All Chapters of By Chance, By Fate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

12AlexJust as my anger reached its boiling point, ready to snap completely, a sharp knock echoed through the room. The sound was jarring, cutting through the tension like a knife.I froze, my chest heaving as I fought to keep my emotions in check. My fists were still clenched, every muscle in my body trembling with the effort not to unleash what I was holding back.“Seriously?” Liam’s voice broke through, dripping with mockery. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the door. “You’re gonna answer that? You’ve been losing your mind over a damn coffee stain, and now you’re stopping for a knock?”My eyes narrowed, my voice coming out low, barely controlled. “I’m not in the mood for this right now, Liam.” The words felt heavy on my tongue as I stood there, wrestling down the fire threatening to spill over. A second passed, and then another, before I forced myself to turn toward the door. “Stay the hell out of my way.”Liam shifted, stepping back with a smug grin. “Whatever. It’s not like y

14LiamThe sudden lurch of the elevator jerked me back to reality, snapping my thoughts like a rubber band. My heart had been hammering, the aftershocks of the panic attack still lingering in my chest like an open wound. I’d been shaking, but I tried to hide it. I knew Alex could see it, though—he’d been too damn close the whole time, and damn if I didn’t feel that.The crackle of the speaker had broken the silence in the elevator, the voice of some technician saying, “We’ve isolated the issue. Hang tight, we’re getting you out now.”Thank God. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take, the air so tight, every breath a struggle, but it was easing. Slowly. Not fast enough for me, but at least I wasn’t about to lose it again.Alex hadn’t said anything at first. I could feel him watching me, waiting for me to pull myself together. I wanted to tell him to stop looking at me like that, like he was waiting for me to fall apart again. But I couldn’t. He was trying to help. I knew he

16AlexThe room buzzed with the frantic energy of preparation and controlled panic. The summit was a diplomatic ballet that demanded perfection, and now, with the threat hanging over us, everything had to be airtight. The organizers, quick to act, had summoned both Liam and me to spearhead a joint task force. We were to project confidence and cooperation to the public, assuring them that security measures were not just in place but impenetrable. I caught sight of Liam standing near the far end of the room, his expression tense. He looked haunted, like someone trying to keep their head above water in a storm. I couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes darted between Charlotte and me when she stepped closer, her hand finding its way to my arm, fingers pressing lightly. She whispered, “Are you sure you’re okay? You seemed off, my love.” Her voice was soft, but it grated on me, a reminder of the suffocating attention she often drew.“I’m fine,” I said, keeping my tone even as I pulle

18Liam I woke up, the weight of yesterday's exhaustion still lingering in my muscles, but there was a shift—I felt better, steadier. The dull throb of tiredness was still there, but it didn’t suffocate me like before. I stretched, taking a moment to let the silence settle over me, eyes flicking to the slivers of light peeking through the curtains. Today would be different, I promised myself. Today, I’d find my way back into Alex’s orbit, or at least try to bridge the chasm that had opened between us.The memory of Charlotte’s kiss on Alex’s cheek, that familiar touch, still gnawed at the corners of my mind. It had played on a loop ever since I saw it, leaving me restless. But this morning, I felt determined to push past the jealousy. I was a prince; composure should be my crown. I needed to talk to him, to find a way to get close without the suffocating tension that threatened to crush me whenever she was around.The ritual of bathing calmed me, each splash of water washing away th

20LiamI turned and walked away, feeling a deep, shattering ache bloom in my chest. I had put everything out there, laid myself bare, and Alex had thrown it back with such cold finality it felt like a knife in the gut. The hallway seemed to stretch on endlessly as I forced one foot in front of the other, the distant echoes of murmured conversations blending into a blur. My vision swam with unshed tears, but I wouldn’t let them fall, not here, not now. Alex’s words repeated in my mind like a haunting refrain: There’s no room for this in our world.I wanted to scream, to punch something, to erase the last few days from existence. He couldn’t even admit that it meant something, not even a glimmer of what I knew was there. I pressed my fist to my chest, as if the pressure could push the pain away, but it only seemed to deepen it.Out in the gardens, the cool evening breeze hit my face, carrying the scent of jasmine and damp earth. I leaned against a stone pillar, the rough surface grou