Chapter 184

"Stop playing with your food and eat properly."

Alexander's gaze softened with amusement. He didn't press her further.

Evelyn studied him. "How much did you drink last night?"

Even after showering and with the morning nearly gone, the faint scent of alcohol still clung to him.

Alexander raised two fingers.

"Two glasses?" Evelyn guessed.

"Multiply that by ten," he corrected.

Evelyn blinked.

"Lucas was in a terrible state," Alexander explained.

She understood exactly why Lucas Bennett was upset.

After last night's events, it would have been more surprising if he hadn't been drowning his sorrows.

Alexander had known Lucas for years, but he had never seen him break down like that before.

Drunk and despondent, Lucas had gripped Alexander's sleeve like a lifeline. "Alex," he'd slurred, "tell me how to fix this. How do I make Claire forgive me? She left teeth marks on my arm—"

Evelyn exhaled sharply, cutting off the memory.

She didn’t need to hear the rest.

Claire Dawson wasn’t the type to lash out without reason. Whatever Lucas had done, he’d clearly earned that bite.

Alexander toyed with his fork, his expression unreadable. "He kept saying he didn’t mean to hurt her."

Evelyn arched a brow. "And you believe him?"

A pause. Then, a quiet sigh.

"I believe he thinks he didn’t."

That was the problem with Lucas—he never realized the damage until it was too late.

Evelyn pushed her plate aside. "Where is he now?"

"Passed out in the guest room." Alexander rubbed his temple. "I should check on him soon."

She nodded, but her mind was elsewhere.

Last night had been messy. Explosive.

And Claire…

Claire had looked devastated.

Evelyn clenched her fists under the table.

If Lucas thought a few drunken tears would fix things, he was in for a rude awakening.

Some wounds didn’t heal with apologies.

Some required blood.

The sight before me made my blood boil. There she was, cozying up to that handsome stranger without a care in the world. I clenched my fists, but she didn’t even glance my way.

"What am I supposed to do? Do you think they'll end up in bed together tonight? I swear, if that pretty boy lays a finger on Claire, I'll make sure he never fathers children! Then I'll march straight to the police station and turn myself in," Lucas ranted, his voice thick with despair.

Lucas buried his face in his hands, tears and snot smearing across his alcohol-flushed skin.

Alexander sat beside him, grimacing as he yanked his arm away from Lucas's drunken grasp. He grabbed a handful of tissues from the table and shoved them into Lucas's trembling hands.

Sniffling, Lucas wiped his face before downing another shot, his misery pouring out with every ragged breath.

Alexander wasn’t in the best mood either. Tonight was supposed to be perfect—wrapped in Evelyn’s warmth, tasting her lips, losing himself in her.

Instead, he hadn’t even seen her. Instead, he was stuck here, playing therapist to a sobbing mess at two in the morning.

"Evelyn is still with Claire. What could they possibly be doing?" Alexander muttered, more to himself than to Lucas.

Lucas exhaled sharply, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

But then Alexander added coldly, "Though she should be back soon. Now that Claire has her new distraction, why would Evelyn stick around like an unwanted guest?"

The words hung in the air, sharp and bitter.

Lucas’s face twisted in fresh agony.

Alexander sighed, rubbing his temples.

This night couldn’t get any worse.

"Send Evelyn to Claire's side!" Lucas begged, his voice thick with desperation.

Alexander shot him a withering look. "If Evelyn leaves, that charming model will be alone with Claire. Do you really think that's appropriate?"

The mere thought of it made Lucas's blood boil.

Alexander crossed his arms. "What's your problem? You and Claire are divorced. Now you're trying to ruin my marriage too?"

His tone was sharp. "We've only been married a month. This is supposed to be our honeymoon phase."

"I didn't punch you out of courtesy, and now you want my wife to play babysitter?"

"Stuck at Claire's place? If anyone should be stuck, it's you. Don't drag us into your mess."

The words were harsh but true. They only deepened Lucas's misery.

He drowned himself in whiskey, but the alcohol did nothing to numb the pain. Instead, it amplified everything.

Clutching Alexander's arm, he drank until the Eclipse Lounge finally closed at sunrise.

Outside, Lucas doubled over, retching violently onto the pavement.

His body trembled, his mind too shattered to form coherent words.

Defeat weighed him down like an anchor.

Out of the twenty bottles they emptied, Alexander only had five. Lucas Bennett single-handedly finished the remaining fifteen.

Simon Graves tried to intervene, but it was useless. All he could do was watch as Lucas drowned himself in alcohol.

Alexander ordered Simon to take Lucas home. But before they could even get him into the car, Lucas wrapped his arms around Simon’s waist and refused to let go.

He was completely wasted. His words were thick and slurred.

"No, I won’t go back. That place is haunted by Claire’s ghost. What’s the point of returning to an empty house?"

His voice cracked. "Do you have any idea what it’s like? Waiting, night after night, for someone who’s never coming back? Since Claire left, I’ve been stuck in that hell."

Simon pulled the car around, but Lucas planted his feet stubbornly. With a frustrated sigh, Alexander lifted his leg and shoved him inside.

"Pathetic," Alexander snapped. "Real men don’t drown in self-pity. If you don’t want this divorce, then fight for her! Wallowing in misery won’t bring her back. Grow a spine, Lucas."

The car door slammed shut.

Simon hesitated before driving off, leaving Alexander standing there, his expression unreadable under the dim streetlights.

The night air was heavy with unspoken regrets.