The Ex Who Became His Obsession novel Chapter 21

Joseph couldn’t see what was happening near Leonard’s car. All he could do was focus on the brightly lit lobby ahead of him.

His brain reacted instantly, scanning for anything white.

Almost without thinking, his eyes locked onto a woman in a long white dress with flowing hair. But within seconds, he realized his mistake. Even from a distance, her figure and appearance were nothing like Alyssia’s. No one else in the crowd was wearing white.

Seeing that Alyssia hadn’t appeared yet, Joseph eased slightly.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement from Leonard’s car.

The door opened, and Leonard stepped out from the driver’s seat, one hand resting on the doorframe. His gaze, dark and unreadable, was fixed on the stream of employees walking out of the lobby.

Even with the thick night cloaking everything, Joseph could sense the dense, cold energy radiating off Leonard.

Turning his eyes back to the crowd, Joseph finally spotted something different.

There she was–Alyssia, dressed in a moss–green casual blazer paired with wide–legged gray trousers. Her long hair was swept up in a loose bun. She was chatting and laughing with her coworkers as they walked out together.

Joseph suddenly realized something that unsettled him deeply. If Alyssia didn’t wear white, he actually couldn’t pick her out from the crowd at first glance.

A night breeze swept past, lifting the edge of Alyssia’s blazer to reveal the soft yellow camisole underneath. There was not a single trace of white on her.

She casually tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, laughing at something one of her coworkers said. The warmth in her smile was effortless and clear.

Her fair skin glowed under the lights, her lips a soft rosy hue–altogether, she looked like something precious, like a gemstone brought to life.

And yet Joseph just stared into her eyes, momentarily stunned. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling.

This was the same Alyssia who always kept her head down, rarely met anyone’s gaze. The only time she ever looked directly at someone was when she was looking at Leonard–only then did her eyes truly focus. But now, her gaze held light.

Joseph had never denied that Alyssia was beautiful. But only at this moment did he feel like he was seeing that beauty clearly for the first time. He had to admit that her beauty could grip anyone’s heart.

Snapping out of it, Joseph glanced toward Leonard again. He was still standing there, gripping the car door, watching Alyssia from the shadows. His eyes didn’t move away for even a second.

And then, just as Alyssia came closer and exchanged goodbyes with her coworkers, Leonard finally moved. He stepped forward, clearly intending to approach her.

That was when a silver–gray Maserati cut in front, pulling up beside Alyssia.

“Charlie? It’s so late, what are you…” she asked, surprised.

“I just got here myself,” Charlie interrupted. “Hop in. I’ll take a look at your new place.”

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Chapter 21

Alyssia had arrived late that day, but she’d finally settled the rental arrangements.

The apartment she chose was a bit old and far from Vanguard Media, but it was close to Elmbrook General Hospital- perfect for visiting Rosalie whenever needed.

Charlie parked the car downstairs and followed Alyssia upstairs. The dim, flickering stairwell lights made him frown.

“The maintenance here is terrible,” he muttered.

“It’s not too bad,” Alyssia replied.

She wasn’t picky, or more precisely, she couldn’t afford to be.

She opened the door and revealed the one–bedroom apartment. It smelled musty, like it had been shut up for a long time.

Charlie’s frown deepened as he stepped in. Alyssia nudged the door wide open and said to him, “It’ll air out after a bit.”

The space was tiny, with everything visible at a glance: a bed, a wardrobe, and a small balcony with a kitchen attached to the bathroom.

The kitchen counter was covered in years of grease and soot. Half the bathroom tiles were cracked.

Seeing Charlie’s expression turn further grim, Alyssia added, “I just moved here. Once I have time, I’ll clean everything up and fix what needs fixing.”

Charlie said nothing in reply. A heavy pressure seemed to settle on his chest. He thought to himself, ‘Alyssia’s parents gave their lives for the Rivera family, and yet their only daughter ends up living in such a shabby place!

He didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was that he had lived a life of privilege for too long. Ordinary people’s lives were unfamiliar to him. Everything felt harsh in his eyes.

He pulled open the wardrobe, but suddenly, one of the doors nearly came off its hinges, left dangling by a single screw and swaying precariously.

The hinge inside is broken.” Alyssia immediately turned around, grabbed a small tool kit from the bed, and said, “It’s not a big deal. I watched a video online. It should be easy to fix.”

Charlie’s face instantly turned gloomy. He grabbed Alyssia’s hand and pulled it closer. “What happened to your fingers?”

He saw a blister on one of her slender fingers, dark red and raw.

Alyssia instinctively pulled her hand back and gave an awkward smile. “I tried to fix it earlier today. Er… I’m not very good at the stuff yet.”

She thought she was just spoiled in the past and never did anything hands–on. It was the first time she tried something like this, and she got her hand pinched by the wardrobe door.

Charlie wanted to scold her, but the words died in his throat.

“Give it to me,” he said while spreading his hand out.

Without missing a beat, Alyssia placed the tool kit in his palm.

Charlie crouched down in front of the wardrobe, held up the broken door, and inspected the hinge closely.

Alyssia craned her neck to watch and said, “Careful, that door’s heavy. I nearly dropped it on my foot earlier.”

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15

Chapter 21

Charlie glanced up at her and couldn’t help but chuckle upon seeing her worried and timid expression. His laughter instantly softened the heavy air in the room.

Charlie kept fiddling with the door. Unable to free both hands, he handed the tool kit back to Alyssia and said, “Pass me the Phillips screwdriver.”

A while later, he spoke up, “Give me the hinge?”

Then, he added, “Hold this steady.”

It was Charlie’s first time doing something like this. As an important figure in Vanguard Media and the heir of the Dixon family, he never had to fix anything in his life. He barely remembered ever seeing broken furniture, let alone repairing it himself.

But a woman could learn to cook for the man she loved, while a man could learn to fix the furniture for the woman who mattered to him.

And somehow, it felt like men were naturally wired for this kind of handiwork. Within minutes, Charlie had the door properly reattached.

He stayed inside the wardrobe a bit longer to check the other joints. From the side, Alyssia flattered. “Thank goodness you’re here, Charlie. You’re amazing.”

Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re just scared I’d yell at you, huh?”

He had noticed earlier that when his expression darkened, even the tips of her hair had seemed tense, like she was ready to dodge a scolding at any moment.

Looking at her face, Charlie suddenly remembered the little girl from years ago who always got into trouble and was scared of being punished.

Back then, she used to stretch out her hand nervously in front of her strict father, her eyes wide and wary. But no one ever <new that her courage would stun everyone.

Alyssia opened and closed the newly fixed wardrobe door, clearly a bit proud. “You wouldn’t yell at anyone. You’re the kindest person I know.”

Charlie tapped the inside of the wardrobe with a wrench, inspected a rusty joint, and said casually, “That’s because I’m only kind to you.”

Huh? Excuse me?” Alyssia asked. His voice was low, and she didn’t quite catch it.

Charlie took a deep breath and spoke up, “I said, I’m always too nice, and you keep cashing in on my good–guy points.”

Alyssia laughed and was just about to tease him back when a loud splintering noise rang out.

The wooden board beneath Charlie’s foot suddenly gave way. He dropped straight down, his leg caught in the bottom of the wardrobe. Off–balance, he nearly fell forward.

“Oh my,” Alyssia gasped, instinctively reaching out to pull him up.

Charlie’s hand had just reached for her when another hand shot out of nowhere, slamming between them, forcefully shoving Alyssia back.

Charlie caught a flash of Leonard’s face as the wardrobe door snapped shut in front of him.

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