CHAPTER 31: STALKING

[Inside the Mansion]

The scent of rosemary chicken and freshly baked bread filled the dining room.

Alexander sat across from Evelyn at the long oak table. His posture was straight and his every movement was calm and precise

Melissa moved about the table, placing dishes with practiced grace but her sharp eyes missing nothing.

She had long noticed Alexander and her daughter stealing glances awkwardly the moment they sat down.

"So, Alexander," she began as she took her seat beside her husband’s empty chair. "How have things been at Reid Enterprises? I hear your father has been keeping busy."

Alexander gave a small, polite smile. "He always does," he said evenly. "Work has been steady."

"Steady sounds dull," Melissa replied with a faint teasing note. "Men like your father don’t like dull, do they?"

Alexander’s lips curved slightly. "No, ma’am. He doesn’t."

"I like you already," Melissa said, leaning back. "Polite, well-mannered and careful with words. You remind me of my husband when we first met."

Evelyn groaned quietly. "Mom—"

"What?" Melissa said, feigning innocence. "I am just making conversation."

The faintest smile tugged at Alexander’s lips again. He turned toward Evelyn, catching her eye for a fleeting moment before she looked away, pretending to fuss with the napkins.

"Evelyn tells me you both met again recently," Melissa continued, cutting into her food. "It must have been strange after everything that happened."

"It was," Alexander admitted honestly, his tone softening. "But I am glad we did." His gaze lingered on Evelyn for half a second longer than it should have.

And Melissa noticed, of course, mothers always did.

She nodded, pretending to focus on her plate. "Well, fate works in strange ways."

Evelyn gave her mother a pointed look, silently pleading with her to drop it.

But Melissa only smiled knowingly. "It’s nice to see my daughter smile again," she added, her tone gentle now. "It’s been a while since she looked this relaxed."

Evelyn froze mid-bite, cheeks flushing slightly. She shot her mother a look but it was already too late.

Alexander’s expression softened as he glanced at her. "She should smile more," he said quietly.

The words hung in the air. It was simple but heavy with meaning.

Evelyn’s breath caught and Melissa’s eyebrows arched just slightly, amused.

"Well," she said, breaking the silence, "that is something we can all agree on."

For the next few minutes, conversation flowed more easily. Melissa asking about work, travel and food preferences, Alexander answering with polite charm that never once felt forced. And somewhere between Melissa’s teasing remarks and Evelyn’s quiet laughter, the tension that had filled the air began to melt into something lighter.

When dinner finally ended, Alexander offered to help with the dishes but Melissa did not let him.

"You are our guest, your job is to enjoy the food and go home happy." Melissa stood up and continued, "Evelyn, see Alexander to the door, will you?"

Evelyn shot her a look but obeyed. "Of course."

They walked together through the softly lit hallway. The night air that drifted in from the open doorway was cool and the faint scent of jasmine lingered from the garden.

Evelyn turned to him, her voice low. "You really didn’t have to come all the way here just to return the car."

Alexander’s eyes met hers, steady and warm. "I will say the same thing again—I wanted to."

Her lips curved slightly. "You say that a lot."

He smiled faintly. "Because it’s true a lot."

They stood there for a moment quiet and still with the world shrinking to the space between them.

Finally, Alexander said softly, "Thank you for dinner and your mother is remarkable."

Evelyn let out a small laugh. "That is one word for her."

"I like her," he said simply. "She is straightforward."

"She also doesn’t know when to stop talking."

"I didn’t mind."

Their eyes met again and this time, Evelyn didn’t look away.

"Goodnight, Alexander," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Evelyn."

He lingered for a heartbeat longer, then turned and walked to his car.

Evelyn stood at the doorway, watching the taillights disappear down the street.

Inside, Melissa watched from the kitchen window, arms crossed and a small, satisfied smile on her lips.

....

[Next Morning—The Reid Enterprise]

The morning was unnervingly calm.

Alexander stood by the window with a cup of black coffee, staring down at the city still waking up.

It was a normal Monday morning. Except his mind kept replaying the evening he had spent at Evelyn’s house.

He let out a slow breath, trying to anchor himself back into spreadsheets and contracts and boardroom politics.

He had just reached for a file when the door opened without a knock.

Benjamin Reid never knocked.

He walked in with the confidence of a man who built empires from silence and secrets.

"Busy morning?" Benjamin asked, as if he hadn’t just barged in uninvited.

Alexander’s jaw tightened. "Always."

Benjamin hummed lightly, his gaze drifting around the office before settling on his son. "You seem well rested." He paused, tilting his head in mild amusement. "Eventful weekend?"

Alexander didn’t flinch but he set his cup down a little too carefully. "Depends on what you call eventful."

Benjamin smiled, the kind that was polite on the surface and sharp underneath. "I hear you visited the Carters yesterday."

Silence stretched. It wasn’t from shock or surprise. It was just an acknowledgment that his father had eyes everywhere.

Alexander didn’t answer but that alone was an answer enough.

Benjamin’s fingers traced the edge of the desk. "Returning a car, how thoughtful of you." He chuckled like he was amused at a private joke. "Almost domestic."

Alexander finally spoke but he tried to keep his voice as calm as possible. "If you came here to dig, you are wasting your time."

"Oh, I don’t dig," Benjamin replied smoothly. "I observe and observing my own son is hardly a crime."

"Stalking him is," Alexander countered softly.

Benjamin’s smile widened. "Who said anything about stalking? Information comes to me on its own and you of all the people should know that by now."

Alexander’s gaze hardened."Whatever you are planning, leave Evelyn out of it." He was already used to his fathers habit of using people for his benefits but he wouldn’t let Evelyn be a part of it.

Benjamin’s expression barely shifted but something cold flickered in his eyes. "Planning? No, son. I simply understand dynamics." He shrugged. "Old relationships end. New ones begin and sometimes they also shape entire families."

Alexander’s patience thinned. "Evelyn isn’t part of this family."

Benjamin raised a brow. "Not yet."

The quiet snap in Alexander’s posture was subtle but unmistakable.

Benjamin watched him like a man watching a move he expected. It was as if he was waiting to see if it ended in brilliance or ruin.

"You always were too careful," Benjamin murmured. "Careful men rarely win because they hesitate and protect when they should claim."

Alexander met his father’s gaze. "I don’t need to ’win’ a person, father. I am not you."

A flicker of irritation crossed Benjamin’s face.

"We will see," Benjamin said calmly. "People like Evelyn come with consequences." He turned toward the door. "Just make sure you aren’t gambling with something you can’t afford to lose."

Alexander didn’t answer as he thought silence was safer. Silence meant not.

At the door, Benjamin paused. With his hands clasped behind him, he said, "And Alexander," he added quietly, without looking back, "I don’t need you to tell me anything. The world tells me for you."

And then he left without another word.

When the door clicked shut, Alexander exhaled slowly.

He had spent half his life watching his father manipulate every thread in his orbit but he wasn’t going to let Evelyn become one of them.

Not now and not ever.

....