"What? Did I disappoint you?"
Disappointed?
Isabelle didn't quite understand what Alexander meant by that. She curved her lips up and made a "Mm?" sound towards him.
Because she grabbed his wrist, her face was quite close to his. She pouted her lips, coincidentally in his line of sight. The light pink matched her white skin and pitch-black pupils, making her look clean and attractive.
The image of her tip-toeing and lightly kissing him on the lips at James's birthday among all the jeering surfaced in Alexander's mind. It was a soft feeling with the gentle smell of sweet fruit, and hints of shyness, she then called out, "James, Happy Birthday!"
Malice slowly filled Alexander's eyes. From hearing the recording pen to the words Isabelle said to him at this afternoon's birthday party... He suppressed his raging emotions at those time, but just then, he couldn't suppress them any longer. Suddenly, he forcefully pulled his wrist away from Isabelle's grasp. Without any hesitation, he tried everything to rip off the scar on his face in one breath.
His other hand, the one that controlled the steering wheel, turned the car in a small alleyway ahead. He stepped on the accelerator, and the car drifted from side to side until he reached an isolated riverside.
This was clearly not the way home... Isabelle looked at Alexander filled with suspicion. Just as she was going to ask why he drove there, the car suddenly came to a stop.
Because of the emergency break, Isabelle's body lunged forward. She heard the sound of the safety belt clicking open. Soon after, Alexander pushed her shoulders back, her body that was going to fall forward was pushed back to the car seat. Then she heard Alexander say in a low, stifling voice by her ear, "The dream has been laid bare, are you really disappointed?"
Again, disappointed?
Isabelle furrowed her brows and stared at Alexander, whose expression looked as though it had frozen over. She gulped and asked in a low voice, "Alexander, what did you say? What dream?"
Alexander's eyes surged with complex emotions. As if he was speaking to himself, his voice sounded particularly low when he murmured, "You were happy today, weren't you? Because you could see him so lively, and not someone who only lies on the bed, who can't talk, and can't look at your body... But I'm not him..."
At this point, Alexander's eyes looked angry, but also sad. He didn't wait for Isabelle to take a good look. His eyes froze over. As he pressed on her shoulder, he suddenly pressed down even harder, as though he was completely filled with hatred. He gritted his teeth with every word, as he quietly said a few words. "I'm not him, I'm not him. In your eyes, why do you only see him, and not me? Why?"
Alexander's voice was very low, and his words were everywhere. Isabelle didn't quite hear him clearly. She only heard a few mumbled phrases. Something about 'not him', and 'can't see me'?
No matter how she thought about it, she didn't understand what he was saying. Her brows furrowed even tighter. "What do you mean 'not him'? What do you mean by 'can't see'? Alexander, what are you even saying?"
Isabelle's words agitated Alexander. The words in his mouth stopped abuptly.
Isabelle's words startled Alexander, his words got stuck in his mouth, and he became dazed. He raised his head to stare at her for two seconds before lowering it down abruptly, covering her lips.
His actions were abrupt and without warning, so when Isabelle finally came back to her senses, her breath had been taken away.
His kiss was violent and aggressive, as though he was trying to vent his frustration. Occasionally, when he didn't control his strength, her lips would hurt.
He pressed her against his body tightly, not allowing her any opportunity to move. He entered her roughly, without bothering to be gentle, even though he knew that she would hurt. It was as though he wanted her to feel the same pain that she had given him. Without caring about her, he continued on wit increasing speed and roughness. In the end, Isabelle could no longer take the pain, struggling, she pleaded lightly, "It hurts!"
The moment he heard it, Alexander paused momentarily before carrying on with increased intensity. Tears started welling up in Isabelle's eyes as the pain intensified. Lowering his head, he could vaguely see tears streaking down her face, as the dim light from the moon fleeted in. His lips pressed together before he lowered his head once more to cover her lips.
It had been a long while since Isabelle had received such torture, time seemed to have stopped, and it went on and on. Unknowingly, after a long while, everything ended.
