Alexander’s POV

I stood on the balcony overlooking the Vaughn mansion’s garden, the cool night air doing little to ease the turmoil in my mind. I lit a cigarette, a rare indulgence for me, but the confrontation with my father, Charles, had left me shaken in ways I hadn’t expected.

His arrogance, his unwavering belief that he was justified despite his countless wrongs, infuriated me. Yet, a deeper unease gnawed at me—had I mirrored him when I abandoned Olivia for Vanessa Reed, a woman ...