Chapter 52 – We’ve been waiting for you

Chapter 52 – We’ve been waiting for you
Alexander closed the car door and stood motionless for a moment, cell phone still in hand. The call echoed in his mind like an annoying buzz. It was a female voice, urgent, almost desperate. But try as he might, he couldn't connect the tone to anyone he knew. He'd been involved with many people, some allies, some enemies—and the line between them had always been too thin. Now, the past seemed to be knocking on his door again.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He decided to head to Isabella's apartment. Maybe she could help him clear the air.

Arriving at the building, he went up to her floor and rang the doorbell. Isabella opened the door with a slight smile, but her eyes betrayed a certain nervousness.

"You're finally here," she said. "We've been waiting for you."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, frowning.

"We were?" he repeated, his voice firm. "What did you mean by that?"

Isabella hesitated for a second, biting her lower lip, before answering:

"Yes... Oliver is here."

Alexander was silent for a few seconds, absorbing this information. A knot of discomfort formed in his stomach.

"Oliver?" he murmured. "What does he want here?"

The answer came soon after, as Oliver emerged from the room, walking toward the door with a serious and determined air. He wore casual clothes, but there was a weight in his gaze that Alexander recognized immediately.

"There's something important I need your help with, Alexander."

Alexander crossed his arms, staring him straight in the eye.

"You chose a strange way to ask for help."

Oliver let out a dry laugh.

"We've never been good at formalities, have we?" he said, before glancing at Isabella. "But I'm not going to beat around the bush. It's about Helena... and the man she's with."

Alexander's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive.

"And what does that have to do with me?" he replied sharply. "Helena's life is no longer my concern."

Isabella intervened, her voice carrying a conciliatory tone:

"Alexander, listen first. I didn't think it was serious either, but after the call..."

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"Call?"

Oliver nodded.

"That woman who called you earlier... I was the one who asked her to talk to you."

Alexander clenched his fists in irritation.

"Did you mess with my life to force me to be here?"

"I needed your attention," Oliver replied firmly. "It's not a whim. The man Helena is with... William... he's been in our past."

Silence fell over the room. Isabella watched them both tensely. Alexander kept his expression cool, but his mind was racing.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Absolutely," Oliver said. "When I looked at him, something inside me recognized him. It's like he's a ghost, someone who shouldn't be alive... or someone who should never have come back."

Alexander looked away, running his hand over his chin.

"That still doesn't answer why I should get involved."

Isabella then took a step forward, looking directly at him.

"Because you're the only one who can uncover the truth. Oliver may have suspicions, but you have the resources, the brains, and the composure to see it through."

He snorted, looking away from her.

"Composure. Funny you should use that word, Isabella. It seems like that's all anyone expects of me."

Oliver narrowed his eyes impatiently.

"It's not a matter of composure, it's a matter of survival. If this William is who I think he is... he could put us all at risk."

Alexander took a deep breath. Part of him wanted to say no, to tell them both to mind their own business. After all, he had promised himself he wouldn't get lost in Helena's life again. He already had enough scars to bear. But on the other hand, the pressure from both of them and the shadow of an unfinished past weighed heavily.

He sighed, defeated.

"Very well. I agree to investigate. But let me be clear: I'm doing this for you two, not for Helena. Don't ask me to revive ghosts."

Isabella gave a relieved smile, while Oliver simply nodded.

"That's enough," Helena's brother said. "Whatever you find, I want to know every detail."

Alexander picked up his phone and opened his contacts folder, already thinking of the right people to start the investigation. The information game had begun again, and he knew that diving into it meant stirring up old wounds.

"I hope you know what you're asking," he said, glancing back and forth between them. "Because once I start... there's no going back."

The silence spread through the room, heavy as lead. Isabella looked worried, but also determined. Oliver had the same look he had when he was younger, the look of someone who refused to give up.

Alexander pocketed his cell phone and walked to the door.

"I'll need time. Don't pressure me."

Before leaving, he glanced briefly at Isabella. There was something in her gaze that held his attention for a moment—a mixture of trust and fear.

And then, without another word, he left the apartment.

In the hallway, alone, he took a deep breath. His mind was racing. Helena, William, Oliver, Isabella... they were all pulling at different threads, but somehow they all led to the same tangle of mysteries and hidden truths.

As he walked toward the elevator, a single certainty formed in his heart: no matter how hard he tried to escape, the past would always find a way to drag him back.