They both heard the soft vibration of his phone from inside the car, but Alexander didn't glance towards it.
Instead, he reached into his pocket and stretched out a slim card to her.
"Reach out to my assistant. She'll handle the repairs," he said, cool and direct.
Of course, he has a female assistant, Aliyah thought. Men like him always do…
Aliyah snatched the card from his fingers, barely looking at it before balling it up tightly in her palm, her lips pressed in silent defence.
"Not even a hint of guilt? No apology?" Aliyah's voice was sharp with frustration.
"You rich bastards always think you can throw money at anything and make everyone else feel small?"
Alexander smirked this time. "Who says I'm rich?" His eyes locked on hers.
"Maybe I just dress better than most."
Aliyah scoffed, folding her arms as she looked towards her bumper with a mix of irritation and disbelief.
She walked back into her car to grab her own contact card.
Marching back to him, she didn't give him a chance to move or speak.
She simply took his hand, turned it over, and pressed the card firmly into his palm.
"There. Now we're even." Her fingers brushed his, sending a tingly sensation to her stomach.
She cleared her throat to ignore the feeling.
"Contact me. Apologize… Then maybe I'll consider accepting your money," she added coolly.
Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heel and strode back to her car.
Slid into the driver's seat, her fingers tight on the steering wheel, and drove off without a second glance.
Alexander replayed the memory of their interaction in his head as he drove.
Absentmindedly tapping against his steering wheel with one finger.
He knew, deep down, that she was the same woman he saw who almost ended her life on the rooftop of Étoile.
The two brief interactions with Aliyah had been the most eventful moments he'd experienced since his return from Japan.
He couldn't help but shake the thought that someone who had once seemed so broken—on the edge of giving it all up-could also appear so carefree and cheerful.
I wonder what went wrong. He wondered, curiosity creeping into his thoughts.
He'd chosen the perfect day to drive himself around.
If Theodore, his ever-reliable driver, had been behind the wheel, Alexander never would have had the chance to step out of the car and see her again.
Fate? Or maybe coincidence.
He was impressed by himself, at how composed he was, how not a single hint of his involvement had shown when he spoke to her.
Her words… "Has flirting always worked for you?" echoed in his mind, making him pause for a moment.
Did it really work on her? He thought.
His phone buzzed again. Alexander glanced at the screen—it was his older sister, Eliza. He swiped to answer.
"I'm on my way," he said, his tone as calm as ever.
"Oh… you are?" Eliza's voice crackled faintly through the speaker in surprise.
"Yeah. I just said that," he replied, with slight amusement in his voice.
"You could take your time, though… no rush." She let out a breathy laugh, the sound interrupted as if someone were tugging at her shirt mid-sentence.
"I just pulled onto the private drive leading up to your estate," Alexander said, and ended the call without hesitation.
She must be with Diego again. He thought, knowing that was the only reason she would sound that way.
As he pulled into the driveway, his suspicions were confirmed.
Diego's sports car was already there, parked at an awkward angle across the gravel. He had a habit of doing everything just slightly out of line.
Typical Diego.
Diego Cortez had been Alexander's closest friend since middle school, that's what made it harder to accept.
Everyone knew his reputation, especially Eliza.
He was charming, reckless, and couldn't hold on to a woman longer than a season. The idea that she'd fall for him seemed impossible.
But the affair was real. Carefully hidden—not from Alexander, though, but real.
And if their father ever found out? Dating someone younger was one thing, and dating Diego was another entirely.
Alexander slipped off his suit jacket and watch immediately after he stepped inside. The heat outside was far too much for a full suit.
"My baby brother's all grown up…" Eliza said with a teasing smile, walking down the stairs.
She got to him and pulled him into a warm, oversized hug.
"Grumpy as ever," she added as she let him go.
"Where's your lover?" Alexander asked. Flatly, as if he hadn't just thrown a tease.
"Hey, best friend!!" Diego's voice rang out as he marched down the stairs. "I fucking missed you man!" He pulled Alexander into a rough hug.
"Seems like you had a good distraction from the bloodline, though." Alexander pushed him away, glancing at Eliza—she giggled in a blush.
"Oh, please, you were in Japan. Don't act like you spent all your time meditating on mountaintops and not on some Japanese chicks," Diego lowered his voice with exaggerated mock-seriousness. "I heard the girls there have the sharpest nipples on Earth. Scientific fact, bro." He smirked.
"I spent most of my time working, Diego," Alexander replied, walking towards the stairs. "Some of us actually have work to get done," his mind flashed back to almost the same words he'd spoken to Aliyah.
Noticing Alexander's preference for privacy, Eliza spoke up softly, "I'll meet you upstairs, Alex."
Alexander always enjoyed visiting Eliza, not just to see her, but he knew he'd always find new artworks that would captivate him. Eliza was an artist.
She spent most of her childhood painting quietly, obsessively, with love.
So it wasn't a surprise to anyone but their father when she refused the family business. Art was her passion.
She painted through joy, heartbreak, anger, and hope. It was the one thing she loved without question.
As Alexander climbed up the stairs, the familiar scent of linseed oil and turpentine filled the hall.
Her studio door was half open, framed pieces leaning on the wall like guards to some private world. He stepped inside.
"You've been busy," he murmured, noticing Eliza behind him, his eyes scanning a large, unfinished piece.
"Sometimes, painting is the only way I can breathe," she said, focused on another piece beside her.
"I thought you'd stopped seeing Diego," Alexander said, turning to her.
"You were only gone for two years, Alex. And besides, he's very sweet to me." Her voice soft and steady.
Alexander exhaled. "Dad wouldn't know that," his voice sounding more thoughtful than judgmental.
"I was at Étoile yesterday. But I haven't seen him since I got back," he added after a pause.
Eliza chuckled. "Well, you're going to have to face him eventually." She stepped closer to him. "He wants you to take over the Chief Operating Officer's position in Étoile Management."
She studied his face. "He's finally gotten off my back. Congratulations, COO Sinclair." Eliza tilted her head. "You don't seem thrilled."
Alexander gave her a look—half amusement, half exhaustion.
"Would you be, if you knew he only asked because he's run out of children to manipulate?" He scoffed lightly. "I run numbers, not models. The only reason he trusts me is because he knows I won't mess up the family's name."
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Ouch," she said with a teasing grin, "But not me, though, huh?"
They both laughed.
"I'm not looking to stir up another fight with him after everything that happened before I left," Alexander said, his face unreadable.
"He can enjoy thinking he's still in control."