Chapter 13

GIVING HIM A SHOW.

~ALEXANDRO'S POV~

As soon as the boat docked, Rosette tried to seize control, her voice cutting through the air like nails on a chalkboard.

"We should all stick together while we explore the city," she suggested, glancing around as if waiting for unanimous agreement.

The others murmured in halfhearted approval, but I wasn't about to let her dictate my plans.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," I said smoothly, drawing everyone's attention. "Lauren and I already have plans."

Rosette froze, her lips parting slightly as if she couldn't quite process my words.

"What plans?" she demanded, her tone sharper than she intended.

I smiled. "Dinner. Just the two of us."

For a moment, silence reigned. Fatimah raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, while Rosette's cheeks flushed red. Patrick, however, was the most satisfying to watch.

His frown deepened, his jaw tightening. The subtle clench of his fists at his sides didn't escape my notice.

Good.

It was too easy to provoke him. He'd been shooting Lauren glances all day, his discomfort practically radiating off him.

And now, with my arm casually draped around Lauren's shoulders, I could practically feel his rage bubbling beneath the surface.

"Of course," Rosette finally said, her voice forced and brittle. "That's... lovely."

Patrick said nothing, but his eyes were glued to Lauren, dark and brooding.

Perfect.

"Shall we?" I asked Lauren, gesturing toward the town.

She hesitated, clearly caught off guard by my declaration. Her lips parted as if to protest, but she must have thought better of it.

Instead, she nodded, allowing me to guide her away from the group.

~LAUREN'S POV~

The streets of the town were alive with music and laughter, the air filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and sea salt.

I should have been enjoying this, soaking in the vibrant energy around us. Instead, I felt like I was walking through a minefield.

Alexandro's arm stayed firmly around my shoulders as we moved through the crowd. I tried to shrug it off once, but his grip only tightened.

"Relax, love," he said, his voice low and teasing. "You're supposed to look happy to be with me."

"I would if you didn't keep holding onto me like a bag of gold," I muttered under my breath.

He chuckled, the sound infuriatingly warm. "If you want me to let go, all you have to do is say please."

I glared at him, but before I could retort, we passed a street vendor selling flowers. Alexandro stopped abruptly, reaching out to pluck a single rose from the stand.

"For you," he said, presenting it with a flourish.

I stared at the rose, then at him. "Are you serious?"

"Completely."

Before I could respond, I caught a glimpse of Patrick in the distance. He was walking with Rosette, but his eyes were on us, his expression unreadable.

My chest tightened. I didn't know why his presence still affected me so much, why I couldn't just brush him off like Alexandro seemed to.

Alexandro followed my gaze, his smirk widening when he spotted Patrick.

"Ah, I see," he said, his tone dripping with amusement. "You're still thinking about him."

"I am not," I snapped, my voice a little too loud.

His grin widened. "Liar."

I clenched my fists, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.

"Don't worry, love," he said, leaning closer. "By the end of tonight, he won't be able to look at you without thinking of me."

~ALEXANDRO'S POV~

Lauren was adorable when she was flustered.

Her cheeks flushed, her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed together in that stubborn way that made me want to tease her even more.

But what made it all the more entertaining was the way Patrick's gaze burned into my back, even as he tried to hide it.

The man was a wreck.

"Let's find a quiet place for dinner," I suggested, steering Lauren toward a small restaurant tucked away from the main street.

It had just the right balance of intimacy and visibility. Enough to make Patrick squirm when he inevitably saw us.

Lauren looked around the restaurant nervously as we were seated, her fingers twisting in her lap.

"You don't have to look so tense," I said, leaning back in my chair. "It's just dinner."

She shot me a sharp look. "Dinner that I didn't agree to."

I shrugged. "You didn't say no, either."

She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but the waiter arrived before she could get a word out.

I ordered for both of us, ignoring her glare.

"You're insufferable," she muttered once the waiter left.

"And yet, here you are."

She crossed her arms, her gaze darting to the window. I followed her line of sight and spotted Patrick lingering outside, his expression as stormy as ever.

Perfect.

"Let me guess," I said, leaning forward. "He told you that you weren't enough."

Her head snapped toward me, her eyes wide with shock.

"How do you—"

"Men like him are predictable," I said, cutting her off. "They take and take, and when they've had their fill, they blame you for not giving enough."

Her lips parted, but she said nothing.

For the first time, her walls seemed to crack, and I caught a glimpse of the pain she tried so hard to hide.

Good. Let it out, love. Let him see what he lost.

~LAUREN'S POV~

I hated that Alexandro's words struck a nerve. I hated even more that they were true.

Patrick had taken everything—my time, my trust, my love—and when it wasn't enough for him, he'd thrown me aside like I was nothing.

And now, here he was, watching me from the shadows like he had any right to care.

I clenched my fists under the table, my nails digging into my palms.

"I don't need your psychoanalysis," I said, my voice shaky but firm. "I know what he is."

Alexandro tilted his head, his gaze steady. "Do you?"

"Yes."

He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Good. Then let's give him a show he won't forget."

Before I could ask what he meant, he reached across the table, taking my hand in his.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, glancing around.

"Relax," he said, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "Just playing the part."

I wanted to pull my hand away, to tell him to stop, but Patrick's reflection in the window froze me in place.

Alexandro's grip tightened, his eyes boring into mine.

"You're stronger than you think, love," he said softly.

For a moment, I believed him.