Bab 5: CHAPTER 5: A New Discovery
My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs as the hostess led me towards the corner window seat. There, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, sat Alexander Westcott. He looked even more handsome than when I saw him earlier, his broad shoulders filling out his tailored suit effortlessly. But there was none of the brooding intensity I'd anticipated based on Nicola's cryptic description. Instead, a warm smile spread across his face as he rose to greet me. No, not me. Who he thought I was. Ava.
"Ava!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with a genuine joy that sent shivers down my spine. "You look..." He trailed off, his gaze lingering on me for a beat too long. "Different. But still very much you."
I forced a smile, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. "Different city, new look, you know how it is. Must have gotten a tan from spending so much time in the sun in Europe" I offered, channeling the carefree spirit Nicola had drilled into me from the iPad information.
He chuckled, the sound deep and warm. "Right, of course. It's good to have you back, though." His hand reached for mine, and a jolt of electricity shot through me as our fingers met. The warmth of his touch sent a tremor through me, a stark contrast to the cold calculation I'd been trying to maintain.
"It's good to be back," I lied smoothly, trying to ignore the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside me.
As we settled into our seats, a whirlwind of questions swirled in my head. Maybe it was the Ava effect but this was definitely not the cold, mechanical business tycoon that newspapers and blogs talked about. Was this gentle, kind man the same Alexander they'd described? Or was there more to the story, a hidden darkness lurking beneath the surface? Doubts gnawed at me, but the chance to uncover the truth about Ava and the Westcotts was a spark I couldn't ignore.
Dinner flowed surprisingly well. I relied heavily on the information from the iPad, skillfully weaving tales of Ava's adventures and dropping casual mentions of inside jokes. Alexander, surprisingly, seemed more interested in catching up than dwelling on the past. He spoke of his work, his passions, and even confided in me about his struggles leading Westcott Enterprises.
However, curiosity gnawed at me. "What happened, Alex?" I blurted out, using the nickname the iPad file had shown them using. "Why did I leave? What do you remember?"
A flicker of sadness crossed his features. "We had an argument," he confessed, his voice strained. "A stupid one, really. But you just... vanished. No goodbye, no explanation. It's like you fell off the face of the earth."
My heart ached for him. "What was it about?" I pressed gently.
He hesitated, then sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore, does it? I'm just glad you're back." The sincerity in his voice was undeniable, and a pang of guilt flickered within me.
The rest of the evening was a delightful blur of conversation and laughter. We discussed different topics and even debated the merits of various art galleries (a subject where I managed to fake a surprising amount of knowledge thanks to the research I'd been doing for my novel).
As the night drew to a close, a pang of disappointment settled in my stomach. The man sitting in front of me was charming, witty, and undeniably attractive. I found myself genuinely enjoying his company, a dangerous reality considering the precarious situation I was in.
"Can I take you home?" Alexander offered, his gaze lingering on me for a moment too long. My stomach lurched, and my mind raced. How much further could I push this charade?
"Thank you, that's so kind," I lied smoothly, "but Nicola's driver is already on his way."
A flicker of disappointment crossed his features, but he quickly recovered. "Of course," he said, his smile returning. "Though I'm surprised that you would accept her offer. You didn't see eye to eye for years."
Well, this was a new discovery.
"We decided to bury the hatchet, I suppose." I said with a nervous smile.
We walked out of the restaurant together, the cool night air sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. As we reached my waiting car, Alexander turned to me, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
"Thank you for tonight, Ava," he said, his voice a low murmur. "It's truly been wonderful having you back."
Before I could respond, he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss on my cheek. The warmth of his touch lingered long after he pulled away. As I slipped into the car, leaving Alexander standing in the shadows, a million confusing emotions swirled within me.
One thing was clear: I was treading a dangerous path. The thrill of unearthing the secret about Ava and Alexander plus the financial benefits attached was overshadowed by a growing fear that perhaps I should have never accepted the job at all.
My phone buzzed with an incoming call, shattering the silence of my apartment as I stepped into it. Glancing at the screen, I saw Nicola's name flash. Curiosity battled with a gnawing sense of dread as I pressed answer.
"Evie," Nicola's voice crackled through the line, laced with a tension I hadn't heard before. "Did you ask him anything about…well, anything?"
I chewed on my bottom lip, replaying the day's interactions with Alexander. "Just about the argument," I finally replied, deciding not to say more. "The usual things, according to the information you gave me."
Another beat of silence followed, thick with unspoken worry. "Alright," Nicola said, her voice strained. "Just making sure. Everything seems under control?"
"As much as it can be," I admitted, the plush living room suddenly feeling suffocating. "He didn't seem entirely convinced by the reason why I moved, though."
There was a sharp intake of breath from the other end. "Did he suspect anything?" she pressed, urgency creeping into her tone.
"I don't think so" I confessed, frustration tightening my voice. She had to tell me everything because I was sure there was more to the story.
"Listen," she began, her voice low and serious. "There's something you need to know, Evie, something I didn't tell you earlier."
A shiver ran down my spine. "What is it?"
"Alexander was in an accident a few months ago, around the time Ava…vanished," she revealed hesitantly. "He has some memory loss."
My breath hitched. Accident? Memory loss? "Memory loss?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah," Nicola sighed. "We are not certain yet of what he truly remembers and the board of directors must not hear a word of this, either. Be very careful about stressing him out, understand? Don't push him on anything, especially the past."
The weight of this new information settled on me like a lead blanket. This wasn't just walking a tightrope; this was navigating a minefield blindfolded.
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