Chapter 1283 Dreaming Back to Our First Meeting, Love at First Sight

Chapter 1283 Dreaming Back to Our First Meeting, Love at First Sight

A Few Years Earlier

In a luxury car heading to the airport.

"Hey, you still remember Victoria, right?" Maximus asked from the passenger seat.

Alexander was driving. He had on a simple pale dress shirt and light slacks that afternoon, one hand resting easily on the wheel. When he heard her name, he just said, "Not really."

"You were crazy about her when you were little. When her family moved away, you could barely eat for weeks. You're really telling me you don't remember?"

Maximus watched his son with the satisfied smirk of a man waiting for the good part.

In Maximus's mind, there was no way Alexander had forgotten that sweet little Victoria.

"I don't remember much."

His hand shifted slightly on the wheel. His voice stayed flat the whole time.

Maximus let out a small laugh. "Well, doesn't matter anyway. She's already spoken for. Probably better you don't remember."

"Why's that?"

"Because if you still had feelings for her, your mom and I would have to go crawling to Mr. and Mrs. Kensington on our knees."

Alexander's grip tightened almost imperceptibly on the wheel. He kept his eyes on the road.

It had been so long. Long enough that everything from back then felt like another lifetime — or maybe something he'd made up entirely.

At the arrivals gate, Maximus leaned toward Alexander and said, "When you meet the elders in a minute, don't be so closed off. They flew all this way for your grandmother's birthday. That means something."

"Got it."

Alexander answered without looking away from the exit doors.

Inside the terminal, Victoria's mother looped her arm through her daughter's and kept her voice low. "When we get out there, be on your best behavior around Mr. Harrington. No goofing around. Understood?"

"I know, Mom. You already told me like three times before we left the house."

Back then, Victoria still had that easy, sun-bright way about her.

"And one more thing — when you see Alexander, keep your distance."

"Mom, you make him sound like some kind of villain. He's in business. Being good at making money doesn't mean he's ruthless."

"I just don't want you getting ideas. I've seen him on video calls a few times. He's always so cold. Nothing like Maximus — Maximus is warm, easy to talk to. A boy like Alexander? Honey, you'd spend your whole life being disappointed."

"Fine, then I'll walk out there with my eyes closed." Victoria grinned and wrapped one arm around her mom and the other around her dad. "Don't worry. I'm never getting married. I'm just going to mooch off you two forever."

She had no idea, in that easy happy moment, what was waiting for her just around the corner.

"Now that," her father said, practically beaming, "is the best thing I've heard all day."

But the Kensingtons and the Harringtons were always going to end up face to face.

The three Kensingtons pushed their luggage through the exit doors — and there were the Harrington men, waiting just outside.

"Why is Alexander here too?" Victoria's mother muttered.

Victoria looked out ahead of them, curious. Even from a distance, she could see him — tall, sharp-shouldered, impossibly put-together in a white button-down.

She heard her own heartbeat.

Yeah. Okay. He was genuinely that good-looking.

Her friends had teased her before she left, saying she'd come back home and fall for some guy and never return. She'd laughed it off. As if anyone could actually have that effect on a person.

But now she was staring at him, and her heart was going absolutely haywire.

She didn't realize yet that he was Alexander. It wasn't until they were close that it clicked — and the moment it did, she looked away. "Mr. Harrington, it's nice to meet you."

"Look at you, Victoria, all grown up and gorgeous." Maximus beamed at her. "This is Alexander. You remember him, don't you?"

"I don't, actually."

Awkward as it was, it was the truth.

Even if he was devastatingly attractive.

"Hi."

Alexander spoke first.

"Hi."

Victoria's eyes dropped on instinct — and landed on his hand, extended toward her. Long fingers, clean, elegant. She'd never seen a guy's hand look like that. Before she'd thought it through, she reached out and lightly touched her fingers to his.

"Alexander, help Mr. and Mrs. Kensington with their bags."

"Sure."

Alexander pulled his hand back. His gaze pulled back too. He went for the luggage.

Victoria felt a sudden, inexplicable flutter of nerves.

He passed right by her, and she couldn't help turning to look.

The adults fell into warm, easy conversation up ahead. The two of them trailed behind.

Alexander didn't talk much, but he slipped naturally into the role of driver and bag handler, without fuss.

On the ride back, the three adults settled into the back seat and picked up where they'd left off. Victoria ended up in the front — just her and Alexander. She sat with her breath quietly held, unable to shake the tension loose.

She was starting to notice something about herself —

No. That's not possible. She couldn't actually like him. She'd only just met the man.

It must be... attracted merely by his looks?

The thought made her wince. The last thing she wanted was to be the kind of person who got derailed by a pretty face. She pushed it down fast.

She needed to stay rational. She'd just told her parents ten minutes ago that she was never leaving them. She needed to stay in that lane.

"Not graduated yet?"

"No."

A voice from beside her, out of nowhere. She answered before she registered it — and her own voice came out small and strange.

Alexander glanced over.

Her cheeks were flushed, the color high and soft at the corners of her eyes. The kind of look you only saw on someone who didn't know they were wearing it. His hand tightened on the wheel, just slightly.

"You're not like you were as a kid."

He said it quietly.

The adults in the back were deep in conversation, paying them no attention.

Victoria turned to look at him, caught off guard. "Sorry — what?"

She genuinely hadn't caught it.

Years later, she'd forget they'd ever exchanged those words at all.

Alexander glanced at her and smiled — just barely — then let it go.

But the feeling had already found its way in. By the time the car turned through the gates of the Harrington estate, it had settled around her completely, the way warmth does when you finally come inside.

Once they were home, he didn't need to keep playing bag handler.

But —

The adults had already stepped out and were standing there, watching with barely concealed amusement, as Alexander walked around to the passenger side and opened Victoria's door.

Victoria gave a slightly flustered nod. "Thank you."

He didn't say anything. He just waited for her to step out.

He'd thought, for a second, about offering her his hand. But with everyone watching, he held himself back. His hand had curled tight — then slowly released once he shut the door behind her.

"Alexander's quite the gentleman. He must've had a girlfriend or two by now."

"Not that we know of — right, Maximus?"

"Nope. Never heard a word about it."

"Please. He just didn't tell you. Boys that age don't bring everything home to their parents." Victoria's mother laughed, but the lightness in her voice didn't quite reach her eyes. She'd been anxious about this from the start.

"Alexander takes after me — loyal to the bone. You can count on that."

Maximus was still smiling when Eloise and Arabella came out to meet them, and the subject dissolved.

"Come in, come in! I've been waiting on you three forever." Eloise made a beeline for them, eyes already on Victoria. "Is this Victoria? Oh, she is stunning — she looks like something out of a fairy tale."

"Mrs. Harrington, it's so wonderful to meet you."

Victoria lit up like she always did.

"Yes, yes, yes." Eloise reached for her hand, and Victoria placed it in hers without hesitation. Then Eloise tilted her head with a mischievous little smile. "Now, sweetheart — do you have a boyfriend? Because I would love to find you one."

"I'm absolutely open to that," Victoria said, falling into step beside her, "but he has to be cute. That's my one rule."

"Well then, take a look at that young man right next to you." Eloise gave her a knowing look. "What do you think of my grandson?"