Alexander sat in his sleek, modern office, the afternoon light filtering through therge windows, casting long shadows across the room. His desk was immacte, a testament to his meticulous nature. As he leaned back in his chair, he picked up his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found ire''s number. He hesitated for a moment, a small frown forming on his face, then tapped the call button. The phone rang and rang again, and Alexander''s brow furrowed deeper with each unanswered ring. Just as he was about to hang up, ire answered, her tone sharp and businesslike.


    "Alexander," she said, her voice devoid of warmth. "What do you need?"


    Alexander cleared his throat, masking the slight sting her tone inflicted. "I just wanted to remind you about the Harris Hotel opening in Las Vegas. It''s in two weeks, and we need to be there."


    There was a pause on the other end, followed by a soft sigh that Alexander barely caught but knew was there. It wasn''t just the sound; it was the weight behind it, the reluctance he could feel even through the phone.


    "I remember," ire finally said, her tone t. "Thanks for the reminder."


    Alexander nodded, though she couldn''t see it. "Good. I thought perhaps we could fly out together, use my private jet."


    Another pause. "I will make my own arrangements," ire replied curtly. "But thank you."


    "Of course," Alexander said, keeping his voice even. "I appreciate your cooperation."


    "Is there anything else, Alexander?"


    "No," he replied quickly, sensing the edge in her tone. "That is all."


    The line went dead before he could say more. Alexander set the phone down and leaned back, staring up


    at the ceiling. He wondered, not for the first time if things between him and ire would ever improve. There was time when they were more than civil when the boundaries of business and personal blurred in a way that seemed promising.


    But that was before the mistakes, before the regrets that now weighed heavily on him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the familiar pang of what-ifs gnawing at his thoughts.


    ire sat at her desk, the remnants of her conversation with Alexander still lingering in her mind. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the surface as she tried to refocus on the documents in front of her. The reminder about the hotel opening wasn''t something she needed right now-not with everything else swirling around her. But it was Alexander''s call that left a bad taste in her mouth.


    The sharp chime of a message broke through her thoughts. ire reached for her phone, unlocking it to find a message from an acquaintance, someone she hadn''t heard from in a while. The message was an invitation to a jewelry exhibition happening this weekend.


    ire frowned, contemting the request. Her schedule was tight, and the thought of attending an exhibition felt like an unnecessary distraction. She typed a quick reply, declining the invitation, citing her busy schedule. But the response was immediate and insistent, with her acquaintance practically pleading for her to attend. ire sighed, rubbing her temples.


    "When is it?" she typed back, half-expecting a date she could easily brush off.


    "Saturday at 6 PM," came the reply.


    ire pursed her lips, considering. It wasn''t like she couldn''t rearrange things, but the idea of attending didn''t sit well with her. Still, a part of her knew the connections she maintained at such events could be valuable. After a brief pause, she replied, "I''ll try to make it, but no promises.''


    Her acquaintance''s delight was palpable, even through the text. "Perfect! I''ll see you there."


    ire set her phone down, leaning back in her chair. The week was shaping up to be busier than she had anticipated, and the added pressure of the uing hotel opening and now this exhibition felt like thest thing she needed.


    Yet, there was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind-something about the exhibition, about the people she would meet there, that hinted at an opportunity she couldn''t yet see. With a resigned sigh, she turned back to her work, knowing that the next few days would require her full attention and more. The jewelry exhibition was still a question mark, a potential obligation she was not keen on but could not outright dismiss. She knew the value of appearances, of maintaining connections, even when she didn''t want to.


    "Why does my schedule be full in the midst of my investigation about Andre and Eligos? With a lot of things to do, I doubt I can find the true reason for Eligos finding Andre and make him confess that he is my half-brother."


    The door of her office is open and Sandra pokes her head inside. "Ms. Peterson, you have a meeting at 2 on the tenth floor."


    ire sighed and nodded. "Thank you, Sandra, for reminding me."


    She nodded and left the office, leaving ire with her scrambling thoughts inside her mind. And so, she added it to her mental checklist, another item to address, another role to y.


    As the day wore on, ire found herself slipping into the rhythm of her work, the steady pace providing a temporary refuge from the moreplicated matters of her personal life. Yet, no matter how engrossed she became in the details of her projects, there was an undercurrent of restlessness she could not quite shake.


    Whether it was the looming presence of Alexander, the persistent mystery of Andre, or the dark games of Eligos, ire knew that theing days would demand her full attention and all her strength.


    Alexander, back in his office, could


    not shake the feeling of discontent the brief call had left him with. He had hoped for even a small sign of warmth, some indication that their past wasn''t entirely forgotten. But ire''s curt responses, her unwillingness to even share a flight, made it clear that the walls between them were as solid as ever.


    no


    He swiveled in his chair, staring out at the city skyline. The opening of the Harris Hotel was supposed to be a triumph, a testament to their joint efforts, even if their partnership was now more professional than personal.


    Alexander wanted it to be more than just a business sess; he wanted it to be a bridge, a way to mend what had been broken. But ire''s reluctance, her cold demeanor, made him question whether that was even possible.


    He thought back to their history, the


    choices he had made that had driven the wedge between them. Regret was not a familiar feeling for Alexander; he was a man who made decisions and stood by them. But with ire, it was different. The regret was constant, a shadow that followed him, reminding him of what could have been.


    Picking up his phone again, he stared at ire''s contact for a long moment before setting it back down. Reaching out again so soon would only push her further away.


    He needed to be patient, to find a way to show her that he had changed, that he was still the man she once trusted-perhaps even loved even though it was due to amnesia.