Chapter 13

Soon, news of the Bennetts ruthlessly crushing the Yales spread like wildfire through their social circle. Everyone was talking about it. No one could understand how Alexander, who had doted on Alicia just days ago, could now be so cold and merciless. Some began to speculate if it was because of Elise, who had suddenly disappeared. As Alexander's expression grew darker by the day, no one dared to mention Elise's name again. In the two days before Elise left, Alexander would wake up and instinctively reach out beside him. When he found nothing there, reality hit him like a slap. In the first week, Aaron got into a fight at school with a classmate who used to like Elise. She grinned as she mocked him, saying he was now a motherless stray. They ended up brawling, but this time, Elise wasn't there to step in and protect him. By the end of the first month, Alexander could no longer deny it. The panic he felt in those early days wasn't fake. He had always loved Elise. He had just reali