Alex stumbled out of the taxi, his legs barely supporting him as he made his way toward Eric's apartment building. His chest was tight, his breaths shallow and uneven. His vision blurred — not just from the shock but also from the hot tears streaming down his cheeks. His heart pounded loudly, every step heavier than the last.
He wasn't even supposed to come here yet. He had told Eric he'd stop by later in the evening, but this was an emergency. Alex didn't know where else to go. His mind was a chaotic storm of thoughts and emotions, each one louder and more vicious than the last.
He reached Eric's door and knocked, the sound of his knuckles hitting the wood sounding weak and desperate. His hand slipped down the frame as the door opened. His legs finally gave out and everything spun violently out of focus.
The last thing he remembered before his world faded to black was a pair of strong arms wrapping around his waist. He would've thought it was Eric — except the strength in that grip was wrong. Eric was thin and slight. Whoever was holding him was not.
When Alex came to, the soft pressure of a cushion under his head was the first thing he registered. His eyes fluttered open, the light above him sharp and white. His throat felt raw, his limbs heavy. There was a faint scent in the air — something woodsy and warm, almost familiar.
"Ah, you're awake."
A voice. Calm, smooth, and low. Alex's gaze shifted toward the sound. Sitting on the floor beside the sofa was a man — not Eric. His short, sandy blond hair caught the light, and his deep green eyes regarded Alex with mild concern. He was dressed casually — jeans and a gray sweater rolled up at the elbows — but the way he carried himself radiated quiet confidence.
"You gave me quite the scare," the man said, brushing the back of his hand lightly against Alex's cheek. His touch was cool, steadying. "You still look pale."
Alex blinked at him, disoriented. "Who…?"
"I was debating whether to take you to the hospital," the man continued, ignoring the question. "But you came around pretty quickly." His smile was relaxed, easy. "Oh, I'm Leo, by the way. The one who's supposed to help you find that mysterious boyfriend who disappeared into the night."
Alex's heart stopped.
The moment Leo mentioned Damien, the tears started falling again before Alex could stop them. His chest constricted painfully, and his hands curled into the couch cushions.
"Hey, hey…" Leo frowned and grabbed a box of tissues from the coffee table. He pressed them gently into Alex's hands. "What's wrong? Why are you crying again?"
Alex wiped at his eyes with shaking hands. "There's no need to find anyone anymore," he said bitterly. His voice was hoarse, the words scraping painfully out of his throat. He sat up slowly, leaning back against the couch. His body ached.
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I found him." Alex said.
Leo seemed surprised.
Alex's gaze dropped to the floor. His hands clenched around the tissues, his knuckles white. "Or better said… he finally revealed himself to me."
"What are you talking about?" Leo asked, confused.
Alex drew in a shaky breath. "Turns out Damien, the man I thought I had fallen for, is actually Damien Sandbrook, the one who is hell bent on ruining my family's business…and my family. I think he has…some sort of vendetta against us."
"Are you sure?" Leo inquired with disbelief. "From what Eric told me it seemed that this man genuinely cared about you."
"I…I don't know," Alex sniffled, a look of defeat plastered over his worn out expression.
Leo leaned back slightly, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Well," he said slowly, "now that you know his full name, I can look into him. Maybe finding out more about him can help you better understand this situation."
Alex blinked at him. "What?"
"I can investigate him. Dig up anything that might explain why he's doing this — to your family and to you."
Alex pondered over Leo's proposition for a while and then realized that it was a good idea.
"I want to know," Alex whispered. His hands were shaking again. "I want to understand why he did this. Why he—" His voice caught. "Why did he play with my feelings like that?"
Leo's gaze softened slightly. "Whatever his reasons, it's clear you didn't deserve it." He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "So stop crying over him. He doesn't deserve your suffering — or your tears."
Alex's mouth trembled. His eyes burned.
"Seriously, though," he added, handing Alex another tissue, "he must be a damn fool."
Alex blinked. "Why?"
Leo's smile widened. "To give you up. To treat you like that."
Alex responded with a faint smile. His heart was still aching too much to properly process the comment, but Leo's quiet warmth was surprisingly steadying. He was obviously trying to make him feel better.
A comfortable silence stretched between them.
"How do you know Eric?" Alex asked after a moment, more out of a need to fill the quiet than genuine curiosity.
"We've known each other since we were babies. Our parents were close, but my family moved around a lot for business. Eric and I stayed in touch, though. He's basically family."
Alex's brows furrowed. "So how come I've never met you?"
Leo's smile turned amused. "Probably because I'm usually halfway across the world."
"Doing what?"
"Business. Investments. Mostly private security. The usual boring stuff."
Alex hesitated for a few moments and then asked. "Are you perhaps a dominant alpha?"
Leo's eyes glinted. "Yeah. Didn't Eric tell you?"
Alex shook his head. So his suspicions were right. It was pretty obvious from the way Leo looked that he wasn't just an ordinary alpha, but a dominant one. His countenance, the manner in which he carried himself…yeah, it was undeniable.
Alex's mouth opened, then shut. Just a few weeks ago, he had never even met a dominant alpha — and now there were two of them in his life. Although, Leo and Damien were wildly different.
He would've rather never met Damien in the first place, though.
"Relax," Leo said, his tone light. "I'm not about to bite you. Just cause I'm a dominant alpha doesn't mean I'll be a condescending and self-entitled bastard like most of them."
Alex's cheeks reddened. He glared at Leo's smirk. "You think you're funny, don't you?"
"A little." Leo chuckled. "But seriously — I'll look into Damien. That's kind of my specialty…looking into people and bringing out the skeletons from their closets."
"Okay," he murmured. "Just… let me know what you find."
"Of course. Anything for a friend."
Alex's mouth twitched slightly. "We just met."
Leo shrugged. "Technicality."
Alex's lips pressed together to stop the small, almost involuntary smile threatening to form.
"Anyway," Leo said, standing and stretching his arms over his head, "you should rest. You've had a hell of a day."
Alex sighed. "Yeah."
Leo leaned down slightly, his green eyes gleaming with quiet warmth. "We'll figure this out, Alex," he said softly. "One way or another."
Alex nodded, sniffling. Leo headed for the kitchen and Alex sank back into the couch, closing his eyes and trying to calm down a bit. He would eventually get to the bottom of everything. He was certain of it.