“Listen to me. You were doing amazingly. What happened wasn’t your fault, it was something that was out of your control,” he explained. “Even if by some rare chance that you were to fall in front of a room full of people, you’d be amazed by how many of them would show their concern.”“Yeah, or decid
[Evelyn’s POV]Good girl.I shouldn’t have read into it...I should have just ignored it and claimed it as a passing comment that held no serious meaning.Alexander probably had no idea what he even said. It probably meant nothing to him and I’m just making it out to be more than it is. But, goddamn
“I don’t believe that you’re overstepping in the slightest. In fact, I’m glad that you’re taking Alexander’s well-being into your own hands. It’s been made clear that he doesn’t seem to put much care into himself, recently. I am glad he has you to do that for him at the moment,” she explained.“I ju
[Evelyn’s POV]There was no way that I was seeing what my eyes were showing me. It wasn’t possible.I felt awkward enough going to Alexander’s office, knowing that I wasn’t normally permitted to be there. And it wasn’t as though I had ever asked about it in the past, but I knew by then Alexander's o
It was a legit option, although I was going to have a hell of a time explaining myself as to how I knew about the hidden side of his face. That would mean admitting that I had basically snuck into his office.I don’t want him to think that I purposely invaded his private space; nor do I want him to
[Third-Person’s POV]Needless to say, Alexander didn’t exactly have important business to deal with that morning.There really wasn’t anything that required his immediate attention. So then why had he made Oliver go to speak with Evelyn this morning, telling her that he was busy?Having spent the la
[Evelyn’s POV]I agreed to Alexander’s deal.I almost didn’t, though. I know for the last several days he and I had been working rigorously on my etiquette lessons and ensuring my success when the time came. But, I didn’t actually think that such a time would happen so soon!The very thought of be
[Evelyn’s POV]It felt very much like a date. From the sensual dim lighting to the gentle, smooth music planning in the background. For crying out loud, we were literally sitting at a private table for two in what had to be one of the most exclusive restaurants in the area.Everything about the situ
[Third-Person’s POV]Alexander was more than glad to know that Evelyn’s training had only managed to progress from that point on. Between hearing her own personal recounts of her sessions as well as checking in with either Erik or Thomas, he was satisfied.With one less thing pressing on his mind, A
Instead of helping him up, I actually reached down and snagged one of his ankles and, with all my strength, dragged me across the room. I heard the faint chuckles of Erik and Alexander as they watched this entire scene unfold.I’m sure it looked utterly ridiculous. Thomas was more than twice the siz
[Evelyn’s POV]I glanced at the mat on the floor but didn’t move an inch.I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Alexander, wherever it is that you’re planning, I’m not sure—”“Will you please just trust me?” he prompted.I clenched my jaw and, against my better judgment, moved over to the mat
That same, familiar pair of hands that had a high tendency to hold me close at night, came to wrap around my waist. My head tilted to the side as Alexander gathered most of my hair onto one of my shoulders.It was hard to believe that there was once a time when he and I weren’t like this. The though
[Evelyn’s POV]I really tried not to let the whole matter bother me. I was fairly sure that I wasn’t the only person to exist that wasn’t trainable. Still, I felt horrible knowing that I had wasted Erik and Thomas’ time.Every muscle and joint in my body was aching and for what? I couldn’t even say
“Believe me, although you got a little wobbly at the end there, it’s good to see that you still have that fire in you?”I turned back to glance at him with a questionable look. “Fire?”The two shared a knowing look with each other. “We, uh, heard about what happened with your Stepsister.”“Word alwa
[Third-Person’s POV]Evelyn had lost count of the number of times her curled fist connected with the hanging punching bag. The first few times were fine, having been shown the proper form. However, after the tenth time, she was really beginning to feel the burn in various parts of her body. Her join
Oliver had specifically expressed the importance of releasing a follow-up statement that could not only save face but rebuke anything the King had to say in regard to Alexander’s character.While Alexander was busy working on his newest press release, I had taken up my time in the greenhouse. I’d su
[Third-Person’s POV]Fiona felt frantic. Her nerves were growing more and more strained and coiled by the second.No. No, surely, Caroline had to be wrong in her assumption that she would be so clumsy and foolish as to leave something so vital behind.That night has been a manic blur from start to e