Chapter 95: Chapter 96

Chapter 0096 Chapter 0096 Alexander stepped away from the microphone, and the sound of reporters shouting questions flooded the air. He shook his head, and I could hear him say, “No questions, thank you,” before he directed Nadia and Miranda to walk away from the reporters, seeming to shield them from the Invasive questions, just as he had protected me previously.

I couldn’t help but smile at his show of concern for them. felt he had truly changed from the man they had described to me, and I hoped that after speaking with him again, they would believe in him too.

My mother turned her attention back to me and smiled slightly. “He’s certainly a good speaker,” she said. “Very charming. I can see why you’re drawn to him.”

I smiled. “Does that mean you approve?” I asked.

She shrugged slightly. “I’m not certain I would go that far, but I am willing to give him a chance.”

“That’s all I ask,” I said.

Silence fell between us as we both stared at the screen. Although I wasn’t watching the television anymore, incredibly relieved that maybe this whole mess would finally be behind us.

After a few moments, my phone began to ring. I pulled it from my pocket and glanced at the screen.

I felt I smiled when I looked at the caller ID and saw the name Black. I answered without hesitation and walked toward the staircase to head up to my room.

“I just saw you on TV,” I said.

“How did I look?” Alexander asked, a hint of teasing in his voice.

“You’re very photogenic,” I replied, “but you seemed a bit nervous.”

“Did I really?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“A bit,” I said as I walked into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I sat on my bed, feeling a rush of anticipation. “I wasn’t expecting you to call so soon.”

“I wanted to talk to you about something that Miranda and Nadia told me,” Alexander said seriously. “I’ve confirmed with James that it’s true.”

“What is it?” I asked, a nervous flutter in my stomach as I wondered if I had somehow upset him.

“They told me that you defended me quite strongly when some of the women confronted you at the shopping center. James said you were almost frightening–you were so passionate about my innocence.”

I felt my face heat, and I was glad Alexander wasn’t there in person to see it.

“It made me angry to hear them lying about you,” I said softly.

“I’m sad I wasn’t there to see it,” Alexander said, an odd quality to his voice that left me unsure if he was teasing me or not.

“Why?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

“I think it would be quite interesting to see your dangerous side.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I’m sure it’s nothing compared to yours,” I replied.

A beat of silence hung between us–heavy, not awkward, as if we both had more to say but weren’t sure how to 1/2 +25 BONUS Chapter 00%

express it.

After a few moments, Alexander spoke again. “Considering the bad press is behind us, I thought it might be time for us to go on another date.”

“Oh,” I said, surprised. “Did you have something specific in mind?”

“Well, summer is drawing to an end soon,” he said thoughtfully, “and we have nice weather for the weekend. I wondered if you’d like to come with me to the summer carnival.”

I’d nearly forgotten about the annual carnival held in the capital each year. It was a popular destination for dates and a place where we would surely be seen together. Some positive press and a show of our solidarity was just the thing to finally put an end to the rumors about Alexander.

“I think that’s a great idea,” I said.

“Good,” Alexander replied. “Then I’ll see you on Saturday night.

A little flutter of excitement coursed through me at his words, and I did my best to tamp it down. This was only business, after all–

not a real date.

“I’ll be ready,” I replied.