Chapter 006

"Jemma, I thought you were done with me."

Alex's words struck me more forcefully than I had anticipated. With a glass of whiskey in his hand, he stood before me, the amber liquid whirling as if it reflected the confusion in my head. There was no denying the tension between us, even if I hadn't yet told him about Damien's message regarding my former existence resurfacing in my life.

This was not what I had requested. I hadn't requested his assistance, his care, or for him to reappear in my life like a specter from the past. However, he was still attempting to reconstruct what we had previously had.

My voice was colder than I intended when I answered, "I never said I was done with you." "I simply must do this by myself."

Placing the glass on the table between us, Alex arched an eyebrow. "Alone? Jemma, you have no idea who you're up against. You've been playing a risky game, and if you keep pushing people away, it won't work out well for you.

I inhaled deeply, resisting the impulse to yell at him. However, he was correct. I was out of my depth, even if I wasn't prepared to acknowledge it. Every time I thought I was getting close to the truth, something stopped me, even though I had vowed to get revenge for everything that had been taken from me.

I finally said, more softly than before, "You're right." However, I can't let anyone get in my way. Not right now.

For a brief period, Alex's face relaxed, and his eyes briefly glowed with that warmth I had thought I had lost. He knew pain, but he couldn't fathom everything. In the silent times when he wasn't speaking, I could see it in the way he looked at me.

He remarked, "You don't have to do this alone." He spoke in a low, nearly whispery voice. "Jemma, I'm not requesting your permission to fix it. However, I can assist you in locating the solutions. Together, we can solve this.

The idea of working with anyone, much less Alex, was too much for me to handle, so I shook my head. I wasn't sure if I could trust him again because I had been deceived in the past. Not when my emotions were still jumbled from everything that had transpired.

“Please,” he said, taking a step forward. "Allow me to assist you. I have the resources, you know. You are aware of my concern for you. I always have.

Between us, the words lingered. They drew me nearer to something I wasn't sure I was prepared for, like an anchor. I was attempting to recover a part of myself that I had believed was lost forever, not merely to reconstruct my life.

I took a deep breath. "What do you expect in exchange?"

He seemed to know I would ask the question, because his smile was almost mournful.

"Jemma, I just want you to stop running. Allow me to participate. It's not necessary for you to confront it alone.

His remarks should have been consoling, but instead they only made my predicament seem more pressing. Would I be able to rely on him once more? Could I have faith that he wouldn't back off when things got tough?

I tried to ignore the flutter in my chest and drew my eyes away from him. "I don’t know if I can trust you, Alex."

He exhaled deeply. "I'm not immediately requesting your trust. I'm requesting a chance.

I didn't respond right away. Rather, I grabbed my phone, and a new message appeared on the screen.

Damien sent it.

"We must speak. I discovered something. Tomorrow evening, meet me at the warehouse.

I was unable to ignore it. I had been making an effort to act as though the past had passed, but it was now slowly returning, one step at a time. Every time Damien had information, he demanded something in exchange. However, this was something else. In addition to providing answers, he gave the impression that he was familiar with the individuals I was pursuing.

Alex was studying me attentively when I looked up.

"Who was that?" he inquired in a wary tone.

Damien. The man who, depending on his mood that day, had been both a threat and an ally. The man who had caused me to reevaluate my entire understanding of loyalty and retaliation.

I made the decision before I could stop myself, saying, "I need to go see him."

Alex's face became stern. You're not traveling by yourself. I will not allow you to fall into a trap.

I said, "It's not a trap," but I wasn't sure if I believed it. I didn't know how to obtain the information I required without meeting Damien in person, but he always had his own agenda. "You're not getting it. I must complete this task.

Alex reiterated, his tone firmer now, "You don't have to do anything alone." "I'll accompany you."

I looked him in the eye and sensed the old pull between us, the one that had existed from the start, before everything went wrong. It was the connection that had once given me hope that we were meant to be.

However, this was no longer about us. There was nothing personal about it.

Alex shouldn't have been involved in this. I didn't want him to become entangled in my mess.

"No," I firmly answered. "I'll take care of it."

His jaw tightened, and I briefly believed he was about to dispute. Instead, he nodded and groaned. "All right. However, Jemma, if something goes wrong, promise me you'll give me a call.

I tried to convince myself as much as he did, so I lied and said, "I'll be fine."

Although Alex didn't seem persuaded, he didn't press the issue. He gave me one more glance, a mix of worry and annoyance, and turned to leave.

The silence between us was more audible than the words we had not exchanged as I watched him go.

I glanced at the message once again as soon as he left.

Damien requested that we meet at the warehouse tomorrow evening. I had the unshakeable conviction that everything will change at this exact instant.

Either I would get the answers I was looking for at last, or everything would fall apart. There was no going back, either way.

And as the evening wore on, I couldn't help but question whether justice came at a cost I couldn't afford.

The following night, as I stood outside the pitch-black warehouse, my heartbeat accelerated. My skin ached from the cold air, and I could almost taste the tension in the night. I was motivated to learn more even though I had no idea what I was getting into.

I heard a familiar voice behind me as I got closer to the entryway.

"You didn't intend to do this without my help, did you?"

Alex was standing a few steps away, his face blank, as I turned around.

He stepped up and said, "I told you I wasn't going to let you face this alone."

I went cold.

I opened my mouth to say, "Alex," but he silenced me with a raised hand.

"Jemma, you no longer have the right to push me away. Together, we accomplish this. No more secrets.

Suddenly, the past that we had both attempted to forget suddenly surfaced.

I was unable to determine if this was the only reasonable course of action or the worst possible timing.

But now I had no option.

Damien stood by. And everything would be altered by whatever was going to occur.

Together, we made our way to the door.