Isabelle curled into a ball from the pain. Alexander was startled by her action, reaching out to grab her chin upwards to look into her eyes. His eyes were red, with a hint of pain and insanity, his lips trembling as he breathlessly declared, "Look clearly at who I am!"
After a slight pause, he asked, "Are you clear?" His voice was fierce, interrogating her.
Isabelle shivered at the coldness of his voice.
Alexander seemed to have seen her tremble, for his lips curled up into a smirk. He loosened the grip on her chin and moved back slightly. Looking at her, he spoke again in a low voice. "Forget it, I must have thought too highly of myself. How can you see me?"
His tone was cold and ruthless, but soaked in sorrow as well. Isabelle remained silent as she listened on in confusion.
Silence sunk on the car, and the river streaming nearby could be heard.
After a while, Alexander's usual cold expression came back. Wordlessly, he took out a tissue to clean up before arranging his clothes. Sitting back on his side, he turned to look at Isabelle, but before he could take a look, he took his phone out and pushed open the car door.
When Isabelle heard the door lock open, she trembled. She hesitated slightly before opening her eyes to look at the side view mirror through the window. Just then, she caught a glimpse of Alexander's back. She remembered the surprise in York Garden, her lips moved, but nothing came out.
Alexander stood by the door, his gaze looking straight at a vine. After a while, his hand moved and a loud thud could be heard as the car door slammed shut. He then took large strides away.
The car suddenly became very quiet. Isabelle curled up in the back seat, unable to move. After a long time, she lightly blinked her eyes and sat up with a pale face. She arranged her clothes and tied her hair into a messy pony tail. Sitting in the back of the car, she blanked out for a bit before finally climbing into the driver seat and heading back to York Garden.
Alexander flagged for a cab, heading to Global Entertainment.
After paying the cab, he walked into the building. The security guard on night duty was only semi-awake, so when he saw someone walk in, he shook his head to take a closer look. When he realized it was Alexander, he was instantly alert. "Mr. Smith."
Alexander didn't respond, he just took large strides towards the elevator.
It was close to 11 pm and the entire building was silent. When Alexander came out of the elevator, he walked straight into his office, but when he passed by Helen's place, he realized that the lights were still on. There were also murmurs coming from her office.
Alexander frowned before raising his hand to knock on the door. The voice quietened, and after three seconds, Helen's calm authoritative voice came through. "Who is it?"
Alexander didn't reply, instead, he pushed open the door and walked in.
Helen was the only one in her office. She was dressed in a diamond encrusted white maxi dress, which reflected the rays from the office lamp. She slouched on the sofa lazily with a twelve inch cake placed on the coffee table in front of her. The candles on the cake were extinguished, and beside it was a bottle of red wine and a wine glass.
She seemed to have drank quite a bit as her pupils were slightly dilated. When she saw Alexander, her perfectly lined lips curled into a wide smile, allowing her delicate features to look charming and seductive. " Mr. Smith? What are you doing here at such a late hour?"
Alexander glanced at the cake before walking over to the coffee table to stare at the cake and red wine. Coldly, he asked, "It's your birthday?"
Helen's smile widened further, her diamond encrusted nails holding the wine glass elegantly as she tilted her head, downing the wine. She placed the wine glass back down on the coffee table and replied, "It's a friend's birthday."
Helen retrieved another wine glass from the bottom of the coffee table and passed it over to Alexander. "Want some?"
Alexander swept a glance over the wine glass before sitting down wordlessly on the other single person couch.
Helen looked as he sat down. Knowing that he agreed to join her, she passed a wine glass over. Taking the wine bottle, she poured herself more She held the stem of the glass and raised it slightly to touch his glass before downing the whole thing.
Alexander held the stem of his glass and took a sip gracefully, wordless, not intending to talk.
Helen was used to Alexander's silence, so she started to entertain herself. She had a high alcohol tolerance and downed several consequent glasses without feeling tipsy. She tilted her head, studying Alexander. He wore a formal suit that seemed suitable for a formal ball. Casually, she asked, "You went to a ball?"
"Yea," Alexander murmured before taking another sip.
