Chapter 4

RUBBY'S POV 

The crunch of snow underneath my boots seemed louder than anything as I ran after Alexander outside the restaurant and the sight froze me mid-step: Nolan, his face bloodied, was on the snow while Alexander’s guards completely surrounded him. Their fists were landing punches, their boots kicking into him over and over.

From the moment Alexander left the lounge, I knew he was going to turn into a raging wreck but the sight before me felt way too real. 

“Stop!” I screamed, my voice cutting through the cold air as I snapped out of my daze. 

The guards paused, their eyes flicking toward Alexander, who stood a few feet away, unmoved. He didn’t speak, only raised a questioning brow at me.

“Alexander, this has gone too far,” I said, stepping forward, my breath visible in the icy air. “Call them off.”

His blue eyes pierced through me. “He deserves it. This bastard made your face hurt. He deserves this and death.”

“I don’t care what he deserves!” I snapped, my voice trembling with desperation. I didn't want anyone to die, not on me and why did he care so much? “I’m asking you to stop. Please.”

For a long moment, he stared at me, his jaw tightening. 

“He hit you.”

“And your men have given him ten times that just let him go please,” I pleaded. I was getting terrified of all the drama. I wanted it to end already. 

Then, with a reluctant sigh, he lifted his hand. “Let him go.”

The guards stepped back, but Alexander wasn’t finished. He strode forward, crouching down to grab Nolan by the collar, his voice low and menacing. “This is your only warning. If you so much as breathe the same air with her again, I’ll make sure you regret it. Understand?”

Nolan, bloodied and shaking, nodded weakly.

“Good,” Alexander said, releasing him with a shove. “Now crawl back to whatever hole you came from.”

I watched as Nolan stumbled to his feet and staggered off into the snow filled night. My chest ached with a mix of anger and pity, but I shoved it down, focusing on the man who now stood beside me.

“You didn’t have to be so harsh,” I muttered, glancing up at Alexander.

“He deserved worse,” he replied coldly. Then, his tone softened slightly as he looked at me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, but my voice betrayed me. “I don’t know… This isn’t how I wanted things to go. I wanted him to suffer a bit and–”

He sighed, slipping his arm around my shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get back inside and he deserves more than this but since you asked.”

The warmth of the restaurant was almost euphoric. Possibly because outside was freezing cold. My friends were staring, their expressions a mix of confusion and amazement. They hadn't seen me with someone like Alexander. Like, never. Becca however, eyed him suspiciously through her wine glass. 

 They were still angry about what happened with Nolan but they were also curious about Alexander. 

“Rubby,” Cynthia started, her voice cautious. “What just happened? Was that the Nolan guy you wouldn't shut up about? What on earth gave him the audacity to hit you? Were you in an abusive relationship? Do you want me calling the guards?”

“I can have him dead by tomorrow morning.” Becca said quietly with her phone in hand. 

I hesitated, but Alexander stepped in, his voice calm as usual with that silky feel. “You don't have to worry about that. It’s handled now.”

Becca, ever the blunt one, smirked. “Well, this Alexander guy definitely knows how to make an entrance but I don't trust you one tiny bit and I want to see that motherfuckers guts all over the fucking floor like the bastard he is.”

I couldn’t help but smile faintly. If this didn't die down, Becca would do what she wanted and I didn't want anyone dead. “Everyone, this is Alexander. Alex, these are my friends, Becca and Cynthia.”

“Nice to meet you,” he took their hands and immediately released them as if he couldn't stand the contact any longer. 

Thankfully they were too smitten by his looks to notice. 

“I must say, you caught a really gorgeous one. I could have sworn I've seen him in the magazines a couple of times,” Becca said. 

“Maybe you have,” I winked at them and they cooed. 

“No freaking way! How did you two meet? I'm dying for all the tea!” Cynthia squealed and I chuckled. Alexander took out his phone, completely detaching himself from our girl's talk, only dropping a simple one-sentence answer to every question thrown his way. 

