Rachel leaned slightly on her cane, her sharp eyes scanning Alexander from head to toe "So, Alexander, you disappear for days, ignore your family, and suddenly walk back in through my door, tell me, where have you been staying?"

"I’ve been keeping busy" said Alexander, his tone nonchalant "Right now, I am living at The Grand Regency Hotel"

Rachel’s hand tightened around the silver grip of her cane, a flash of shock crossing her ancient features before she masked it with a tight smile, she was old, but she was still a woman with needs—needs that she occasionally satisfied by quietly calling TMC to have them send an elite agent over to the estate to thoroughly fill her tank, the name of that hotel was too familiar to her "The Grand Regency?" asked Rachel, her voice dripping with artificial warmth as she looked him up and down "My, it seems you have done quite well for yourself in such a short time, I must congratulate you on finally getting your life on track"

She gestured toward his left wrist, her eyes locking onto the polished metal catching the light "And that is a beautiful blue Rolex you are wearing, if I’m not mistaken, it’s the Oyster Perpetual Datejust with the fluted bezel, quite a rare piece... it easily goes for around sixteen thousand dollars"

Amy’s jaw dropped, her eyes darting from the watch on Alexander’s wrist straight to his calm, indifferent face, her mind was spinning in disbelief, a Rolex, sixteen grand, just a week ago, her cousin was grinding away at an Seven convenience store for a miserable minimum wage, and now he was casually wearing a fortune on his wrist while living in the most exclusive hotel in the city, she felt like the world had gone insane, what was happening, and how did he get this kind of luck?

"It’s just a watch" stated Alexander, shrugging his shoulders as he walked over toward the large leather armchair, seating himself with the confidence of a man who owned the room

"Are you eating well, Alex?" asked Helen, her voice tentative as she leaned forward, trying to break the heavy quiet "You look a bit thinner since the last time I saw you at the house, I just want to make sure you’re taking care of your health with everything going on"

"I’m perfectly fine, Aunt Helen" said Alexander, adjusting his cuffs without looking at her "My health has never been better"

Amy kept her lips pressed tight, her eyes glued to his face from the opposite couch, she was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, the confusion of seeing her formerly pathetic cousin transformed into an imposing, wealthy man was twisting something deep in her stomach, sending a strange, hot wave of arousal through her body every time he spoke

Rachel shifted her weight, tapping her cane lightly to draw his attention back to her "A young man your age needs a proper foundation, Alexander" said Rachel, her tone dripping with an artificial, sweet warmth that didn’t reach her sharp eyes "It fills my heart with joy to see you succeeding, come, sit closer to your grandmother, tell me all about this sudden good fortune of yours, you know you can always count on me for anything you need"

"I don’t think that will be necessary, Rachel" said Alexander, his voice flat as he remained firmly in his seat "I am handling my own affairs quite well without any outside help"

"Don’t be so stubborn, Alex" said Helen, offering a strained, nervous smile as she looked between them "Your grandmother only wants to make up for the time we lost, we are family, after all"

"Family is a word people use when they suddenly need something from you, Aunt Helen" said Alexander, his eyes locked onto the old matriarch

Amy flinched at his cold words, while Helen bit her lower lip, unable to find an answer, Rachel, however, didn’t even blink, she ignored his cutting remark, her tight, artificial smile remaining unbothered as she leaned forward on her cane, staring at him with an unsettling intensity "You really have no idea how much comfort it brings these old eyes to see you like this" murmured Rachel, looking at his sharp jawline with a heavy gaze "Every movement you make, the way you carry yourself... you are the living image of your father, Lucian"

Helen immediately stiffened in her seat, her face tightening with a bitter, deeply ingrained sorrow that she tried to hide by looking down at her hands

Alexander’s expression turned ice-cold, his eyes narrowing into two dangerous slits as he locked gazes with the matriarch, the air in the room instantly dropped several degrees "I am much more the image of my mother" said Alexander, his voice sharp, venomous, and cutting through the room like a blade "Your daughter"

Rachel’s smile froze on her face, the heavy silence returning tenfold, with that single, biting remark, Alexander had clearly drawn a line in the sand, letting the old woman know exactly whose side he stood on and that her psychological games wouldn’t work on him anymore, the silence that followed was suffocating, stretching so thin that the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner sounded like gunshots, Helen cleared her throat with a small, forced cough, trying to shatter the freezing tension before someone snapped "Well... does anyone want to get some breakfast?" asked Helen, her voice trembling as she looked around the room, forcing an awkward smile "I am starving, and I’m sure Tessa has everything ready in the dining room"

Alexander stood up smoothly from the leather armchair, unbothered by the heavy atmosphere he had just created, he adjusted the cuffs of his jacket and glanced down at his blue Rolex "No, thank you" said Alexander, his tone flat and detached "I actually have to get going to school, it was a pleasure seeing you all, I just wanted to drop by so you knew that I was doing well"

Without waiting for a reply or giving them a chance to stop him, Alexander turned on his heel and walked toward the foyer, leaving the three women frozen in the living room, completely stunned by the cold, overwhelming presence of the man he had become.