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Chapter 5
Alexander clutched the divorce papers, his knuckles turning white from the force.
His mind went completely blank.
For the first time in his life, real, bone-deep panic surged through him.
Rachel Mace, his wife of ten years, the woman who stood by him through memory loss, scandals, and family crises, had walked away. Just like that.
No screaming, no begging.
Just cold, clean paperwork.
His eyes scanned the document, each word like a dagger straight to the heart.
Irreconcilable differences.
Effective immediately.
No intention to reconcile.
"No… no, this can't be real."
He whispered it at first. Then louder.
"This is impossible!"
The veins on his forehead bulged. His chest heaved.
He slammed the papers onto the table and bolted for the door, ignoring Emily's shrill voice calling after him and Tommy's confused, wide-eyed stare.
He didn't care.
There was only one thing on his mind:
Get to the airport. Stop her. Bring her back.
The car tore down the road, and Alexander kept shouting at the driver to go faster.
Faster.
Faster.
His eyes stayed fixed on the horizon like he could will time to stop, like that alone would keep her plane from leaving the ground.
As soon as they screeched to a stop at the airport, he jumped out before the driver even hit the brakes fully.
He sprinted through the terminal, heart pounding in his ears, lungs burning.
He grabbed the nearest staff member by the arm.
"Rachel Mace. Where is she? What flight is she on?!"
The poor kid blinked, stunned by his intensity. "Uh, sir, I, I need to check the manifest, "
"I don't have time to wait!"
Just then, a voice boomed over the loudspeaker:
"Final call for Flight 17 to Geneva. Gate 14 now closing."
Alexander's stomach dropped.
Geneva. That's where she always dreamed of going.
He turned and ran like hell, dodging people, luggage carts, security.
By the time he reached Gate 14, the plane was already taxiing down the runway.
He skidded to a halt, panting, eyes locked on the plane as it picked up speed.
"Rachel!" he shouted. "Don't go!"
But she was already gone.
The engines roared so loud it drowned out everything else, but not the sound of his own heart breaking.
He stumbled forward, then fell to his knees.
A blinding pain tore through his skull as memories crashed over him like a tsunami.
Rachel's smile.
Her voice.
The way she used to make him ginger tea when he was sick.
How she defended the Steele name when he was too lost to remember it himself.
How many times he'd ignored her, hurt her, chose Emily over her…
And now, she was gone.
When the pain finally dulled, he opened his eyes.
And there, standing beside him, was Rachel's lawyer.
The man didn't gloat. He just spoke calmly, with a trace of sympathy in his voice.
"Mr. Steele," he said quietly, "Rachel has dreams too. She's spent ten years of her life sacrificing for you, for your family. This time… she's choosing herself."
Alexander slowly rose to his feet, still staring at the empty runway.
His voice cracked. "I let her down."
And he knew, this wasn't just about losing a wife.
He had lost the woman.
The only one who had ever truly stood by him, loved him through it all.
He walked out of the airport like a man dragging his own coffin behind him.
The sun was shining, but he barely felt its warmth.
Because no amount of light could chase away the shadows in his heart.