Entangled With My Rival CEO

Chapter 109

In his dimly lit home bar, Alexander slumped onto a barstool, his grip on a whiskey glass betraying the turmoil within him.

The amber liquid swirled as he stared into its depths as if seeking answers within its confines.

The scene from Maria Clint's party replayed in his mind like a broken record, the memory of Camilla's kiss with Edward etched painfully into his consciousness.

The news of her engagement to the same man felt like a cruel twist of fate, a blow to his already wounded heart.

With a mix of desperation, anger, and hurt coursing through him, he downed the whiskey in one swift motion, his frustration echoing in the sound of the glass meeting the counter.

The bottle of whiskey beckoned to him, offering a temporary solace, and he seized it without hesitation.

The warmth of the liquid brought momentary relief as it cascaded down his throat, only to be replaced by a searing burn that mirrored the ache in his chest as he set the bottle down with an audible thud.

His gaze turned vacant, fixating on an undefined point in the room as his mind churned with a whirlwind of emotions.

In that suspended moment, an idea seemed to crystallize in his thoughts.

A determined nod marked the birth of a new purpose. His coat was snatched from a hook, keys retrieved with trembling fingers.

Hesitation was a luxury he could no longer afford. He knew what he had to do, and this time, nothing would stop him from his course of action.

•~•~•~•~•

As he stood at Camilla's doorstep, Alexander's gaze locked onto her figure, his stormy blue eyes reflecting the tumultuous emotions churning within him.

The sight of her triggered a complex symphony of feelings, each one crashing against his heart like waves in a tempest, threatening to overwhelm his composure.

Simultaneously, upon spotting Alexander outside her door, Camilla's brows knitted together in a blend of surprise and irritation.

Her arms crossed in a defensive stance, her voice carried an air of exasperation as she addressed him.

"Alexander?... What on earth are you doing here?" she demanded, her words carrying a resolute tone that brooked no nonsense.

He swayed slightly, struggling to maintain his balance. "I need to talk," he slurred, his words barely coherent.

Camilla's annoyance deepened as she noticed his intoxicated state. "Wait, are you drunk?... Did you drive here like this?" Her concern mingled with her frustration.

Alexander's determination seemed to intensify in his inebriated state. "I'm just a little tipsy... I'm fine." He managed to rasp out, his voice hoarse.

"Can I come in?" He continued as he tried to steady himself, his hand gripping the door frame for support. "Please." he insisted, his voice wavering.

Camilla's irritation transformed into a glare. "Come in for what?... I told you I didn't want to see or talk to you, so if you think you can just show up here drunk and I'll..." Her words were cut short as Alexander pushed his way past her and stumbled into the living room, his determination seemingly unaffected by her protests.

"Alexander!" She glared at him as he stumbled further into the room, her voice sharp with frustration. "You can't just barge in here like this!"

Ignoring her protests, he turned to face her, his own glazed eyes locking onto hers.

"And you can't just plan to marry some random dude just because you're mad at me!" He yelled, his words cutting through the tense air of the room.

The weight of his emotions and the alcohol he had consumed lent an edge to his voice.

Camilla was taken aback, it was the first time she had ever seen him like this and the first time he had ever raised his voice at her.

Alexander's breath was heavy, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to maintain his composure.

"First you leave me standing in the middle of the road for him, and then you kiss him publicly, and now you're planning to marry him!..."

"Camilla...I know you want revenge for me ending our marriage, but how much more are you going to keep hurting me?..."

Camilla's expression shifted from surprise to a mix of disbelief and anger, her arms now hanging limply by her sides.

"I'm hurting you?..." She said, pausing for a bit before chuckling, but it wasn't out of amusement but rather out of frustration.

Camilla's voice was tinged with a mix of shock and defiance, her own emotions coming to the surface.

"You were supposed to be my husband...I lost a child, Alexander!"

"...you were supposed to be there for me, but instead you blamed me for it and filed for a divorce..."

"...and now you have the guts to stand here and tell me that I'm hurting you by planning to marry Edward?...."

Camilla's voice trembled with a blend of anger and vulnerability. "Do you have any idea what it felt like to be abandoned by the person I thought would always be there for me?"

