Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 263

AUTHOR’S POV.

Alina stormed down the corridor, her heels striking the marble floor in sharp, deliberate clicks that echoed behind her like an angry tale. Her breath came unevenly, and though she tried to steady it, the burn in her chest refused to settle.

The dinner scene kept replaying in her mind, Darius’s calm, detached tone, his complete lack of empathy, his choice of timing. “Soon you’ll be getting married to Lucius Stormvale.”

Her fists clenched at her sides.

She reached her room and shut the door behind her with a muted thud, pressing her back against it. The silence inside wrapped around her like a heavy fog. The room smelled faintly of lavender and old wood, a calm, nostalgic scent that should have soothed her, but didn’t.

She walked over to the nightstand, grabbed her phone, and unlocked it. Her thumb hovered over one name. Lucian.

Her throat tightened. Despite everything, the distance, the betrayal, the pain… she still wanted to hear his voice. She hit the call button before she could talk herself out of it.

The dial tone rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

By the sixth ring, her heart had already started to sink. When it finally went to voicemail, she let out a shaky breath, her jaw clenching in frustration.

“Of course,” she muttered under her breath, lowering the phone slowly.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, staring at the glowing screen. “You can send me away, but you can’t even pick up?” she whispered bitterly, “Coward.”

Her thumb hovered over his name again, debating whether to call once more, but she didn’t. She hated the thought of sounding desperate. She threw the phone beside her and buried her face in her hands, fingers pressing against her temples.

Just then, the phone rang.

Her head snapped up immediately, eyes wide. “Lucian?” she whispered, snatching it up. She didn’t even check the caller ID before answering, “Lucian?”

“Uh, it’s Mia,” came the cheerful but cautious voice on the other end.

Alina froze for a second before exhaling softly. “Oh. Mia.”

There was a pause. “You sound… disappointed,” Mia said lightly, though there was a hint of concern in her

tone.

“No, no,” Alina said quickly, rubbing her forehead. “I just… I thought you were someone else.”

“Mr. Blackwood?” Mia asked gently, already knowing the answer.

Alina didn’t respond right away, but the silence said everything.

Mia sighed softly. “I figured. You’ve been gone for days, and knowing you, you probably haven’t heard from him either.”

Mia and her have gotten close during the weeks leading to the wedding and they could be considered friends

now.

Alina gave a dry laugh, leaning back against the bedpost. “You figured right. He hasn’t called, texted, nothing. It’s like I never existed.”

“That’s not true,” Mia said firmly. “You know Mr. Blackwood better than that.”

“Do I?” Alina asked, bitterness lacing her voice. “Because the man I thought I knew wouldn’t just let me walk away like that. He’d fight for me, Mia. But he didn’t.”

There was silence for a beat. Then Mia, ever the steady one, said softly, “Maybe he’s fighting in his own way. You just can’t see it yet.”

Alina sighed and closed her eyes. “I don’t even know what that means anymore.”

“I know it’s hard,” Mia continued gently, “but you have to take care of yourself too. How are you holding up over there? Is everyone treating you okay?”

Alina hesitated before answering. “They’re… trying,” she said finally. “Luna’s sweet, maybe too sweet. Damien -“she stopped herself, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. I just wish I was back home. With you. With the team. With…” she trailed off. “Everything.”

“I know,” Mia said softly. “But try to adjust, okay? For now, focus on your work. Keep your hands busy, like you always do. Design something new. You’re unstoppable when you’re creating.”

A faint smile ghosted over Alina’s lips. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. The designs.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t worry about production,” Alina said, her tone suddenly firmer, professional. “Keep things running as usual. I’ll keep sketching from here and send the concepts over for production. Nothing changes, Mia. Not one thing.”

Mia’s voice brightened. “That’s the boss I know and love.”

“I’ll arrange a meeting once I’ve settled,” Alina continued, her voice softening. “We’ll go over the upcoming

launch. I don’t want anyone getting the impression that Alinova is slowing down because I left Elaris.”

“Of course not,” Mia said. “I’ll handle things here until then. You just take care of yourself, alright? Don’t overthink.”

“I’ll try.” Alina murmured, though she didn’t sound convinced.

They spoke a bit longer, about orders, fabrics, and schedule, small talk that brought a little normalcy back into Alina’s evening. By the time the call ended, the knot in her chest had loosened just a little.

At least Alinova was safe. At least that part of her life still made sense.

She set her phone on the nightstand and leaned back, exhaling slowly. The silence in the room didn’t feel as suffocating now, but it was short–lived.

There was a soft knock on her door.

She frowned. “Yes?”

The door opened slightly, and Damien stepped in, carrying a silver tray. “Hey,” he said softly, smiling a little. “I noticed you didn’t eat much earlier, so I thought I’d bring you something.”

He walked further into the room before she could respond, the faint clink of the tray’s dishes filling the

silence.

Alina crossed her arms. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” he said, setting the tray down on the small table near the window. “You’ve barely had anything since you got here. You must be starving.”

“I’m not hungry.” She said flatly.

He turned to her, smile still lingering, though it faltered slightly. “You said that at dinner too.”

“Because it’s true.”

Damien sighed, moving a bit closer, his voice gentle but coaxing. “Alina, you’ve had a long day. You need to eat something-”

“I said I’m not hungry.” She interrupted sharply, her tone clipped.

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