her eyes as she stood beside Daniel. She didn’t care anymore, didn’t even flinch when she looked at me.
“Sir, you’ve had enough,” James said, his voice tight with concern as he watched me pour another drink.
1 ignored him, tossing back the shot like it was water. The burn in my throat was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. “She used to look at me like that, you know?” My words slurred just a bit, but I didn’t care. I had to get it out, and had to spill the poison eating me alive. “Like I was the only man in the world.”
James sighed, glancing around the bar as if he could find someone to save me from myself. “Sir, this isn’t going to help. You’re just torturing yourself.”
“Torture” 1 laughed, a hollow sound that hurt even me. “This is justice, James. I’m just getting a taste of what I did to her. You know, I thought I was doing the right thing when I let her go. Listened to all the wrong people, let them twist everything until 1 couldn’t see straight. But it’s my fault. I was a coward. I should’ve fought for her, but instead, 1 let her go. And now she’s slipping away for good.”
1 slammed the glass down harder than I meant to, and it shattered, the sharp sound cutting through the low buzz of the bar. James flinched but didn’t say a word, just handed me a napkin to wipe the blood from my hand
“She’s not coming back, James,” I muttered, staring at the crimson staining the napkin. “I saw it in her eyes. She’s done with me. And she should be. I don’t deserve another chance after what I put her through.”
“Sir, wallowing in regret won’t change anything,” James said, his voice firm but respectful. “If you really want to make things right, you need to get yourself together. She won’t respect you like this, No one will
I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “Respect That’s long gone. She’s already moved on. Daniel’s everything I’m not–stable, dependable, kind. Hell, he’s probably better for her and the kids than I ever was.”
James leaned forward, lowering his voice. “She’s not with him yet. You still have a chance to be the father your kids need, the man Christiana used to love. But not like this
“Chance?” I muttered, my vision blurring as the alcohol took full effect. “There’s no chance when you’re already the villain in her story,”
I could still see it–Christiana standing tall, her eyes locking onto mine with nothing but indifference. Not even hate, just… nothing. Like I didn’t exist. Like I’d never mattered. I’d given up everything for what? A fleeting fantasy? A life without her had become empty, hollow, and now the regret was a black hole sucking me down, with no escape in sight.
“She’s mine,” I whispered, more to myself than to James. “She was always mine.”
But even as I said it, the truth sank in–she wasn’t mine anymore. I’d let her slip away, and now she was within reach of someone else. Someone who hadn’t betrayed her, who didn’t destroy her trust. And the thought of her being with Daniel, Laughing with him, smiling the way she used to with me–that was the dagger twisting in my chest.
James sighed, standing and looking down at me with pity. “Sir, if you keep this up, you’ll lose everything. It’s not too late to turn things around, but you need to make a choice.”
“Choice?” I snorted. “The choice was made a long time ago when I threw everything away. Now, I’m just watching the consequences play out.”
“Then do something about it,” James urged. “Get up, sober up, and stop letting this break you. You’re stronger than this.”
I wanted to listen, wanted to believe there was still a way out of this hell, but the darkness was all I could see. The image of Christiana in Daniel’s arms haunted me, taunting me with everything I’d lost.
“I need another drink,” I muttered, waving the bartender over. But before I could reach for the glass, James grabbed my arm
“That’s enough, sir. You’re not going to drink away your mistakes. You’re going to face them and fix this, or you’re going to watch everything slip away for good”
Chapter 30
I yanked my arm free, but the fire in James’s eyes made me pause. He was right. As much as I wanted to drown in this misery. it wasn’t going to bring her back. Nothing would unless I took control.
I leaned back, closing my eyes, letting the alcohol buzz numb my thoughts for just a moment longer. “You’re right,” I whispered. “But the damage is already done.”
James sighed, stepping back, but the weight of his words lingered. As I sat there, staring into the empty glass, I knew that this was it. I could keep spiraling, or I could pull myself together and fight for the only thing that ever truly mattered.
But as I imagined Christiana’s face, cold and distant, one que
stion echoed in my mind: Was it already too late?
