"Really?" Freya''s brow furrowed, her skepticism evident at her mother''s words. In a different location, Alexander found himself seated in his car, having made several unanswered calls.


    The rain tapped rhythmically against the windows, adding an extrayer of mncholy to the world beyond the ss. Suddenly, a call from Kyle broke through the silence. Straightening his tie, Alexander answered, his voice curt. "Speak."Taken aback by Alexander''s tone, Kyle quickly ryed his message. "Getty''s not pleased with the birthday gift. She wanted me to tell you that you need to see her after your meeting with the client. If not, she''s done with you.""Understood."


    With that, Alexander ended the call, pressed his foot to the gas pedal, and his car disappeared into the rainy night.Upon arriving at the Kennedy Residence, Alexander found Kaitlyn and Freya in the living room, their faces adorned with masks. Freya was the first to notice him. She observed his damp hair and the chill he seemed to carry from the outside.


    There was something about him that seemed deste."Why are you here, brother?" Freya questioned, pulling off her mask in surprise.Kaitlyn turned to look at him. Both women felt a pang of guilt when they faced Alexander."Where''s Quinn?" he asked.


    Stammering slightly, Kaitlyn finally managed to respond, "She left a while ago.""Yeah, she''s been gone for nearly an hour and must be home by now. What brings you here?" Freya chimed in.


    Kaitlyn moved closer to him. "You''re soaking wet. Come inside and change," she suggested, her concern evident as she took hold of his arm.Internally, she was a bundle of nerves. ''That dummy hadn''t told him, had she? It wouldn''t matter if she did.


    He had agreed, albeit silently, when I decided to terminate her pregnancyst year. Would it really be any different this time?'' Kaitlyn reassured herself.


    Alexander gave her a brief nce before turning to leave.Kaitlyn''s face fell instantly. She called after his retreating figure, "Alexander!" Her expression was fierce, anger taking hold.But Alexander didn''t respond. He returned to his car and drove home, to the house he shared with Quinn.


    Upon entering, he scanned the living room. The TV was still on, but Quinn was not on the couch.After inspecting every room, including the bathroom, he found no one. His eyesnded on the television screen, which was tuned to a news channel.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    The images on the screen seemed out of ce in their peaceful vi, which was usually filled with the sound of cartoons. Picking up the remote from the couch, he switched off the TV. The room was now enveloped in an eerie silence.Ufortable, Alexander tugged at his cor before heading back outside.


    As he was about to get into his car, he spotted a figure in the rain. Squinting through the heavy downpour, he focused on the figure. His vision was blurred by the rain. The figure seemed to sway, almost as if the rain might knock them over. After a few minutes, Alexander recognized the figure as Quinn. She was soaked, her gait uneven as she approached him.Quinn lifted her head, her hair hanging limply and eyes barely open against the onught of the rain.


    Water streamed off her fingertips, hitting the ground in silence. Their eyes met."Did you walk all the way back?" Alexander asked, retrieving an umbre from the car and holding it over her, attempting to shield her from the rain.Quinn stared at him, her expression numb. She tried to muster a weary smile, but even lifting her hand seemed to require too much effort.It was toote, anyway. She was already drenched. The umbre was pointless now.