There it was.
Raw. Unfiltered. And real.
For a long second, neither of them said anything. Serena stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold like someone locked out of a conversation she used to be part of.
And Alexander?
It suddenly dawned on Alexander.
That's right. Charlotte wasn't just another chef in a competition. She wasn't another girl. She wasn't a memory.
She was the difference.
she's his...?
His...
The one that had always been special to him, had always mattered more than he let himself admit.
---
Charlotte stared at him.
For a beat too long.
His words hung in the air like smoke—warm, intoxicating, dangerous.
"I just want you to be happy."
Happy.
Her heart skipped. Once. Twice. Then she forced a breath out, her voice low and tight.
"You don't get to say things like that, Alexander."
His brow creased. "Why not?"