A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 547

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<Chapter 544

Chapter 544

JASON

Time passed quietly.

By the time the silence settled over the office again, the weight that had been pressing down on my

shoulders all day had eased, if only a little.

It wasn’t gone.

I doubted it would disappear anytime soon.

Every one of those problems was still waiting for me the moment I allowed my mind to return to them.

For a few brief moments, however…

I had managed to forget.

I leaned back against the couch and let out a slow breath as I buttoned up my shirt.

Alice remained beside me without saying anything.

Unlike me…

She didn’t seem eager to move. She was still undressed.

The office was quiet enough that I could hear the faint crackling of the fireplace and the occasional footsteps echoing through the hallway outside.

Eventually, I turned my head toward her.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

She looked at me and smiled.

“I’m glad you called,” Alice replied.

I returned the smile, though mine didn’t last very long.

“I’ve missed you,” I said.

The words were enough to brighten her expression.

“So…” she began softly, “does this mean things are going back to the way they were?” Alice asked.

I hesitated for the briefest moment before answering.

“I’ll come and see you tomorrow,” I replied.

“I promise.”

She searched my face for a few seconds before nodding.

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“Alright,” Alice said.

“I’ll wait.”

For another minute, neither of us spoke.

I assumed she would get up.

She didn’t.

Instead, she shifted a little closer and rested comfortably against the back of the couch.

It became obvious she wasn’t in any hurry to leave.

Ordinarily…

I might not have minded.

Tonight was different.

The longer she remained in my office, the greater the chance someone would come looking for me.

If that happened…

There would be questions.

Questions I had neither the patience nor the desire to answer.

I glanced briefly toward the office door before looking back at her.

“Alice…” I said gently.

She looked up.

“Hm?” Alice responded.

“I should probably get back to work,” I said.

She looked around the office before returning her attention to me.

“Tonight?” Alice asked.

I nodded.

“I’ve still got quite a lot to deal with.”

She smiled faintly. “It can wait an hour.”

I shook my head. “I wish it could.”

Silence settled between us again.

She still didn’t move.

Instead, she looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

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It wasn’t anger.

Not yet.

It was disappointment

“You’ve already started thinking about work again,” Alice said quietly.

“I never really stopped,” I admitted.

She lowered her eyes.

“I noticed.”

Another long silence followed.

I could feel my patience beginning to wear thin.

I tried not to show it.

None of this was her fault.

She had every reason to believe I wanted her company for longer than this.

Unfortunately…

I didn’t.

The brief escape from reality had ended.

Now all I wanted was to be alone with my thoughts.

And my investigation.

I stood up from the couch.

“I really do need to get back to work,” I said.

Alice remained seated.

“So that’s it?” she asked.

I looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

She let out a quiet laugh.

“The moment your mind settles… You don’t need me anymore.”

Her words lingered in the room.

I rubbed the back of my neck.

“That’s not what I said.”

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“No.” Alice replied.

“It isn’t.”

“But it feels that way.”

I remained silent.

She slowly stood to face me.

“I waited weeks without hearing from you.”

“Then tonight you called.”

“I came because you said you needed me.”

She paused before continuing.

“And now you’re already asking me to leave.”

There wasn’t much I could say.

From her perspective…

That was exactly what had happened.

I chose my words carefully.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

She smiled sadly.

“I know.”

“But somehow…”

“You still managed to.”

I looked toward the office door again.

The later it became, the greater the likelihood someone would interrupt us.

I didn’t want this conversation to continue.

Not here.

Not tonight.

Finally, I exhaled.

“Alice,” I said, my voice firmer than before.

“I really do have important matters to attend to.”

“I need to work.”

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She stared at me for several long seconds.

Something in her expression changed.

The sadness disappeared.

In its place came resignation.

“I understand,” Alice said quietly.

“I finally understand.”

She picked up her handbag from the nearby chair.

“I won’t make this mistake again.”

I frowned. “What mistake?”

She met my eyes.

“Believing that when you said you needed me…,” she said. “You actually meant me.”

The words landed harder than I expected.