"That's what hurt is.... that's what it feels like...and so far you haven't even experienced the slightest of it."

Alexander clenched his fists, his voice laced with determination. "No, I have... Everything I did... filing for a divorce from you...all of it was to protect you!"

"Protect me?...."

"Alexander, I was depressed, I blamed myself for our child's death..."

"I almost took my own life!" Camilla argued fiercely, her eyes welling up with tears as the raw pain of those memories resurfaced.

Camilla's voice cracked as she continued, her voice filled with anguish.

"You weren't there when I needed you the most. You left me alone to deal with my grief and darkness. How could you possibly think that was protecting me?"

Alexander stared at her, unable to find the words to respond to her.

The room seemed to close in around him as the reality of his actions and the pain he had caused washed over him.

"I know my way...I mean...the method I chose was wrong but...I'm sorry...I just didn't want you to get involved...."

"I just wanted to protect you from all of it." He finally spoke, his voice softening, his eyes filled with regret and sorrow.

Camilla's tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she listened to his words.

She wiped them away with the back of her hand, her emotions still raw and overwhelming.

"Protect me from what?" She asked, her voice quivering. "From the truth? From facing our problems together?..."

"Whatever excuse you have to say, I don't want to hear it anymore...I'm done...and when I, Camilla, say I'm done, I don't ever go back on my word."

Alexander's shoulders slumped as he listened to Camilla's resolute words. His attempt to explain himself had yet again fallen short.

He could see the pain and determination in her eyes, but the question that plagued his mind at that moment was whether he was going to give up now.

Camilla stared at him a little longer before sighing and walking past him to the kitchen area.

"Where are you going?" Alexander asked, his eyes following her.

"To get my phone and call security... I'm going to need some help getting you out of here." Camilla declared, her voice firm as she turned toward the kitchen.

But just as she reached for her phone on the kitchen counter, Alexander's frustration and desperation boiled over once more.

In a sudden surge of emotion, he lunged forward and smacked the phone out of her hand, his actions driven by a mixture of anger, desperation, and a growing sense of urgency.

The phone slipped from Camilla's grasp and clattered to the floor, its screen cracking upon impact.

Camilla stared at the broken phone in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief and anger.

She turned to face Alexander, her expression a mix of astonishment and fury.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Alexander?!" Her voice quivered with a mixture of rage and frustration.

"Are you crazy?!" She yelled.

"Yes!..." Alexander yelled back to her surprise.

His emotions seemed to settle for a bit as he stared at Camilla, his desperation palpable in his gaze.

"Camilla, please...I'm begging you don't do this...You don't even love this guy," he said, his voice softening, his eyes pleading.

Camilla raised an eyebrow, "And who told you that?" She replied, her tone incredulous as she glared at Alexander.

His intense gaze held her captive for a moment longer, the air heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

Then, in a swift and unexpected move, he closed the distance between them, his body pressing hers gently against the kitchen counter.

Camilla's breath caught in her throat as her back met the cool surface of the counter.

His proximity was overwhelming, his breath mingling with hers as he leaned in, his piercing blue eyes fixed on hers.

In that instant, an intense surge of desire washed over Camilla, an overwhelming yearning that crashed like a powerful wave, igniting a tempest of sensations that left her breathless and utterly unsteady.

"Move back, Alexander," she managed to utter, but despite her attempt to sound firm, her voice held a hint of tremor.

However, Alexander paid no heed to her request, his focus unwavering as he continued to hold her gaze.

Camilla's heart skipped a beat as Alexander's intense gaze dropped to her lips for a fleeting moment before locking back onto her eyes.

A rush of heat surged through her, a familiar sensation that had been haunting her since the night of Maria Clint's birthday party, when he had stolen a kiss from her.

"Or what?" he whispered, his voice a mere breath against her ear, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

The proximity of his lips to her skin ignited a trail of sensations, her mind and heart entangled in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as they navigated the turbulence of the moment.

Camilla struggled to find her voice, her mind racing as she tried to comprehend the storm of emotions that raged within her.

His closeness was overwhelming, and she could feel herself losing control of the situation and her own resolve.

"Tell me...do you love him, or is this some sort of punishment for me?" Alexander's words hung in the air, a question that cut straight to the heart of the matter.