A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 577

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Chapter 565

ALEXANDER

Morning came earlier than I would have liked.

The previous day’s trip had taken far more out of me than I had realized. By the time I returned to the pack house, all I had wanted was a hot shower and a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before reality inevitably demanded my attention again.

Reality, as usual, hadn’t waited.

By seven o’clock that morning, I was already fully dressed, and ready.

Ash had already gone over my schedule with me over the phone before breakfast.

A board meeting at the company.

A review of the quarterly financial projections.

A meeting with Legal over two pending acquisitions.

And somewhere in between all of that, Ambrose.

His name had remained at the back of my mind since yesterday.

+25 Points

Every time I thought about the eastern border, I thought about the reports that had crossed my desk carrying his signature.

Reports I had trusted.

Reports that now meant absolutely nothing.

I adjusted the cuff of my sleeve as I walked into the sitting room attached to my chambers.

The room was quiet.

Faye wasn’t there.

I assumed she had stepped out to Irene’s or perhaps gone downstairs to check on something.

I picked up my car keys from the table just as my phone began vibrating.

Helen.

I looked at the screen for a brief second before answering.

+25 Points

<Chapter 565

“Good morning, Mom.”

“Alexander.”

Her voice carried the same energy it always did.

“Sorry to bother you this early. How are you doing?” she said.

I smiled faintly. “It’s fine. I’m alright.”

“Good to know,” she said. “I just got off the phone with your sister. There is something I wanted to discuss.”

I already had a feeling where this conversation was heading.

I didn’t like it.

“I’ve decided we’ll have the get–together tomorrow,” she said.

There it was.

I closed my eyes briefly.

“Mom…”

“Please don’t,” she cut me off.

She didn’t even let me finish.

“I know that tone,” she said.

I sighed quietly. “It isn’t a tone.”

“It is.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“I have a very busy week,” I said.

“So?”

I sighed. “So… tomorrow isn’t ideal.”

There was a brief silence.

Then she spoke again.

“Alexander.”

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I already knew she wasn’t going to let this go.

“You say that all the time.”

I leaned lightly against the back of one of the sofas.

“It isn’t just an excuse, Mom.”

“I didn’t say it was,” she said. “But every week is busy.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Every week was busy.

Every month came with something new demanding my attention.

The never–ending stream of responsibilities.

“I just think-”

She interrupted me again. “If we move it, you’ll ask me to move it again.”

I let out a slow breath.

“I genuinely have a lot on my schedule,” I said.

“And next week?” Helen asked.

I remained quiet.

“The week after that?” she asked.

I still said nothing.

“The month after?”

She had made her point.

+25 Points

Every answer I could possibly give sounded exactly like what she had accused me of doing.

“Mom, I don’t understand the urgency,” I said.

The words escaped before I could stop them.

“It isn’t as though-”

“It is exactly because everyone is finally together,” Helen said.

Her tone softened slightly. “Irene is back, Cole is around, you and Faye are home,” she said.

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< Chapter 565

+25 Points

“So why should we keep postponing something as simple as spending time together?”

I looked toward the large windows overlooking the yard.

To me, it wasn’t that simple.

A family dinner wasn’t just dinner.

It meant clearing my schedule.

Moving appointments.

Making sure nothing urgent happened while I was away.

Everything required planning.

Helen, however, refused to accept that explanation.

Right now, to her, family came before schedules.

I rubbed my forehead.

Part of me wanted to explain again.

Another part knew it would make absolutely no difference.

She had already decided.

Trying to convince her otherwise would only drag the conversation into an unnecessary argument.

Something I wasn’t interested in having this early in the morning.

“…Alexander?”

“I’m here.”

“Tomorrow,” she said.

There it was again.

Not a question… a statement.

I exhaled quietly.

The phone had gradually drifted away from my ear without me even realizing it, now hanging loosely from my hand as she continued trying to persuade me.

I wasn’t even sure she had noticed I had stopped paying attention.

< Chapter 565

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