Victor quickly rose to his feet.

"Oh, Alicia, it’s you. Sorry for the misunderstanding." He picked up his glass with an awkward grin. "I’ll drink as an apology."

As he spoke, he poured himself another drink and finished it in one go.

Victor was not the only one who had mistaken Alicia for Lilian.

It was not because the two women looked alike. They each had their own distinct beauty and presence.

The real reason was far simpler.

Ever since Lilian had returned to the country, she had been the only woman Alexander ever brought to gatherings like this.

Among wealthy heirs in their circle, bringing different companions to different occasions was hardly unusual. Victor and several of the others changed dates often enough that no one paid attention anymore.

But Alexander had always been different.

He rarely brought anyone at all.

Until Lilian returned.

So in everyone’s mind, if Alexander was bringing a woman tonight, it could only be Lilian.

Certainly not Alicia.

In front of Alexander’s friends, Alicia had always been known only as his sister.

Nothing more.

Between Alicia and the group, there had never been much beyond polite greetings and occasional courtesy. She rarely attended parties or private gatherings with them, so none of them had ever imagined Alexander would show up somewhere like this with her.

"It’s fine," Alicia said calmly as she took her seat. "It isn’t your fault. Since my brother has only been bringing Miss Lilian, it’s natural you’d think that."

The sarcasm beneath her gentle tone was not missed by Alexander.

As she sat down beside him, he turned slightly toward her.

"Are you angry that I brought her here before?" he asked quietly.

"Why would I be angry?" Alicia replied with a faint smile. "Didn’t I even call her my future sister-in-law once?"

Alexander’s brows drew together.

"My mistake," he said at once. "From now on, I’ll only bring you here. Don’t be angry."

As he spoke, he leaned closer, his arm slipping around her waist as he drew her subtly against his side.

No one in the room was blind.

Everyone could see exactly what was happening.

And everyone knew Alexander Blackwood was not a man who acted without reason.

Bringing Alicia here tonight and behaving so openly intimate with her in front of them could only mean one thing—

He wanted them to understand something.

What shocked them even more was the way he was treating her.

They had never seen Alexander so patient, so gentle, so openly warm.

Not even with Lilian.

The room grew quieter as several people exchanged glances, each trying to make sense of what they were witnessing.

No one had ever seriously considered the possibility of anything between Alexander and Alicia.

Yet now, watching them together, they could not ignore what was right in front of them.

And if Alexander was acting this way toward Alicia, then it had to be serious.

After all, everyone in their circle knew how highly Roseline Blackwood regarded Alicia. Her place within the Blackwood family had never been something to dismiss lightly.

Even so, most of Alexander’s friends never truly paid Alicia much attention.

She was not the type to seek out parties or social circles, and she had always seemed careful to know her place despite being the Blackwood family’s adopted daughter.

Aside from Raphael, who had known about the marriage from the beginning, and Michael, who had only recently learned the truth—

The rest of them were completely stunned.

"Michael".

Alexander’s voice was calm, yet it carried enough weight to silence the room.

"Don’t you have something to say to Alicia?"

At his words, confusion spread across the group. Several people exchanged glances, unsure of what was happening.

As he spoke, Alexander recalled how Michael had called Alicia the other woman that night. His gaze darkened slightly.

Sensing the shift in Alexander’s expression, Michael immediately stepped forward with a glass in hand.

"Alicia, I was reckless that night. I spoke carelessly and offended you. I apologize."

He forced a smile.

"For Alexander’s sake, please don’t hold it against me."

Then he drained the glass in one gulp.

Only then did everyone understand.

Alexander hadn’t gathered them here for drinks.

He had brought them here for her.

Alexander had brought them here today for this apology.

Everyone knew how close Michael Livingston was to Alexander. They had been friends for years and were even alumni of the same university. Though Michael’s personality was the complete opposite of Alexander’s, the difference had never affected their friendship. He had always remained one of the core members of Alexander’s social circle.

So for Alexander to make Michael apologize publicly to Alicia...

The meaning behind it was impossible to ignore.

Something had changed somewhere.

Beside that, everyone knew the chairwoman would never tolerate Alicia being disrespected. If Michael had offended her, then apologizing was only fair.

Alicia looked at Michael calmly, then reached for the bottle of wine and refilled his glass.

"I understand," she said lightly. "You’re close to Miss Lilian, so it’s natural you’d defend her. If I were in your position, perhaps I would’ve done the same."

The room fell silent again.

Michael’s smile stiffened.

He could hear the trap hidden beneath her gentle tone.

"Alicia, at that time, I didn’t know what was really going on," he said quickly. "That’s why I said those things. Please don’t take it personally."

He lifted the glass and drank it again.

"Oh?" Alicia tilted her head slightly. "So you mean it was my brother’s fault for not explaining things clearly?"

Michael nearly choked.

His face froze as he shot a glance at Alexander.

"No, no—that’s not what I meant." He forced a laugh. "It was entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly from the start."

He lowered his head and finished the drink.

"One more."

Alicia smiled as she filled his glass again.

Michael’s face turned faintly pale. He glanced at her warily, but under Alexander’s watchful gaze, he had no choice but to drink again.

Only after he emptied the third glass did Alicia finally set the bottle down.

"Alright." She leaned back against the sofa with a graceful smile. "You’ve gone through so much trouble to apologize. It really wasn’t that serious. I won’t hold it against you."

"Mm." Michael forced a smile, though inwardly he was cursing her.

He knew she had done it on purpose.

She had deliberately made him squirm in front of everyone, then acted generous at the end. It only made him dislike her more.

He still couldn’t understand why Alexander had chosen Alicia over Lilian.

If it was based on looks, the two women were evenly matched—though Alicia’s figure was undeniably superior.

But in terms of temperament, Lilian was the obvious choice.

She was gentle, considerate, elegant, and effortlessly sociable. A single smile from her could put anyone at ease.

Unlike Alicia.

She always wore that cold expression, distant and unapproachable.

And if she were truly aloof, that would be one thing.

But Michael believed she was only pretending—using Alexander’s favor as her shield while acting arrogant beneath it.

Alicia remained unmoved.

She knew Michael disliked her, but she had no interest in changing his opinion.

An apology.

A surface-level peace.

And no damage to Alexander and Michael’s friendship.

That was enough.

Alexander’s gaze had remained on Michael the entire time, sharp and unreadable.

Only when it was over did he turn to Alicia.

His expression softened instantly.

Alexander looked at her, amusement visible his eyes.

"Still calling me brother huh?"

"What should I call you then?"

In the past, Alicia had grown so used to calling him Brother in front of his friends that changing it now did not come naturally.

Alexander looked at her, his gaze steady.

"What do you think?"

Alicia met his eyes, then curved her lips into a faint smile.

"Alexander."

A trace of satisfaction flashed through his expression.

He smiled lightly but said nothing more.

For a brief moment, he found himself wishing she would call him something more intimate—something meant only for him.

But he knew that was impossible.

They had never shared that kind of closeness before.

Watching the exchange, Michael’s expression became increasingly complicated.

The softness in Alexander’s eyes whenever he looked at Alicia was impossible to miss.

And that only made Michael think of Lilian.

If Alexander was treating Alicia this way now... then what about Lilian?