After dinner, Alex and his parents went into his father's office to speak privately.
"So, how are the contestants? The ones that you've met already." His father asked, taking his rightful seat behind the desk.
Alex shrugged his shoulders and sat down on one of the chairs opposite the desk. "They seem nice."
"Have you spoken with Raquel?" His mother asked this time, taking the seat beside him.
"Yes, I have." Alex breathed. He knew she'd asked this question eventually, there was no secret when they were growing up that she wanted him and Raquel to be together.
"Hmm, how was it?"
"Sofia." King Stefan sighed.
"What? There's nothing wrong with asking."
"It was alright, but there are a lot of girls mom. Raquel isn't the only one." Alex stated matter-of-factly, wanting to get out of that conversation.
"I know that and that's why I asked. I know that you fancied her growing up, but there are a lot of girls now, so think wisely before choosing your bride, alright?"
"I will." Alex promised, sensing that both his parents could see that Raquel wasn't the same Raquel as before, and they were a little worried that he might pick her due to their history.
"Will you be meeting any of the girls tomorrow?" His father asked this time.
"No."
"Alright, you and Brianna will accompany me to the city tomorrow for the opening of the brand new cancer research centre."
"Your not coming?" Alex frowned and looked at his mother.
"I can't. Madam Eunice and I have planned something for the contestants tomorrow." She explained.
Alex looked away from his mother and back over to his father. "There's a new cancer research centre?"
"Yes, the old one got accidentally burnt down."
"What? When did that happen?" He couldn't contain his shock. He was seventeen years old when it was built.
"Last year around the Christmas period." His father told him.
Alex was rendered speechless and stupefied, he had absolutely no idea that this happened and didn't even hear of it, because he was on the other side of the world in the Solomon Islands. This left him feeling horrible and he started to realise how much of a disappointment that he has become to his parents and people. He needed to start taking responsibility and start acting like the person he was born to be. A leader. A good leader that people look up too and seek help from.
"I had no idea." He muttered in a low voice, whilst looking at his hands. "Did anyone get hurt?"
"Fortunately no. By the grace of God, no one was hurt, everyone got out safely with only a few sustaining minor injuries even though the whole building was blazing." His mother answered.
"Why don't you head upstairs and go to bed? We have a long car ride tomorrow." His father told him.
Nodding his head, he stood up and walked over to his mother, pecked her on the cheek and then walked out of the office, trying to come to terms with what had happened. He missed so much when he was away, refusing to come back home and felt so guilty about it that he didn't notice the person in front of him and walked straight into them, knocking them over.
"Ow!" The person cried out on the floor and this seemed to have brought Alex of his trail of thoughts.
"Graciella, are you alright?" He asked in concern and crouched down, when he saw that it was the familiar blonde haired girl.
"My ankle." Graciella stammered in pain, holding her left ankle.
"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't see you...do you think you can stand up with it?" Alex asked, looking at her ankle, ignoring the fact that she was wearing a extremely short ivory satin pyjama pants.
Graciella shook her head. "I-I don't think that I can. It really hurts."
"Okay...here, let me help you." He told her then he carefully put his under her thighs and around her waist before he easily stood up with her in her arms.
Unfortunately, the infirmary was on the ground floor, so he had to carry her down the staircase. He was just glad that he didn't bump into her anywhere near the railings or steps because that would have been fatal. Just as he was about to turn around and walk down the stairs, he heard a door open on the right wing of the floor followed by giggling, and a voice that sounded familiar and for some reason froze and quickly looked that way and saw Avery step out of one of the rooms there in a simple black boxer shorts that stopped just a few inches above her knees, with a purple lightweight jersey, plain white socks with her hair up in a messy bun. She looked carefree and younger. She always had a way to make simplicity look beautiful.
"Okay, goodnight." He watched her turn and say to the person in the room.
"Goodnight. Don't let the bedbugs bite." The girl inside replied with a chuckle.
"Very funny." Avery giggled then turn away from the door just as it shut.
Just as she was walking across the hallway to her room she looked his way, feeling his eyes on her and froze for a second when she saw him, with Graciella in his arms clinging onto him like a koala. Alex saw her eyes and mouth part a little in surprise before she quickly looked away and rush over to the door opposite the one that she just came out of and disappeared into the room, and for some unknown reason again, he had this urge to go after her and explain why he had Graciella in his arms. From Graciella's attire of her stain nightwear; shorts and a singlet that looked more like a crop top, he knew that the position that they were in looked a little intimate.
Remembering Graciella, he turned but his eyes lingered a little longer at the door that Avery disappeared into before he began descending the staircase with Graciella holding onto him a little tighter than he wished. Once he took her to the infirmary, he had a guard notified the doctor and waited with her to make sure that she was fine before he went back up to his bedroom.
"Good evening your highness, what seems to be the problem?" Doctor Fitzgerald asked professional once he stepped into the infirmary.
"Miss Carterton hurt her ankle."
"Okay, how did this happen?" He enquired, taking a stool and pulling it over to the bench where Alex had placed her down.
"We accidentally ran into each other." Graciella answered this time.
"Alright, there doesn't seem to be any swelling yet." Doctor Fitzgerald inspected Graciella's ankle before he gently reached forward. "Tell me if this hurts?"
Alex mind drifted away to Avery while the doctor examined and nudged Graciella's foot. He usually didn't care what people said or thought about him, but he didn't want to look like the womaniser that some news agencies made him out to be to her.
"Your highness?"
"Yes, sorry." Alex apologised after to the doctor. The doctor had addressed him three times.
"I think it best if you go and have a good night's sleep. If I'm not mistaken, you have a long drive tomorrow and don't worry about Miss Carterton, I'll have one of the maids escort her up to her bedroom. She doesn't seem to have sustained anything serious, she'll be fine." Doctor Fitzgerald told him.
"Alright, thank you." Alex nodded his head at the doctor gratefully before he looked down at Graciella. "Once again I'm sorry Graciella."
Graciella gave a smile that looked a little forced then she looked down at the floor, her jaw clenched. He felt bad that he accidentally hurt her but at that moment, he started to feel tired so he bid them both goodnight and left. When he got back to the second floor, he lingered at the base on the staircase that led up to the third and final floor with his eyes glued onto Avery's room door, contemplating whether to go over to the door or not but then he thought against it, he didn't want to seem weird and make her feel uncomfortable. It was still way too early for any sort of interaction like that.
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Is Grɑciellɑ telling the truth ɑbout her ɑnkle hurting?....
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