Alexander dropped the woman and her child off at the nearest police station. He didn't wait to give a statement—he couldn't afford to. The sound of Seraphina's sobbing still echoed in his ears, driving him to move faster. What could have happened? Alexander questioned himself as he ran home, moving so quickly that anyone who saw him would have caught nothing but a blur. He promised himself he would find out who had hurt his wife and make them rue the day they dared to do so.
When he reached home, Alexander was panting heavily, short of breath. He pushed the door open with urgency.
"Sera!" he shouted, his voice laced with concern.
To his shock, there she was, sitting in front of the TV, a half-empty bottle of alcohol in her hand, with more bottles and cans scattered across the floor. It was clear she was drowning her pain, something completely out of character for her.
"Oh, Alex, I'm sorry… I was just overwhelmed," Seraphina mumbled, turning to him, her head slightly lowered in embarrassment. Her hair fell forward, covering her face, making it difficult to see her expression.
Alexander rushed to her. "It's alright, Seraphina. I'm here now. Tell me what happened—"
Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted. "And what's this pathetic excuse for a husband going to do about it, huh?"
Alexander turned, already irritated, but not surprised. It was Happy, Seraphina's so-called best friend. Of course—now the scene made sense. How had he not pieced it together?
Happy was one of those friends you meet in college, the kind who pushes you to have fun, make bad decisions, and somehow manages to stick around even after the crazy years are over. She had been that friend for Seraphina. At least, until Alexander came into the picture.
Happy was notorious for her carpe diem lifestyle—wild, reckless, and selfish. She'd been married five times and divorced seven. Don't even try to figure out how that math works—Happy herself probably couldn't explain it. Her string of marriages and divorces involved some of the wealthiest men in Pantheon Valley and beyond, and that alone explained how she'd amassed her self-made fortune.
"Hello, Happy. It's good to see you haven't dropped dead yet," Alexander greeted her coldly, not bothering to hide his disdain.
"And it's a shame but no surprise to see you're still a freeloading loser," she shot back, her tongue as sharp as ever.
"Happy! Play nice. You too, Alexander," Seraphina said, trying to cut through the hostility.
Alexander had to admit, Happy had one of the sharpest tongues he'd ever come across. She always knew exactly where to dig the knife.
Seraphina and Happy used to be inseparable, best friends since college. That is, until Seraphina married Alexander, despite Happy's desperate attempts to talk her out of it. It had led to a huge fight between them, made worse by the fact that Happy had slept with Seraphina's brother, Shay, during that same period. Although the two events were unrelated, they'd been more than enough to put a lasting strain on their friendship. Happy had claimed she was in love with Shay but dumped him after just five months for a wealthier billionaire. That was just who Happy was.
Alexander turned back to Seraphina, ignoring Happy's barbed comments. "May I dare to ask what you're doing here, Happy?" He knew Seraphina didn't need someone like her around in such a vulnerable state.
"Look at him, talking like he owns the place," Happy scoffed. "It's bad enough that you're a freeloading loser, but you had to add 'arrogant' to the description, didn't you?"
Alexander opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself. She wasn't worth it. He rolled his eyes and knelt beside Seraphina, placing a gentle hand on her knee.
"Talk to me, Sera. What happened?" His voice was soft, compassionate.
Seraphina had planned to keep quiet, especially after Happy had advised her not to confide in Alexander. But now, looking into his deep blue eyes, she felt warmth, concern, and love—feelings she had thought were distant. His gaze was pure, sincere, and without judgment. How could she not give in?
"Lady Lockwood didn't summon me to give me the Maverick project," Seraphina started, her voice breaking. "She called me to tell me the exact opposite. They're giving it to Daniel Lockwood instead."
"What? That's… that's insane," Alexander blurted out in disbelief.
"Yeah, he's probably at Maverick Corporation right now, finalizing the deal."
"That's not possible," Alexander said, his mind reeling.
"What's worse is that I told Lady Lockwood to fuck off—so now I'm probably kicked out of the Lockwood family for good."
Alexander could hardly believe what he was hearing. How could this be happening? He couldn't help but feel responsible. If he hadn't gone after Ethan Bishop the way he did, maybe Seraphina wouldn't have been kicked out. He had to fix this.
He took her hands in his, squeezing them gently, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I'm going to fix this, Sera."
Happy let out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, and I'm going to find love and settle down," she said mockingly. "How exactly do you plan to fix this when you can't even fix yourself a meal without her money?"
Alexander suppressed the urge to snap back, amused by the irony of Happy's statement. He, more than anyone, could afford to buy out an entire restaurant if he wanted to. But he chose to ignore her.
"I am going to fix this," he repeated, more determined than ever.
"Oh, please, don't delude yourself. Like I've already told Seraphina, the only way she can survive this is to divorce you, marry into another—wealthier—family, and start her life over. That's the only way."
"Can you two just stop fighting?" Seraphina murmured, clearly intoxicated, her words slurring.
Happy, unfazed, continued. "If you really want to help, you'd let her go. It's the best thing you could do for her."
Alexander's jaw clenched, his fists tightening in restraint. His face visibly hardened with frustration. Without another word, he stood up abruptly and stormed out of the house.
Once outside, he dialed his phone.
"Geoffrey, I need a lift," he said sharply, speaking to his butler.
"Of course, sir. Where shall I take you?" Geoffrey replied, his voice formal and respectful.
"To Maverick Corporation."