Helen was aware that Alexander had gone to James's birthday dinner since they were brothers after all. She wanted to ask if he was doing well... The moment the words reached her mouth, they stopped. Her lips curled into a small smile and she filled her wine glass again, but before she could fill it up, the bottle was empty.
Helen frowned, tossing the wine bottle on the floor. She held the wine glass and finished the last bit before standing up wobbly, staggering to the washroom. When she came out again, she had removed her thick makeup, exposing a clean, milky-white face.
The cold water from the wash had cleared her mind. She stared at Alexander, who was still drinking wine on the couch, before walking towards him. She walked one round around him before lowering her head to his shoulder to take a sniff .
Alexander frowned instantly, standing up abruptly, pushing Helen away from him.
Helen stumbled backwards, falling onto the sofa. She stretched out her body and looked up at him from below, her face turning playful. "Mr. Smith, that smell definitely says something. Who was it?"
She struggled to stand up, a cheeky smile on her face as she asked, "Was it Isabelle? You slept with her?"
Alexander's expression darkened instantly. He pressed his lips together, walking out of Helen's office.
Helen followed behind closely. "Is that shame and anger I see? Or was it her who slept with you?"
Alexander's face darkened another shade. He stopped abruptly and turned to glare at her, snarling, "Shut up!"
Turning back, he stuffed his hands into his pockets to look for a cigarette in frustration. Lighting a stick, he took a deep breath before starting to relax slightly.
Helen stopped her teasing when he reached for his cigarette box and took a stick out. She did the same and lit a stick of her own, her slender fingers bringing it to her lips seductively. The nicotine slowly spread through her body, her pretty features relaxing slightly as she reminisced the taste. As she smoked, she started recalling the last time she smoked, realizing that it had been many many years...
It had been at least seven years ago, at that time, she had just picked up smoking, but was soon stopped by that person.... Right now, she wished that he would appear again, would come up to her with a furious expression, snatching the cigarette away from her. How she wished that he would scold her, but all that was just a dream. At this point, he would never appear before her again...
Helen couldn't help shaking her head, forcing back the memories that she had spent the past few years trying to forget. She took in another deep puff before blowing a perfect circle. Through the smoke, she could see Alexander staring blankly into space.
Helen twitched, tapping the ash tray lightly. In a hoarse voice, she asked, "What's wrong? Bad mood?" She added ruthlessly, "Because of Isabelle?"
Yes, because of Isabelle...
Somehow, every time he got upset, it would always be linked to Isabelle...
Alexander's throat clenched, he took another deep puff, steering the topic away. "Why are you here alone celebrating a friend's birthday? Your lover?"
"Hahaha.." Helen scoffed as though she had heard something funny. She laughed so hard her tears welled out before turning back to Alexander with a serious expression. "He's dead."
Deep in her heart, there was a dead person.
Inside the heart of a seemingly carefree person, there seemed to be a heart-wrenching story.
Guys weren't as gossipy as women, so Alexander stopped asking, sinking into silence.
Helen didn't speak as well, the two of them sitting in silence as they continued to smoke one cigarette at a time. After a seemingly long while, Helen suddenly said in a low voice, "The rumors about my start are real, I started as an escort."
Alexander froze slightly before remembering the rumors when she just became popular.
But Helen was born to act, her fame increased rapidly, burying all those rumors.
Helen moved to the front of Alexander, before continuing on in a small, emotionless voice, "But I only sold myself to one person, for fifty thousand dollars."
She raised her hand towards him, emphasizing the five with her outstretched fingers. Then self-depreciation spread across her face. "I sold myself for seven years, isn't worth it, huh?"
Helen raised her arm to extinguish the cigarette as though she hadn't said anything. "It's getting late, I'll be going back now. Alexander, bye!"
Without waiting for Alexander to react, she turned and walked away in her heels.
After she left, the office sunk into a hollow silence. Alexander stood still all the way till the midnight alarm sounded. Through the open glass window, he stared out at the flickering lights, cherishing the end of his birthday.
He stared on for a long while, remembering the night five years ago that he would never forget....