Chapter 240 Am I Interrupting?
Something seemed to click into place in Alexander’s mind at the last moment and he restrained himself before he could hurt her any further.
With that in mind, Courtney calmed down and she began to think about their continuous friction. She then realized that there was an immense need for the both of them to talk things out before they could start the healing process.
After all, there was no rule that required break-ups to be ugly.
“The only reason why I agreed to meet Tobias in the first place was because I wanted to see what he was up to. Even if you hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t have just waltzed into his room without a second thought. It wouldn’t make sense for him to come after me for something so trivial; someone must have misled him on purpose, which is why he went to such lengths to ruin my partnership with Sakura Group.”
Thinking that her explanation was clear enough, she turned to carefully appraise Alexander, but saw that he was frowning. She could not tell whether he heard anything she said.
Nonetheless, she continued speaking, “So, you could have just told me that you followed me to the hotel because you were worried about my safety. It would have been easy enough for me to thank you for it. There’s no need for us to fight like this.” She paused before she added. “Break-ups don’t have to be ugly, you know. We can still be friends the next time we meet.”
“That’s enough,” Alexander barked coldly as impatience tainted his tone. “Seeing that you have so much to say, does this mean that you’re not leaving?”
Courtney’s brows furrowed. “I’m just saying that we haven’t been able to talk things out after the last time. We haven’t been communicating like two calm and proper adults.”
She felt her heart wrench when she said ‘the last time’. The memory was something too painful for her to revisit, as though she had not quite mastered the courage to peel the band-aid off a serious wound.
Upon hearing her words, his expression shifted and his eyebrows slightly twitched before he resumed his grim façade.
“I admit I have kept things from you in the past, but that was because I didn’t feel the need to disclose my marriage to Elijah, seeing that no real emotion was ever involved in the first place. I brought Tina over to the States without a green card, which would make me a smuggler. I would have to hide from the Census Bureau all the time because that makes me an illegal immigrant,” she further elaborated, imploring for him to understand the dilemma that plagued her at that time.
However, Alexander seemed less than inclined to sympathize with her. “Are you saying that you would have married any man just to get a green card?” he asked pointedly, though he could feel himself relenting now that she had voluntarily offered an explanation.
“No, I wouldn’t have married just any random guy for the sake of getting a green card,” Courtney denied before she elaborated. “Elijah does not believe in marriage and he’s a chronic workaholic. He lacked money and I needed citizenship. I didn’t think there was anything wrong if we married for convenience. Plus, there was no stipulation that we must live together after marriage. Tina and I barely see him other than on Christmas and certain bank holidays.”
She was perceptive; she knew exactly what set Alexander off and it was not hard to empathize with how he felt.
Any man would have resented his other half’s past relationships and they would have been equally hostile if they were in his shoes. As far as he was concerned, he had every right to be angered about it because she was still legally married to Elijah.
On the other hand, if Alexander was not hurtful and demanding, she would have told him the truth at the moment when he asked about Elijah.
Alexander currently regarded her with an unreadable expression and he clenched his fist as he tried to overcome the shock that washed over him. “Was it really just a marriage of convenience?” he asked to seek confirmation.
Courtney nodded solemnly in response.
It was a massive misunderstanding and things could have gotten out of hand because they had refused to compromise with each other, but if the incident was anything to go by, she could not deny that a myriad of differences existed between the both of them.
Alexander thoughtfully gazed at Courtney, as if he was trying to process the sudden turn of events and the mishap that caused it.
After what seemed like an eternity, there appeared to be a defeated look in his eyes. He slowly bent over and raked his fingers through his hair. His fingertips poked out from beneath his locks as he lowered his head and he kept quiet for a long time.
Upon seeing him like that, Courtney was confused as she remarked, “I’m sure Gale knows about this because I was the one who explained it to him. Did he not tell you about it?”
Alexander lifted his head; his face was pinched as he tried to suppress the anger he felt. He sounded certain as he answered, “No, he didn’t.”
He made the words sound as though they were a curse and she felt a chill run down her spine at the tone of his voice.
She cringed inwardly, wondering if she had landed Gale into big trouble.
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, Alexander regained his composure and he seemed to be in better spirits. The both of them sat next to each other on the surgical bed as they engaged in a pleasant conversation; it was something that they had not done in the longest of time.
Toward the end, Alexander felt that there was no need to beat around the bush any longer. He told her about everything that led to the incident tonight and kept it brief. “I overheard him giving you the address to the White Moon Hotel during the party. I asked Josh to stop the car when I saw you on Bar Street and I followed you all the way to the hotel. I told myself that I wouldn’t barge in if you came out after ten minutes.” He sounded surprisingly sheepish as he said that.
“So, you thought something happened to me when I didn’t come out after ten minutes?” Courtney guessed.
“Yes,” he replied.
She cleared her throat. She figured she should explain why she had not been in the room in the first place. “I was lost. Tobias kept saying that he would be waiting in Room 419 and I thought that would be on the fourth floor. I went around the entire floor looking for the room, but I couldn’t find it. I didn’t think that the White Moon Hotel would be so twisted as to name the largest suite on the top floor as Room 419—I mean, doesn’t that just sound ridiculous to you?”
After a series of mishaps, the both of them ended in their predicament at the police station.
Talk about a twist of fate, she mused dryly.
Josh returned from the dispensary and was surprised to see the both of them in a friendly conversation. He was more surprised to learn that they had not ripped each other’s throats out. Pausing by the doorway, he suddenly felt self-conscious as he asked hesitantly, “Sorry, am I interrupting?”
Alexander shot Josh an icy gaze, causing the latter to feel the hair on the back of his neck standing to attention. It caused Josh to stammer. “I-I think I left something out from the prescription. I’ll go and get it now. You may continue—”
Courtney called out for him and stopped him in his tracks. “It’s fine. We’ve known each other for a while now, so there’s no need for this. I really do have to leave—there are some things that I need to attend to.”
Alexander immediately rose to his full height. “I’ll drop you off.”
“You don’t have to,” she said quickly while she looked at his chest. “You should rest; the doctor said that you didn’t recover well enough from last time. My hotel is just around the corner, so I can make my way back. I guess… I’ll see you when we meet again.”
As she said that, she tightened her grip on her bag and gave him a polite smile. “I’ll take my leave, then.”
Alexander remained in the same spot as he watched her leave and the warmth in his eyes was slowly dissipating with every step she took. When she was out of view, he reached for his phone and made a call. “Gale, why didn’t you tell me that Courtney only married Elijah for convenience?” he yelled into the phone as soon as the line was picked up.
It was as if a loud thunderclap resounded throughout the ward. Even Josh—who thought he had seen every one of Alexander’s tantrums—was shocked. His hands trembled and the box of medication would have clattered onto the floor if he did not catch it in time.
Seeing Alexander lose his temper over the phone, Josh snapped into action and quickly closed the door to the treatment room before the other patients took notice of it. After that, he shrunk into the corner behind the door as he quickly fired a text message to Courtney. How angry does he have to be to abandon his image altogether? How much stimulation did he receive? he thought with a wince.
Meanwhile, Courtney had only just walked out of the hospital and was standing beneath the starlit sky when she heard her phone ‘ding’ with a new text message.
Pulling her phone out from her pocket, she opened the text message from Josh, which read, ‘What did you say to President Duncan? He’s on the phone with Mr. Langley right now and let’s just say that things are not looking good for the latter. Drop me a hint before I become the next victim of his tantrum!’
