Chapter 201

[Evelyn’s POV]

“What?” he questioned incredulously.

Alexander stared back at me with a mixture of astonishment and disbelief. The corners of his mouth started to curl into a knowing smile, softening his features immensely.

My heart lurched in my throat while a flare of anger shot through me. Oh my God. Was he seriously laughing at me?!

There I was trying to be open and honest about my worries and feelings and Alexander merely stood there in amusement. My face flushed under his gaze, making me try to pull away. My lips twisted in annoyance.

“You know what? Forget it,” I bit out under my breath. “I’m sorry to have even brought it up.”

I heard him let out an exhausted breath. “Evelyn—”

“I’m going to bed.”

It was still considerably early for me to slip in amongst the blankets and pillows but my body was screaming for me to stop. It was insane to think that I hadn’t stopped moving since the middle of yesterday.

I was easily certain that the moment my head would hit the pillow I’d be out like a light. It was just as well anyway. Obviously, Alexander didn’t care to take what I was saying to him seriously.

I’d been foolish enough to express my fears and he decided it was acceptable to find humor in them. I pushed past him and headed in the direction of the bedroom.

I instantly regretted the fact that I purposely returned to the house to speak with him when I could have stayed with my brother.

“Evelyn, stop.”

I ignored him. My forehead furrowed in irritation. I had nearly reached the door when I felt the strong pull of his hands grab at my waist. Alexander whirled me around, pressing me back against the wall, knowing the air from my lungs.

He snagged me by my chin and made me look up at him.

“I told you to stop,” he asserted. “Look at me.”

I glared back at him. “What?” I hissed.

“I wasn’t laughing at you.”

“Sure as hell looked like you were!” I spat back.

“Would you stop it?” he huffed. “For Christ’s sake, I was relieved.”

The crease between my brows disappeared. “Relieved? For what?”

Alexander’s eyes were gleaming with a burning intensity that made my insides coil.

“For the last several hours, I’ve been living with the ongoing fear that you were afraid of me. When you saw me in that...That murderous state...I was certain that you would never look at me the same way again. It’s a side of myself that I never wanted you to see. But you’re telling me that your fear lies with the chance of me losing my mind with all the power I’ve obtained.”

“I’ve been surrounded by people who’ve only ever cared about status and trying to gain power regardless of the pain and harm it caused others. Take Isabella, for instance, she’d become so consumed by her greed for power that it literally drove her insane,” I explained. “And Michael and Caroline are hardly any different.”

The look in his eyes softened once more.

“I promise, I’m not going to let this affect me,” he said evenly.

You don’t know that.

I wanted to trust in his words, but this was just one of those things that could only be proven in time. But my mind was still wrapped in a horrible uncertainty.

“In any case, it’s going to be a long while before anything major becomes of this new title,” he said. “You forget, there’s still Gregory to deal with and the media.”

“That’s true, I suppose.”

He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to my lips before pulling back with a smile.

“Now, come on,” he urged. “Let’s get you to bed. You must be exhausted.”

[Third-Person’s POV]

Evelyn had opted for a quick shower before finally slipping into bed. Alexander watched her become settled before deciding to head back to the study. While his wife had attended to her brother, he stayed behind at the palace for a considerable part of the day.

He and Oliver had gone through a majority of Gregory’s files in his office to uncover any more they could on the man’s undercover dealings. Apparently, he’d been smuggling hundreds of thousands of dollars under the guise of half a dozen fake charity organizations. Each one was affiliated with a member of the Royal Family.

It came as no surprise that each and every one of them was crooked and thieving in their own way. It made the controversial decision to exile those who resided in the palace much easier. Another interesting piece of information he’d been told was that when his soldiers were moving Gregory to the lower levels, they discovered that Caroline had been previously incarcerated herself.

Alexander refused to hide his amusement as he stood on the other side of the cell door, staring at his infuriated Stepmother.

“Well, at least the former King did something right during his reign,” he muttered.

“Tell your guards to release me,” she demanded.

“Now, why would I do that?”

“Because I don’t belong in here—”

“I’d say it’s exactly where you belong,” he said darkly. “Don’t think I’m not aware of how Gregory knew how to get to Evelyn. You’re the one who told him about the weakened spot on the border. All this time I’ve been trying to find a way to have you put away in prison.”

Caroline scowled at his outward smugness.

“Honestly, you should be happy. Soon you’ll get to see your son again.”

For all the trouble she’d caused, it gave him true peace of mind to know that she would no longer be a problem to deal with in the future.

A small smile pulled at his mouth as he walked over to adjust the covers over Evelyn. Her eyes were drooping with need of sleep. He brushed her hair back from her face and whispered.

“Close your eyes, sweetheart. I’ll be back in a little while.” She gave a puzzled look. “There are a few things I need to finish up in the study and then I’ll be back.”

Right as Alexander turned on his heels to leave, he felt the sudden grasp of her hand snake around his wrist.

“Stay,” she whispered.

How could he possibly refuse such a request?

Whatever was left on his desk in his office could surely wait until tomorrow. Alexander wasted little to no time, slipping off his shoes and pulling his shirt over his head. He climbed onto his side of the bed and curled his arms around Evelyn, yanking her close to him.

He pressed his nose into her freshly showered hair and took in her clean, floral scent.

“I promise...” he said low in his chest. “I promise that I will never let my darker side touch you. You are the only thing in this world that keeps me sane. Grounded. The mere thought of ever losing you is utterly unthinkable.”

“Alexander.” She spoke his name as though it were a wish. Evelyn reached for his hand and held it close to her chest.

“Whatever happens now, I’m not worried...Because I know that the two of us will get through whatever comes next. Together.”

Evelyn nodded her head and squeezed his hand. “Together.”