CHAPTER 63: A Layer Of Vulnerability

  I had no idea how long I sat there, huddled beneath the shelter of the bus stop, tears streaming down my cheeks as the rain continued to fall.

  A choked sob escaped my lips, a raw sound that echoed my despair. Everything felt so overwhelming-my deception, Alexander's confusing behavior, and now, the sheer idiocy of storming out into the night without a plan in a foreign city.

  A sudden movement startled me. I flinched, throwing my head up, expecting to see some shadowy figure lurking in the downpour. Instead, a pair of familiar blue eyes met mine, filled with a mix of terror and relief.

  "There you are!" Alexander's voice was a harsh rasp, barely audible over the drumming of the rain. "Thank God I found you!"

  My defenses crumbled instantly. The sight of him, his hair plastered to his forehead, his shirt rumpled and soaked, sparked a flicker of warmth amidst the cold anger that had consumed me. He rushed towards me, his movements fueled by urgency.