Chapter 18
Overseas, the preliminary phase of the dock warehouse renovation project was finally completed.
A small celebration was held at the site.
There were no lavish decorations or noisy guests, only Braelynn, Alexander, and a few of the core team members they had originally recruited.
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Alexander somehow managed to procure a case of beer and some simple food.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast its light on the newly refurbished warehouse walls, and everyone wore tired yet hopeful smiles.
Braelynn held a can of beer, gazing at the site that had begun to take shape before her, her heart filled with emotion.
A few months ago, she had arrived here in a sorry state, her future uncertain. Now, though things were still difficult, at least she could see a glimmer of hope.
None of this would have been possible without the determination and protection of the man beside her.
She turned her head to look at Alexander, who stood next to her.
He was tilting his head back to drink, his Adam’s apple moving, the lines of his profile appearing especially strong in the sunset.
He seemed to sense her gaze, lowered his head to look at her, his eyes questioning.
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Braelynn raised her beer can, looking at him sincerely. “Alexander, thank you. Without you, this project could never have gone so smoothly.”
Alexander looked at her face, bathed in the soft glow of the sunset, his eyes flickering slightly as he clinked his can against hers. “It was your planning that made it work.”
His praise was still as concise and direct as ever, yet it made Braelynn’s heart skip a beat.
At that moment, a team member teased, “Alexander, Braelynn, you two work together so well! Shouldn’t you have a special toast just between the two of you?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Braelynn’s cheeks flushed slightly.
Alexander frowned, glaring at the person who had started the teasing. “What nonsense are you talking about? Get back to work!” His tone was stern, but he wasn’t truly angry.
The group dispersed with laughter, continuing to eat, drink, and chat.
Just as the atmosphere was at its best, one of Alexander’s men hurried over and whispered a few words in his ear.
Alexander’s brow furrowed instantly, his expression darkening. He glanced at Braelynn and signaled for his subordinate to leave.
“What’s wrong?” Braelynn sensed something was off and asked.
Alexander was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. “Zachary is here again. This time, he’s making a big show of it–he’s booked the top–floor suite at a downtown hotel. It looks like he’s here for you, and he won’t give up until he gets what he wants.”
The smile vanished from Braelynn’s face in an instant, her heart sinking.
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That suffocating feeling of being pursued and pressured washed over her again.
She had thought that leaving America would free her from the past, but she hadn’t expected Zachary to follow her like a persistent shadow.
“Don’t worry.” Alexander’s voice interrupted her thoughts, steady and reassuring. “This is our place, not America where he can do whatever he wants. If you don’t want to see him, no one can force you.
He looked at Braelynn’s slightly pale face, his gaze sharp. “What do you want to do? Do you want to see him?”
Braelynn gripped the cold beer can in her hand, the chill helping her regain her composure.
She lifted her head, her eyes fixed on the last trace of sunlight on the distant horizon, her voice clear and resolute. “No.”
The humiliation, false accusations, confinement, and the incident he allowed to happen just to prove something to Carolina–all of it was like icy thorns lodged in her heart.
No amount of regret or apologies could easily remove them.
It had taken her so much effort to stand up again here; she would never allow anyone to destroy that.
“Alright.” Alexander nodded, not pressing further. “I know what to do.”
After the celebration, Alexander drove Braelynn back to her apartment.
When the car stopped in front of the apartment building, Braelynn got out and said to Alexander in the driver’s seat, “Thank you for bringing me back, and… thank you for standing by my side.”
Alexander rested one hand on the steering wheel. In the darkness, his outline was a bit blurred, but his eyes shone brightly.
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“I told you,” his voice was low, “here, no one can force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
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He paused, as if making a decision, and added, “From now on, I’ll always be here at times like this.”
It wasn’t sweet talk, nor even a promise, but it was like a heavy stone dropped into the lake of Braelynn’s heart, sending ripples through her.
She looked at him. The night blurred their vision, but made the feelings stirring between them all the clearer.
“Okay.” She replied softly, then turned and walked into the apartment building.
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Alexander didn’t leave right away. He sat in the car, lit a cigarette, the red tip flickering in the darkness.
Only when he saw the lights come on in Braelynn’s apartment did he stub out his cigarette, start the car, and drive off into the night with a low growl from the engine.
There were some problems that needed to be dealt with in advance.
He would not let anyone disturb the hard–won new life she had just begun.
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