The night was soon over and he had a guard drop off me and the girls. 

The next day, I headed to the airport to pick up my parents. My heart raced as I spotted my parents emerging from the crowd and I immediately ran towards them with child-like excitement. It had been forever! 

“Rubby!” Mom exclaimed, pulling me into a warm hug. God, I've missed this!

Dad followed, his grin wide. “There’s our girl.”

I clung to them, the familiar scent of home bringing tears to my eyes. “I’ve missed you both so much.”

As we walked toward the car, Mom asked, “So, how’s Nolan? We thought he’d be here to pick us up with you.”

My stomach twisted. I hadn't thought about them asking me about him. They knew him all too well, even better than I knew him, and they spoke to him on a regular basis. I wasn't sure how they were going to take the news of our breakup, but I hoped it would be something they could easily move on from. 

Even though I, myself, wasn't totally over it. 

“It’s… complicated,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’ll explain everything when we get home.”

Thankfully, they didn't push and just accepted the words the way I told them. It made things a lot easier for me. 

The drive home was lively as we chatted about their vacation in Maldives and how we were going to spend New Year. 

“Are we still getting a wedding on New Year's Eve?” My mother asked and I almost choked on nothing. Fuck, why did she have to bring that up? 

“Darling, she's driving. Allow the girl to concentrate! We can talk about all this at home!” My father quickly came to my rescue. 

“Listen to your husband, mama,” I said, ignoring the dread forming a pit in my stomach. 

I had totally forgotten all about the marriage. It wasn't even included in the deal I made with Alexander. 

“But I want to know,’’ she pouted. 

“He's coming over for dinner. You can drill him all you want then,” I told her and the rest of the drive was pleasantly chatty. 

Later that evening, my mother and I prepared dinner. The table was set, and the house was filled with the rich aroma of roasted chicken and garlic. My parents exchanged curious glances as I poured wine for them.

“So,” Dad began, leaning back in his chair. “This man you want us to meet…what’s he like?”

It was almost funny that they were asking about Nolan when they practically knew everything about him. I couldn't wait to surprise them with Alexander.

A part of me was scared of their reaction but it was worth looking forward to. 

I smiled nervously. “You’ll meet him soon. He’s… special.”

“Now that's what I like to hear,” my mother grinned. 

“As long as he treats you right, I am okay with it,” my father shrugged. “When exactly does he arrive?” 

“Soon,” I answered. 

But as the minutes ticked by, my anxiety grew. I checked my phone for the fifth time, my heart sinking when there were no messages.

I dropped a few texts for him but there was no reply to any of them. A frown played on my lips. We discussed this last night and I told him my parents were big on first impressions. 

Finally, I called him. The line rang endlessly before he picked up.

“Rubby,” Alexander’s voice was curt. “I’m in a meeting.”

“A meeting?” I echoed, my voice rising. “Alexander, you promised you would be here for dinner. My parents are waiting to meet you!”

The pause that followed told me I was about to like what he was going to say. 

As if on cue, he asked, “What dinner?” 

I couldn't believe my ears. Was he being serious right now?

“Is this a joke?” My stomach dropped. “The dinner, Alexander. We planned this!”

I hated that my voice was rising but I couldn't help it. He was raising my blood pressure.

His sigh crackled through the phone. “I’ll call you back.”

Huh? 

The line went dead, leaving me holding the phone, my heart pounding. I tried calling him again but he wouldn't answer. I didn't know whether to feel angry or disappointed. 

My parents exchanged worried glances.

“Is everything okay?” Mom asked gently. I could tell she already had a clue of what was going on. 

I forced a smile, though my chest felt tight. “Yeah, he’s just running late.”

Dinner was silent, and I had completely lost my appetite, but I forced myself to eat so my parents wouldn't worry.

First meeting with the parents and he stood me up. So much for first impressions! Now the bastard was going to make me explain what I didn't want to. And to think I thought he was being sweet and nice to me.