Chapter 256

Scarlett’s POV

Thinking about this, I felt an inexplicable pain in my chest, that suffocating sensation of having my breath stolen away made me incredibly uncomfortable.

"The stars... are they beautiful?"

Alexander's voice suddenly broke through, uncharacteristically gentle, interrupting my thoughts.

I paused, instinctively looking up at the night sky.

They were beautiful, each one brilliantly dazzling.

Words couldn't even describe such a magnificent view.

Perhaps because we were in the suburbs, there wasn't much traffic.

We stood side by side, both intuitively understanding each other, neither of us speaking.

Simply appreciating the night scenery...

After who knows how long, Alexander turned to look at me. "Have you decided?"

I tilted my head up, and with the slightest movement, met his eyes.

Knowing what he was asking, I answered somewhat hesitantly, "I've decided."

The child, inevitably, couldn't be kept.

Besides, I knew that more than this child, I needed something else, wanted something else more.

For me, love was merely a beautiful transition period.

I couldn't deny that I loved Alexander, after all, he was my first man, and he had risked his life to save me twice.

He knew my intentions weren't pure when I approached him by any means necessary, yet he still indulged me.

Smiling slightly, I buried myself in Alexander's embrace.

"Alex, I truly like you, I like you so very much."

I raised my head, looking directly into his eyes, my voice trembling slightly, "But compared to this 'liking,' my sister is more important, avenging my mother is important, destroying Obsidian Palace is important."

Alexander's expression barely changed, but his eyes couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Get in the car."

He released his embrace around me. "Consider this the last time I help you."

His words carried no emotion, as bland as the night breeze that had just passed, gliding over me without leaving a trace.

I nodded and turned to get into the car.

At that moment, my neck suddenly tightened, and I was pulled back into a solid embrace.

Alexander's lips pressed down fiercely, so passionately, so irrefusibly, giving me no chance to breathe.

Past entanglements rushed in like a tide, and my heart was beating alarmingly fast.

I gazed into Alexander's profound eyes, feeling as if I had long been drawn into an abyss.

If I could, I truly wanted to hold onto this man with all my might!

Regardless of whether he was someone else's fiancé.

Take him for myself!

When the kiss ended, he roughly wiped my lips with his thumb, as if erasing the tenderness from moments ago.

It seemed like revenge, but his eyes were full of affection.

Only then did I suddenly realize that Alexander, this seemingly cold and heartless man, had actually been protecting me in his own way all along.

A sourness rose in my chest, and I unconsciously reached out to touch his face.

"Don't look at me like that," he caught my wrist, his voice deep. "I won't be able to let go."

He smiled, turning to sit upright, his exquisite profile shrouded in the shadows of the car.

For a moment, I couldn't clearly see his expression.

I watched him, with countless words in my heart that I dared not speak.

I wanted to ask him, would he be willing to fight for me? Could he not marry Lillian?

But for some reason, I felt that Alexander would never do this for me.

The car finally arrived in Medellín in the dead of night.

The fatigue from the long journey made me unconsciously lean on Alexander's shoulder and fall asleep.

When I hazily woke up, I found him watching me.

His fingers gently brushed across my forehead, smoothing the wrinkles between my brows.

This tenderness made my heart tremble.

In my half-asleep state, my hand had been tightly gripping his arm, as if afraid that he would disappear if I let go.

Alexander didn't seem to mind; he even appeared to enjoy this intimacy.

I slightly opened my eyes, peeking at him through the gaps in my eyelashes.

The corner of his mouth held an almost imperceptible smile, a calmness and gentleness I had never seen before.

Luke, sitting in the front seat, occasionally observed us through the rearview mirror.

The car eventually drove into a small hotel. I was still in a half-asleep state, so Alexander simply carried me.

When he stood up straight with me in his arms, I had to fully open my eyes.

"Awake?"

He asked, while leaning down to kiss my lips.

I softly responded with an "Mmm," about to say something when I suddenly felt that something wasn't right.

My gaze moved past Alexander's shoulder, noticing a red laser dot in the nearby bushes, aimed directly at us.

A sharp airstream grazed my cheek, and almost simultaneously, I shouted: "Look out!"

A burning sensation stung my cheek. I instinctively touched it, and my fingertips were stained with blood.

Someone was shooting at us!

I broke free from Alexander's embrace almost instantly, flipping away and pushing him aside.

"Get down!" Alexander's voice exploded by my ear, but it was too late.

The second bullet hit the ground by my feet, fragments splashing up, scraping past my calf.

My heart was pounding like a drum, but my mind was extraordinarily calm, quickly assessing the surrounding environment and potential cover.

A rustling sound came from the bushes, and a dark figure emerged.

His gun was pointed directly at me.