All Chapters of By Chance, By Fate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

31AlexThe room fell into a tense silence after Charlotte’s whispered confession. She leaned back slightly, her hand still resting on my cheek, her thumb brushing over my stubble. “You need to relax, Alex,” she said softly, her voice almost coaxing. I took a step back, shaking my head. “Charlotte, I can’t do this right now.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, her frustration evident. “Why not? You’re so wound up, and it’s not healthy. You’ve been running on fumes for weeks.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Because there’s too much going on. The summit, the investigation, everything with Liam and Anders. I can’t just switch it all off like that.” Her gaze hardened, and she took a deliberate step toward me. “Alex, we’re a couple. Or did you forget that? It’s been weeks—months, even—since we’ve been... intimate.” Her voice dipped on the last word, a note of vulnerability creeping in. “I want you, Alex. I’ve always wanted you.” I hesitated, avoiding her eyes. “It’s n

33AlexLiam and I scrambled to separate, both of us fumbling to fix our appearances. My cheeks burned, and I avoided his gaze, but Elena's reaction made hiding impossible.“Elena,” I started, trying to think of a plausible explanation, but my voice came out shaky. “You... you were kissing him!” she exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at me like she’d just caught me committing a federal crime. “What the actual—what is wrong with you?”I buried my face in my hands. “Elena, it’s not what it looks like—”“Oh, really? Because it looked like you were trying to swallow Liam’s face!” She turned to Liam, her expression a mixture of disbelief and outrage. “And you—what, are you just gonna stand there and pretend this is normal?”Liam ran a hand through his hair, his composure slipping for the first time. “Elena, it’s complicated—”“Oh, I bet it’s complicated!” she snapped, crossing her arms. “Do you two even realize where you are? In a workplace? What if someone else had walked in? What if

35AlexI had to talk to Elena. As much as I wanted to avoid the confrontation, there was no way around it now. She’d seen everything—or at least, enough to jump to conclusions—and if I didn’t explain myself, she’d make my life hell. Hell, she probably would anyway. I was doomed.“Why the hell did I kiss him?” I muttered under my breath, pacing back and forth in my room. My heart was still racing from the kiss, from Liam’s outburst, and from the way Elena had looked at me, like I’d betrayed everything we stood for. “This is such a mess. I’m such a mess.”I grabbed my room key and headed to her suite, my body tense and my mind spinning. Every step down the long hallway felt like a countdown to disaster. By the time I reached her door, my palms were sweating.I knocked sharply, my stomach twisting as I waited. No answer.“Elena?” I called, knocking again. Still nothing.The door wasn’t locked, though, and I hesitated before pushing it open. “Elena, I—”“I’m in the bathroom, Alex!” her v

37AlexThe room felt like a suffocating cage after Elena stormed out, her sharp words still ringing in my ears. “Fix it.” How was I supposed to fix something this colossal? This wasn’t just a minor screw-up—it was the kind of mess that could end my career, ruin my father’s reputation, and permanently shatter the fragile peace of the summit. And, somehow, I had to navigate it without falling apart.I slumped onto the edge of Elena’s bed, burying my face in my hands. My mind raced through every possible scenario, each worse than the last. How could I possibly face Liam again after what he’d said? How could I make Elena understand when I barely understood myself? And Charlotte—God, Charlotte. I hadn’t even thought about what this meant for her.The door slammed open, jolting me from my thoughts. My stomach dropped when I saw my father standing in the doorway, his face carved from stone. His piercing gaze swept over me, and I knew immediately that Elena had gone to him.“Alex.” His voic

39AlexAfter my father left Elena’s suite, I stood there for a moment, trying to collect myself. The weight of his words still clung to me like iron chains. Fix it. No drama. Tonight’s gala would make or break everything, and I was stuck in the middle of this mess, barely holding it together. My head pounded with the echoes of his disappointment, and for once, I couldn’t even blame him. I’d made this bed, and now I had to lie in it.I needed to get out of here, to go back to my suite and get ready. The end of the summit was only hours away, and the gala was supposed to be the crowning jewel. The thought of mingling with world leaders and foreign dignitaries while pretending everything was fine made my stomach churn. But there was no way around it. I had to show up, smile, and play the part of the polished son of the President of the United States.When I reached my room, the tension in my body felt unbearable. I shut the door behind me, leaning back against it for a moment before pus