Chapter 78 Be careful
Dandelion.
Three days had passed since we returned from the resort, and I was losing my mind.
The problem wasn't that Alex was angry with me. That would have been easier to handle. At least anger would have given me something to push against, something to fight.
But the problem was that he was being understanding.
Like he was patiently waiting.
We had fallen into this strange new routine. Grandma Wini had Almost caught us trying to sleep in separate rooms again the night we got back, so now we shared Alex's bed every night. No pillow barrier this time. No pretending we could maintain distance.
We just lay there in the dark, carefully not touching, the space between us feeling like an ocean thanks to his king sized bed.
Except, it wasn't careful anymore.
Last night, I woke up to find my hand resting on his chest. His fingers had been tracing small patterns on my shoulder. We had both frozen when we realized, then slowly, we pulled away.
Neither of us mentioned anything about it.
Now I was sitting in the library, the same spot where he had held me while I cried about the hashtag, trying to focus on a script my new agent had sent. A romantic comedy. Light and fun, nothing too demanding for a comeback role.
Except the words were blurred on the page.
"You've been staring at that same paragraph for ten minutes."
I flinched. Alex stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, watching me with that unreadable expression.
"I'm reading," I lied.
"You're thinking too hard. I can practically hear your brain from across the estate."
Despite everything, I almost smiled. "That's not how brains work."
"Well yours is loud enough." He moved into the room, keeping a respectful distance. He was always maintaining boundaries now. "Noona wants us for dinner early tonight. Some business associate of hers is visiting."
"Okay."
"She specifically requested you wear the blue dress. The one from our wedding."
My stomach twisted. "Why?"
"Because she's Noona and she likes seeing us look like a proper couple." His jaw tightened slightly. "We can pull it off for one dinner."
The words stung more than they should have. Like we were back to just playing roles, pretending for his grandmother.
Except we weren't pretending anymore. At least, he wasn't.
"Alex."
"I'll let you get back to your reading." He turned to leave.
"Wait." The word came out before I could stop it.
He paused but didn't turn around. "Yeah?"
I wanted to apologize. I wanted to explain that it wasn't him I didn't trust, it was myself. My own judgment. My ability to tell the difference between real feelings and the illusion of them.
"Never mind," I said quietly.
His shoulders tensed, then relaxed. "See you at dinner."
He left, and I threw the script across the room in frustration.
"Wow. What did that script ever do to you?"
I spun around. Tristan stood in the doorway Alex had just left with eyebrow raised.
"How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to see you assault the innocent paper." He walked in, picking up the scattered pages. "Romantic comedy? Didn't see you for the type."
"It's a comeback role. I can't exactly jump into heavy drama right away."
"Why not? You're talented enough." He handed me the script, studying my face. "You look stressed."
"I'm fine."
"You're a terrible liar."
Coming from someone else, it might have been an insult. But Tristan's tone was almost gentle. Infact Concerned.
I had noticed him watching me more lately. Not in a creepy way, just observant. Like he was trying to figure something out.
"Just adjusting to everything," I said carefully. "The comeback plans, living here full time, all of it."
"And my brother?"
My heart stuttered. "What about him?"
Tristan sat in the chair across from me, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "I'm not blind, Dandelion. Something's changed between you two."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do." His eyes were sharp. "You used to avoid him. Now you can't stop looking at him when you think no one's watching."
Heat crept up my neck. "That's not true."
"It is. And he looks at you the same way." Tristan's expression darkened slightly. "Which is interesting, considering your marriage was supposed to be fake."
My blood ran cold. "Who told you that?"
"No one had to tell me. I figured it out weeks ago." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "The separate rooms. The awkward interactions. The way you both dread Noona's intervention like it was a death sentence. It wasn't exactly subtle."
"If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"
"Because it wasn't my business. And honestly?" He shrugged. "I didn't care. My mother wants me to compete with Alex for everything, including Noona's approval. But I'm tired of that game."
I studied him carefully. This was the most honest Tristan had ever been with me.
"So why bring it up now?"
He sighed.
"Because fake or not, something real is happening now." His voice dropped. "But you need to be careful."
My brows creased. "Careful of what?"
"Of my brother." He held up a hand when I wanted to speak. "I'm not saying he's a bad person. But Alex isn't who you think he is."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Tristan was quiet for a long moment, like he was debating how much to say. "Dandy, He has enemies. Powerful ones. The kind that don't forgive or forget."
"You mean business rivals?"
"I mean dangerous people. The kind you don't want anywhere near you." He leaned forward again, "Whatever's happening between you two, whatever feelings you're developing, just be careful. Because when Alex's past catches up with him and it will, you could get hurt."
My mouth went dry. "What past? What are you talking about Tristan?"
"It's not my story to tell." He stood, heading for the door. "Just watch yourself, okay? You seem like a good person. I'd hate to see you get caught in the crossfire."
"Tristan, wait."
But he was already gone, leaving me alone with questions I didn't know how to answer.
What enemies? What past?
Alex had always been secretive about certain things. His business dealings, some of his contacts, the way Walter sometimes looked at him with an expression that seemed almost like worry.
I'd chalked it up to normal billionaire stuff. Rich people had complicated lives, right?
But Tristan's warning felt different. More serious.
More dangerous.
I picked up my phone and pulled up Alex's contact. My thumb hovered over the call button.
Then I set the phone down.
If Alex had wanted me to know about his past, he would have told me. Especially after confessing his feelings at the resort.
The fact that he hadn't meant it was either not important, or too important to share.
I just have a sinking feeling it was the latter.