The Reid mansion was never quiet on family dinner nights, there was plenty of drama to unfold.
Alexander stood at the foot of the staircase, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt as voices echoed from the dining room, laughter, sharp remarks, clinking glasses. The sound grated on his nerves.
"I should have cancelled, " he thought.
But canceling family dinner wasn't an option. Not when his father had summoned him with that tone, the one that meant business, not pleasantries.
He descended the stairs slowly, his face already schooled into indifference.
The dining room doors were wide open, he could hear the sound of cutlery clinking softly against ceramic plates, followed by the faint slosh of wine.
His mother sat at the head of the table, legs crossed elegantly, a glass of red wine in hand. Her silk dress clung to her body like it had been poured on, deep emerald against flawless skin. Her accent,thick, unmistakably Miskos,wrapped around every word she spoke.
"…and then he had the audacity to tell me I was late," she laughed, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. "As if time has ever obeyed me."
A man Alexander didn't recognize sat beside her, far too close, his hand resting comfortably on the back of her chair.
Across from her sat his father, Mr. Reid—calm, composed, unbothered—cutting into his steak as though nothing about the scene was unusual. A woman in a fitted cream dress sat beside him, scrolling through her phone, bored.
Alexander's jaw tightened.
His younger sister, Elena, sat halfway down the table, swinging her feet slightly. She was chubby, soft around the edges, her cheeks round and warm. Unlike the rest of them, she wore a simple dress and no makeup beyond lip gloss.
She looked up and smiled brightly when she saw him.
"Alex!"
Her voice cut through the tension like sunlight.
"There you are," she said. "I thought you'd ditch again."
"I thought about it," Alexander replied dryly as he took his seat.
His mother glanced at him, eyes glittering. "You're late."
"You started without me."
"Of course we did," she shrugged. "Hunger doesn't wait for men with god complexes."her gaze lingered on Alex.
The man beside her chuckled.
Alexander ignored him completely.
His father finally looked up. "Sit. Eat. We'll talk after."
"About what?" Alexander asked, already reaching for his wine.
"Business," Mr. Reid replied.
Elena rolled her eyes .
"Can we eat first without talking about money for once?"
Her mother laughed loudly. "Darling, this family breathes money."
"And sex," Elena muttered under her breath.
Alexander smirked.
His mother shot her a warning look.
"Watch your mouth, child"
"Why?" Elena challenged gently.
"It's true, you know it."
The table went quiet for a moment.
Alexander leaned back in his chair. "Can we skip the hypocrisy tonight?"
His father raised an eyebrow. "Careful."
Alexander gestured around the table. "You bring home strangers. Mother brings home lovers. Nobody bats an eye. But somehow, I'm the disappointment because I don't want a wife?"
His mother smiled lazily. "Oh, sweetheart, you're not a disappointment. You're exactly like us."
Elena shook her head. "He's worse."
Alexander glanced at her. "Excuse me?"
"You don't even pretend to care," she said calmly. "At least Mom and Dad are honest about their mess."
Silence.
Alexander stared at his plate.
Why did that sting?
His mother cleared her throat. "Elena, you're too young to understand adult arrangements."
"I'm twenty-two," Elena replied. "And I understand enough to know this isn't normal."
The woman beside Mr. Reid scoffed. "Normal is boring."
Elena turned to her. "So is empty."
Alexander almost smiled.
Mr. Reid set his fork down. "Enough."
Everyone froze.
"This is a family dinner," he said firmly. "Not a therapy session."
He turned to Alexander. "After dessert, we talk."
Alexander nodded stiffly.
The rest of dinner continued in uneasy fragments, clinking cutlery, forced laughter, shallow conversation.
His mother leaned closer to her companion, whispering something that made him grin. His father's date excused herself to take a call. Elena ate quietly, watching everyone with a look that was far too perceptive.
Alexander drank more wine than usual.
Why can't I stop thinking about her?
The thought came uninvited.
The girl from that night.
Her laugh.Her eyes that screamed of innocence.
Her luscious lips that tasted like strawberry.
The way she looked at him like he was something dangerous and beautiful all at once.
He clenched his jaw.
Focus.
Dessert came and went.
Finally, Mr. Reid stood. "Alexander. My study."
Alexander followed him out, the heavy door closing behind them with a dull thud.
The study smelled of leather and old books.
"Sit," his father said.
Alexander remained standing. "You wanted to talk."
Mr. Reid studied him carefully. "Reid Holdings is expanding."
"I know."
"There's a merger coming."
Alexander's eyes sharpened. "With who?"
"Collins Group."
The name landed like a punch.
Alexander frowned. "Why them?"
"Because they're desperate," Mr. Reid replied coolly. "And we hold leverage."
Alexander folded his arms. "What's the catch?"
Mr. Reid leaned back. "They want… assurances."
Alexander's stomach tightened. "What kind?"
"A marriage alliance."
Alexander laughed sharply. "Absolutely not."
Mr. Reid's gaze hardened.
"You don't have a choice, it's for your own good"
Alexander stepped forward.
"I will not marry for business."
"You already live for business," his father shot back. "Marriage is just another contract."
"No," Alexander snapped. "It's a cage."
Mr. Reid stood. "So is poverty. Choose wisely."
The door creaked open suddenly.
Elena stood there, pale.
"Dad," she said quietly. "You need to see this."
She held out her phone.
Alexander glanced at the screen.
His blood ran cold.
A photo stared back at him.
A familiar face.
A woman he hadn't been able to forget.
Tessa.
And beneath it—
A missing person report with a bounty attached to it.
The words blurred as his heart slammed violently against his ribs.
"That's her," he whispered to himself.
Mr. Reid looked between them. "Who?"
Alexander didn't answer.
Because for the first time in years—
Fear had wrapped its fingers tightly around his chest.