Chapter 41

She dropped her engagement ring. She left it on the kitchen countertop. He ran to her room to check it out but everything else was intact. He went to her bedside drawer to check and found something strange. Her passport was missing. He couldn't find it. That bitch! He thought as he shook his head.

She was foolish, so foolish. The second person he called was Nicholas. He was positive that he had a hand in it. His brother ignored his calls, Nicholas wasn't picking up. How could he have not noticed, they must have planned this together, he thought as she shook his head, Cara was going to be the end of all them.

He continued calling till he decided to give up. Then he called Jean, remembering that he still had to deal with the issue of the photos.

"Alexander! What a surprise!"

She beamed over the phone and Alexander sighed, it clearly seemed like she was expecting his call. That could only mean one thing and he wasn't ready to find out yet.

"Hello Jean. It's been a while."

"Indeed. How's the wedding arrangement going?"

She asked and he shrugged.

"Splendid."

He forced out and sighed. He was just going to have to go straight to the point.

"Listen do you have anything to do with the photos that were sent to my phone today?"

He asked and there was a short silence as Jean contemplated her choices.

"No. I'm not even sure of what you mean. What photos?"

She asked and Alexander sighed. She was lying, he could tell that she was lying.

"So you're not the one who sent them then?"

He finally asked and Jean chuckled.

"The last conversation we had, I recall you threatening me and I've kept my distance like you asked."

"Why would you think that I sent you some photos that I don't even know anything about?"

She asked and ended the call abruptly.

Alexander sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, he was exhausted and his day couldn't get any worse.

He had to find Claire before she ruined them. All of them.

It was late, so late and Nicholas was more than tipsy, he was drunk. He had failed to admit it at first, he just kept on refilling his shots till his eyes became very blurry. He didn't always use alcohol to numb his pain but he had been passing by his friend's rooftop bar and decided to stop by. He sat at the bar and ordered some shots, he lost count of how many he had taken but he knew he had taken enough for the bartender to intervene and called him a driver to take him home.

He fumbled with the key of his apartment for minute before finally figuring out how to let himself in. A shower, yes, a shower would be good. He told himself as he ripped open his jacket and peeled off his shirt.

He was foolish, so so foolish. Cara's words kept replaying in his head, she had said goodbye and it had hurt way more than he expected it to. And she had kissed him, that was the final straw, knowing that he would never kiss her lips again or even have the opportunity to stand in close proximity to her.

She would marry his brother, he wouldn't make her happy and it hurt Nicholas to think that there was nothing he could do about the situation than just watch it all unfold. She didn't want him to help.

The water was hot, scalding even. Nicholas walked into the shower and let the steaming hot water pour all over him, barely hissing from the pain. He didn't know how long he was in there, but by the time he came out of the shower it was late. Late enough.

There was a banging at his door, someone was banging at his door, he had no idea who it was, but he walked towards it with the hopes that it was Cara.

He opened the door and found his brother in front of him. He groaned in disappointment, he was not ready for Alexander's shenanigans.

Alexander shoved him aside and walked in and started looking around the apartment.

It took Nicholas a full minute before he could even process what was happening.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

He asked and Alexander walked out.

"Where the hell is she?"

"Where?!"

"What are you talking about? Who?"

Nicholas shook his head and pushed his brother.

"Don't act dumb! Who else would I be talking about? She left!"

"She fucking left!"

"Cara? Where?"

Nicholas asked and Alexander shrugged as he started laughing manically.

"Would I be here if know where the hell she is?"

"You caused this! You! Where the hell is she?"

"Alexander I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know she left. I haven't seen her..."

"Oh spare me all the lies! You saw her today! At that airbnb apartment."

"I even have the pictures to prove it."

He added and Nicholas paused.

"She just came over to say goodbye, that was all."

He answered after a short while and Alexander shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. She's gone now and it's all your fault! That dumb little bitch!"

He cursed loudly and Nicholas's fists hardened.

"Don't talk about her like that."

He warned, his voice law, the anger was seething out of his voice.

Alexander wasn't one to balk from a challenge, in fact, he didn't mind riling his brother up.

"And what are you going to do about that ugh?"

"I'm warning you..."

Nicholas added but Alexander shrugged, sniffing hard, he didn't care, he was right.

"I don't care. I said what I said. She's nothing but a dumb bitch!"

Nicholas didn't think, he just acted and just like that his fist had connected to his brother's face. It was a sloppy blow, he was tipsy and that had affected his landing, but his fist hit Alexander's jaw and it hit him hard.

Alexander bounced back despite the blinding pain and swung hard, despite being tipsy, Nicholas had the good sense to duck, but he wasn't as lucky with the other blow, it landed right across his face, connecting with his nose.

It wasn't long before the two of them began scrambling on the floor, throwing blows on each other and trying to hit each other. It wasn't long before Nicholas had the good sense to stop and untangle himself from his brother, His nose was bleeding.

He touched it and although it hurt, he was sure that it wasn't broken.

His brother had not emerged unscathed. A purple bruise was already forming on his left eye and his lower lip was busted.

The two of them laid on the floor, panting hard.

"So, you really don't know where she is?"

Nicholas shook his head.

"I had no idea she left."

He answered.

"Do you at least know where she'll be going? She said she went to see you to say goodbye."

Alexander asked and Nicholas shrugged.

"It didn't come up. From what she was saying, it sounded like she was going through with wedding."

Alexander was silent for a long time. Even Nicholas had no idea where she went to. That wasn't a very good sign, he thought. That would make it harder to find her.

But if he pulled some strings, discretely, they could find out where she took off to. But that would mean involving his parents, and her parents and he didn't know what that would mean.

"Well, she left her ring and bolted, she certainly isn't going through with the wedding."

"We have to find her Nick."

"Why?"

"Isn't it more than obvious that she doesn't want to marry you?"

Alexander sighed.

"Of course, his brother would never really understand. he only cared about himself, he was only ever thinking about himself, he wouldn't care about the family or what would happen if they ever leaked out those photos.

"This isn't about me only Nick. It's about us, our family..."

"Bullshit Alex! You could have called the wedding off the second she refused to go on with it!"

Alexander sighed.

Nicholas was right, he could have.