Alex felt foolish for getting pulled into someone else's petty scheme. She'd learned to recognize these games back when she first broke into modeling, and she'd assumed by now she could spot people's true intentions before they acted on them. Apparently that instinct wasn't as reliable as she'd hoped. She resolved to be more careful going forward, annoyed with herself more than with either Allen sibling.
Eliott, meanwhile, was wrestling with his own guilt. Protecting her had been his responsibility, and he'd failed at it — too occupied playing Ethan, charming the room, to notice she'd gone missing until it was nearly too late. He decided, quietly, that she'd come first from now on, above every obligation Ethan's persona demanded of him. He knew all too well that being with him meant she'd face more of this kind of danger, not less, once their engagement became public knowledge, and that thought alone was enough to keep him awake most of the night.
