Chapter 7

“Don’t tell him to stay out of it,” Alexis shot back. “You lost the right to dictate anything about my life the moment you decided to crawl into bed with my best friend. Or do you need me to spell that out for you?”

Sophia finally stepped forward, her voice meek. “Alexis, please, this isn’t the place...”

“Don’t you dare,” Alexis cut her off, her eyes blazing as she turned on Sophia. “You don’t get to play the peacemaker now. You’re as much to blame as he is.”

Sophia shrank back, her lips trembling as tears welled in her eyes.

Ryan looked between them, his frustration mounting. “Alexis, you’re making a scene. Let’s talk about this somewhere private...”

“Oh, now you care about privacy?” Alexis said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s rich coming from the man who just waltzed out of the hotel with his mistress like it’s a walk in the park.”

Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Julian’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

He fished it out, glancing at the screen, and his expression tightened.

“Excuse me,” Julian said, his tone calm but firm as he took a step back to answer the call.

Alexis didn’t even notice at first, too caught up in her argument with Ryan.

“Face it, Ryan,” she said, her voice steady now, her anger giving her clarity. “Whatever we had is over. You destroyed it. And no amount of posturing is going to change that.”

Ryan’s lips pressed into a thin line, but before he could retaliate, Julian returned, sliding his phone into his pocket.

His expression was calm but purposeful, a stark contrast to the brewing tension in the air.

Alexis turned slightly toward him, her frustration giving way to curiosity. “What is it?”

Julian’s voice was quiet, meant only for her. “Something urgent has come up. I need to leave.” He glanced briefly at Ryan and Sophia before returning his gaze to Alexis, his tone steady. “But I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re okay.”

The sincerity in his voice steadied her.

Alexis took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she turned back to Ryan. Her decision had already been made, but this moment called for finality.

“You know what, Ryan?” she began, her voice slicing through the tension. “Let’s settle this once and for all.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow, his bravado faltering. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Alexis took a step closer, her words deliberate. “I’m breaking up with you. Consider this the official end of whatever we had.”

Ryan’s jaw dropped slightly, his confidence shaken. “You can’t be serious, Alexis. I made a mistake, but...”

“No,” she interrupted, her tone firm. “You didn’t just make a mistake, Ryan. You made a choice. Over and over again. And now, I’m making mine.”

His face turned red, whether from anger or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell. “You’re not thinking clearly. This... this is just a phase. You’re upset.”

“You’re damn right I’m upset,” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “But that doesn’t make this any less real. It’s over, Ryan. I’m done.”

Sophia looked like she wanted to melt into the pavement, her eyes darting between the two. “Alexis, please, I...”

“Don’t,” Alexis cut her off coldly, not even sparing her a glance. “You’re not worth my time, Sophia. Neither of you are.”

Turning on her heel, she stepped away from them.

Ryan reached out as if to stop her, his voice rising in desperation. “Alexis, wait! We can fix this!”

She paused, but only to cast a glance over her shoulder. Her expression was resolute. “No, we can’t. You’ll regret this, Ryan. I promise you that.”

Without another word, she walked away, leaving Ryan and Sophia in stunned silence.

Julian fell into step beside her, his presence grounding in the aftermath of the confrontation.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

When they were far enough from the hotel, Julian finally broke the silence. “That was... impressive.”

Alexis let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her shoulders sagging slightly. “It was long overdue.”

He nodded, glancing at her sideways. “You handled it better than most would have.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thanks. For standing by me back there.”

Julian shrugged lightly. “You didn’t need me, but I wasn’t about to let you face them alone.”

They stopped at the curb, and Julian pulled out his phone to call for a taxi.

As they waited, Alexis turned to him, her gaze softening. “So, about that emergency...”

Julian hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Family stuff. I really do need to get going.”

She studied him for a moment, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. “You didn’t have to stay.”

“I know,” he said simply. “But I wanted to.”

The taxi arrived, and Julian opened the door for her.

She hesitated before sliding in, her hand brushing against his as she did.

“Take care of yourself, Alexis,” he said, his voice gentle but firm.

She looked up at him, her heart fluttering unexpectedly at the way he said her name. “You too, Julian.”

As the taxi pulled away, Alexis watched him through the window until he was out of sight.

A strange sensation settled in her chest, something unfamiliar but not unwelcome.