Chapter 93 Why Won't You Leave Me?

Chapter 93 Why Won't You Leave Me?
“Did you have breakfast?” she asked, rubbing her shoulders against the morning chill. “What song are you planning to sing today?”

He didn’t answer. Silence steeled her resolve.

“By the way… your voice is amazing. You sang like a professional. I almost thought you were a famous singer---”

He stopped abruptly, anger flashing.

“Can you please stop talking?! I don’t want to talk to you. Can’t you read the room?”

Her smile faltered, memories flooding back of how he used to engage with her, no matter what. She took a deep breath.

She pushed him away again and again but he never gave up and this time it's her turn to do the same.

“Okay… I won’t say anything. Please… don’t get angry.”

His expression softened, and he sighed, defeated. Without another word, he resumed walking, and she stayed close, steadfast in her determination to remain by his side.

______

The hall erupted with cheers and applause, a sound that rippled like a tide across the room. Alex Fraser stood at the center of it, his lips curved into a polite smile as he dipped his head in a restrained bow.

The stage lights caught on his dark hair and the pale scar trailing faintly along his temple, making him look almost unreal, like someone carved out of shadow and glass.

As he stepped off the stage, a young woman emerged from the crowd. She was in her twenties, her voice soft and syrupy as she approached.

“Excuse me,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m Sao. Last time we met, you helped me at the market.” the native japnese tried to communicate with him English.

Rainee, standing just a few steps away, froze. The sound of their exchange snagged her attention like a hook. She moved closer without realizing it, her curiosity and something sharper, something heavier, coiling tight in her chest.

Alex shifted awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable.

“Ah… it was nothing,” he said, his tone clipped. “I just picked up the bag you dropped near my feet. Accidentally.”

He put a deliberate weight on the last word, as if emphasizing it would make the entire moment seem meaningless. Sao, however, blushed, her smile widening like a child’s.

“You’re so nice,” she whispered, her eyes flicking over his face. “And such a great singer. I really like you. I don’t mind if you can’t see. Can I… can I have your number? Maybe we could start dating?”

Heat surged up Rainee’s spine, flooding her veins with jealousy so intense it startled her. Without thinking, she crossed the space between them in long, measured strides, her smile as sharp as glass.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said, her voice honeyed but cool, “but you’re too late. He’s my husband.”

She pulled out her phone with deliberate slowness and turned the screen toward the girl. Her wallpaper glowed, a picture of her pressing a kiss to Alex’s cheek. For a heartbeat, the girl's expression cracked.

“I-I didn’t know,” Sao stammered, bowing 90 degree quickly. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

She cast one last look at Alex, as if waiting for him to confirm the statement. But he didn’t. He said nothing at all. He simply turned back to his work, his face unreadable.

Something soft flickered through Rainee. Relief. Triumph. Confusion. Whatever it was, it gave her courage. She stepped to his side, ignoring the stiffness in his shoulders as she began to help him.

Across the room, Justin's voice broke through the murmur.

“Rainee,” he called with easy warmth, “don’t you feel cold in those clothes?”

Alex’s hands stilled for a heartbeat, his jaw tightening. “I left in a hurry,” Rainee replied, glancing back at Justin with a polite smile.

“I forgot about the weather.”

“Then you should head back early,” Justin said kindly.

“It’s going to snow soon.” She nodded, and he walked away.

The second Justin was out of earshot, Alex’s movements changed. He washed faster, his hands moving in quick, clipped motions.

Moments ago he had been careful, deliberate. Now he wiped his hands as though he couldn’t wait to be done.

“Brother, I’m leaving early,” he muttered.

Justin blinked in surprise, Alex rarely left before everyone else.

“Oh… yeah. Go ahead. Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine,” Alex said flatly. “I just have something to do.”

______

The air outside was colder than before, the sky dimming into a bruised gray. When Alex stepped into the street, he turned sharply, his face stripped of every public mask. Rainee flinched at the sight.

This was the Alex she remembered from before, the one whose eyes cut like blades. These are the expressions she last saw before she lost her vision.

“Don’t follow me,” he said, his voice low, icy. “Go back to your own place. If you keep stalking me, I swear I’ll handle you seriously.”

Rainee swallowed hard. The words landed like a slap, but she couldn’t answer. She turned away and began to walk back toward the hotel, each step heavier than the last.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered to herself, her voice breaking on the cold air.

She spun back, breaking into a run. Ahead of her, Alex paused. He didn’t look at her, but his shoulders stiffened, resignation rippling through his posture before he began walking again.

The street was almost empty, the silence eerie and thick. Everyone had retreated indoors to escape the looming snow. Rainee kept her distance, her breath fogging in the icy air.

Then a stranger, foreigner stepped out of an alleyway. His smile was sharp, predatory. “Are you alone?” he asked.

Rainee’s gut clenched. “Not interested,” she said quickly. “You can leave.” He scoffed and stepped closer, blocking her path. She shifted left. He mirrored her.

“What are you doing? Leave my way,” she snapped. “Playing hard to get?” he sneered. “I van play along. C’mon. We’ll have fun. Let’s find a place and drink someth---” “Leave her alone,” a voice thundered.

Rainee’s head whipped around. Alex stood behind the man, his face cold with fury.

“She’s with me.”

The stranger hesitated only a second before Alex grabbed Rainee’s arm and pulled her away, his grip firm but not cruel. He didn’t stop until they were clear of the alley.

Then he turned to her, his expression carved in stone. “Why are you doing this to me?!” His voice cracked, anger and something else spilling out.

“Why won’t you leave when I asked you to? Do you have any idea what could have happened if I hadn’t intervened just now?”

To be continued