CHAPTER 9

A Perfect Gift, A Perfect Distraction

The morning light spilled through the bedroom window, casting soft shadows across the sheets. I turned onto my side, watching the space beside me where Alex had been just hours ago. The sheets were cool now. Empty. He had left early. Again.

I exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling, my mind tangled in thoughts from the night before. The phone call. His rushed words. His too-quick dismissal.

"No one is important."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to shake off the uneasy feeling that had rooted itself deep inside me. But it lingered.

Doubt had a way of doing that.

A sharp knock at the front door snapped me out of my thoughts. Frowning, I slid out of bed, tightening my robe around me as I padded across the apartment.

When I opened the door, a delivery man stood there, a sleek black box in his hands.

"Miss Sophia?" he asked, checking the name on the label.

"Yes?"

"This is for you."

I hesitated before taking it, the weight of the box solid in my hands. "Who is it from?"

The man smiled slightly like he already knew. "The note inside will tell you."

And then he was gone.

I stepped back into the apartment, placing the box on the kitchen counter. The wrapping was expensive—smooth black paper with a satin ribbon tied neatly on top. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled it loose, my heart drumming against my ribs.

Inside, nestled in a bed of dark velvet, was a bracelet.

Not just any bracelet.

A diamond bracelet.

The stones shimmered under the soft morning light, delicate yet undeniably extravagant. My breath hitched as I ran my fingers over the cool metal, the weight of it pressing against my palm.

There was a note.

"Just because. – Alex."

A warmth bloomed in my chest, battling against the doubt still clinging to my thoughts.

I hadn't even heard him leave this morning, and yet, he had planned this.

I bit my lip, torn between wanting to be swept up in the romance of it and the nagging voice in my head whispering that this felt too much like a distraction.

Like a perfect gift meant to erase an imperfect truth.

The sound of keys turning in the lock made me look up. A moment later, Alex stepped inside, dressed sharply in his usual tailored suit, his tie loosened just enough to suggest he had a long day ahead.

His eyes landed on the open box in front of me, and a slow, knowing smirk spread across his face.

"Ah," he said, shrugging off his coat. "So you got my little surprise."

Little.

I arched a brow, holding up the bracelet. "Alex, this isn't exactly little."

He crossed the room in a few easy strides, his presence filling the space like he always did. There was something about him—about the way he moved, the quiet confidence in his stance—that had always drawn me in.

And right now, it was working.

A dangerous distraction.

He leaned against the counter, watching me as I turned the bracelet over in my fingers. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," I admitted, feeling the cool metal against my skin. "But why?"

His smirk deepened. "Do I need a reason to spoil my girlfriend?"

I studied him, searching for something in his expression that would give him away. But he was as unreadable as ever, his blue eyes calm, his posture relaxed.

Too relaxed.

Something inside me clenched.

"Still doubting me?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers curling around the bracelet. "Should I be?"

His jaw tensed—just for a second. If I hadn't been looking closely, I would have missed it. But I caught it.

The flicker of something.

Guilt? Annoyance?

I couldn't tell.

Then, just as quickly, he smiled, the easy charm sliding back into place. He reached for the bracelet, taking it from my hands and clasping it around my wrist.

His fingers lingered against my skin. "You think too much, Sophia," he murmured, his voice softer now. "I just wanted to do something nice for you."

I wanted to believe him.

I really did.

But there was something in the air between us now, something invisible yet suffocating.

Doubt.

Instead of answering, I forced a smile, letting my hand rest against his chest. "Thank you," I said. "It really is beautiful."

His smile widened, and for a moment, everything felt normal again. Like we were us.

Like nothing had changed.

That night, as I lay in bed beside Alex, his arm draped over my waist, my fingers traced the delicate diamonds on my wrist. Each stone glittered under the soft light filtering in from the city skyline, but all I could think about was that phone call.

"You know I can't talk right now. Not like this."

Who had he been talking to?

And why did it feel like this bracelet was his way of making me forget?

I turned slightly, studying his sleeping face. He looked peaceful, his dark lashes resting against his skin, his breathing steady.

I wanted this to be real.

I wanted to believe that I wasn't losing him.

But deep inside, I knew.

A gift could only distract from the truth for so long.

And the truth always had a way of coming out.

No matter how beautiful the distraction.